Chris Cushing

Contact Chris
(970) 550-6011

Mountain guru. Soft-spoken sage. Masterful collaborator.

Chris leads our global resort planning practice and directs all aspects of our mountain planning and design services—working with uncharted terrain, developing mountain plans, and overseeing construction. Chris understands the business of mountain resorts at a deep level, and is expert at creating seamless physical and operational interface between the on-mountain facilities, base area guest service facilities and four-season resort developments around the world. Known for his attention to detail, understanding of mountain terrain and systems, and ability to quickly size up situations and devise solutions, Chris’ expertise and passion for the mountains helps developers and operators to create and refine their operations, and maximize both customer enjoyment and operational effectiveness.

Experience

Chris has been with SE Group for over 25 years, and has worked on and led projects throughout North and South America, China, Europe, Iceland, Japan, South Korea, Turkey and Australasia.

He has been recognized by Winter Sports Technology International magazine as one of “the world’s most respected ski area experts” and a leading expert in global resort design. Many of his ski area projects have received design awards, including Deer Valley, Utah and Steamboat Springs, Colorado. With his broad expertise and global experience, Chris has lectured extensively on mountain planning to audiences ranging from the US Forest Service to the National Ski Areas Association national convention.

Chris has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Vermont.

Expertise

  • Strategic planning
  • Site feasibility and operations analysis
  • Ski area planning and design
  • Project implementation

Outside the Office

Chris grew up in northern New Hampshire, and from an early age acquired a passion for the mountains. He first donned a pair of skis at the age of three and spent his childhood years skiing and racing on nearby Cannon Mountain. Many a weekend saw Chris and his buddies hiking and camping in the Franconia and Presidential Ranges of the White Mountains. As a teen in the early 1970s, he would accompany his Dad, Joe, on trips to design ski trails around New England.

This passion for the mountains and intrigue with ski trail design lead to a career at Sno-engineering/SE Group. This career started in 1985 in New Hampshire, and then took him to Colorado in 1993, before he finally settled in Utah and “The Greatest Snow on Earth” in 2002 with his wife and their three boys.

Now, Chris skis, hikes, and rides his bike in the Wasatch Mountains and frequently travels overseas for backcountry skiing and other adventures. He recently expanded his passion for the mountains underwater, diving in the coral reefs, canyons, and walls of the Caribbean and South Pacific.