Ski Bum Works His Way to the Top

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John Hollenhorst ReportingThey say if you show up for work every day and work hard, you can go right to the top -- if you're lucky. All of that seems to be true of a Summit County man who started out as a ski-bum and wound up, well, with an enviable career.

For Scott Pierpont, it's all about downhill skiing, a sport he loves and a business in which he's been going up, up, up.

Scott Pierpont, President, The Canyons Resort: "I started when I was four-years old, back with cable bindings and leather boots, and I've just watched how the industry progressed."

Once in a while you may still seem him driving a snow-grooming machine. He got into the business as a seasonal groomer in 1974.

Scott Pierpont: "I went from a groomer to lift operator, ski patrolman, snow maker."

He pretty much worked his way up, and now he sits at the top, as President of the Canyons Resort. He's the boss, but he still loves getting out of the office as much as he can to do his old jobs.

Scott Pierpont: "I enjoyed grooming a lot. Did it at night so I could ski during the day."

Once in a while he still does the basic ski-bum job, lift operator, helping skiers get aboard. He thinks working his way up, and staying in touch with his beginnings, helps him relate to his 1900 employees.

Scott Pierpont: "I know what they've gone through because I've gone through it myself. So I think it does give me a little bit of an edge, certainly when I talk to the staff."

We first learned about this on a day when the company was involved in labor negotiations with the ski patrollers' union, presumably a busy day. But when we asked to speak to the president, we were told, 'sorry, he's out grooming the slopes'.

It's the classic American success story, a good enough story it might inspire a few others.

Scott Pierpont: "I hope it does. It's been a great path. And I tell that to these lift operators every year when they start out, that 'Ii used to do the same thing that you're doing. And who knows what could happen?' "

He may have an office job now, but Pierpont says his greatest satisfaction is working outdoors.

The Canyons resort now bills itself as Utah's largest because it has more skiable terrain than any other.