The passing of the torch became official Tuesday when Fritz Buser handed over Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe to family members.
Buser became the company’s majority shareholder in 1971 and has controlled the growth and direction of Mt. Rose ever since, including the merger with Slide Mountain in 1987. Ensuring the Nevada resort will remain family owned, Buser has transferred the majority interest in the ski resort to his children and grandchildren.
The popular resort caters to Reno locals as well as visitors to Lake Tahoe from both the Northern California drive market, and destination guests arriving from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, only 25 minutes away.
Kurt Buser, Fritz’s son, has been Executive President of the company for the last 20 years and will continue to shape the future of the resort. The new owners put great emphasis on continuity with the current management team and a passionate loyal crew led by Paul Senft, general manager since 1992.
Mt. Rose has achieved record seasons in the last two years, specifically due to having the highest base elevation in the Lake Tahoe region (8,260 feet), which often can give the resort the best snow conditions, even during the warmest of storms.
Fritz Buser will watch more from a distance as Mt. Rose continues to grow in stature among Lake Tahoe ski resorts.
“Bottom line is that Fritz was key in reinvesting in Mt. Rose to advance into the future,” said Mt. Rose spokesperson Mike Pierce. “The Board of Directors (led by Fritz) rarely issued dividends, but instead reinvested in needed infrastructure projects.”
Among the projects were:
- Expanded snowmaking capability, extending base to summit on both sides of the mountain.
- High speed, six-pack lifts on both summit chairs.
- Construction of the Winters Creek Lodge that replaced the aging Slide Lodge in 2009.
- Investment in the Enchanted Forest Family Zone accessed by the Wizard Lift.
- Enhancement of the Show-off Learning Terrain with the new Magic; enclosed dual conveyor lift.
Mt. Rose received more than 770 inches of snow for the 2016-17 season. That shattered the old mark of 600 inches in 1994-95.
After being the first Lake Tahoe-area ski resort to open for the 2017-18 season in late October, Mt. Rose also became first resort to open for the season – Nov. 7. Mt. Rose has been the first Tahoe-area resort to open three years in a row. A year ago, the resort opened for skiers and snowboarders on Halloween day.
Mt. Rose received more than 770 inches of snow for the 2016-17 season. That shattered the old mark of 600 inches in 1994-95. The ski resort has recorded 500 or more inches five times in its history.
A year ago, instead of closing in April, the huge amount of snow allowed Mt. Rose to extend the season more than a month. The resort offered one final weekend of skiing and snowboarding before closing for the season on Memorial Day. Mt. Rose finished strong with more than 13 feet of snow still stacked up on its slopes.
For more information about Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe, visit www.skirose.com,
Projected Lake Tahoe ski resort openings
- Mt Rose: Open
- Boreal Mountain: Open
- Heavenly Mountain: Open
- Squaw Alpine: Open
- Kirkwood Mountain: Open
- Northstar California: Open
- Sierra-at-Tahoe: Open
- Sugar Bowl: Dec. 6
- Tahoe Donner downhill: Dec. 8
- Diamond Peak: Dec. 14
- Homewood Mountain: Dec. 15
- Donner Ski Ranch: Dec. 15
- Granlibakken: Dec. 15
- Soda Springs: TBA
