Epic By Nature

What brings guests back to a mountain year after year?

In this episode of Epic By Nature, CEO Rob Katz sits down with his chief of staff to share why Vail Resorts is investing in guest experience as the next frontier of growth in the ski industry. Together, they discuss rising guest expectations, the importance of loyalty, and how reducing friction, personalizing experiences, and empowering employees can create lasting connections that keep guests coming back year after year.

For nearly two decades, our integrated network of world-class resorts has been at the heart of our success as a company. In this episode of Epic By Nature, CEO Rob Katz explains how that owned-and-operated model will play an even bigger role in driving future growth. He also addresses external questions about whether our mountains would be more successful on their own and shares how we think about those perspectives, as a public company.

Earlier this month, Pat Campbell—a trailblazing leader who has helped to shape our company and our broader industry—became the first woman to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA). In this episode, Rob sits down with Pat shortly after her recognition to talk about her remarkable career, what it felt like breaking so many barriers, and why creating pathways for emerging leaders is so critical to the future of our sport.

In this episode of Epic By Nature, CEO Rob Katz sits down with Joel Gratz, Founder and CEO of OpenSnow to pull back the curtain on what it really takes to predict a powder day. From translating complex weather models, to the emotional weight of knowing millions of people are watching every forecast update in real time, Joel shares the process, pressure, and passion behind OpenSnow.

Our sport runs on passion—which means that sometimes, strong opinions can be treated like absolute truths. From “skiing is dying because it’s too expensive” to “skiing is ruined because the mountains are too crowded,” there are several commonly held myths that can shape how people feel about the ski industry and our company, long before they ever set foot on the mountain. In this episode, CEO Rob Katz and his Chief of Staff take on the loudest narratives one by one—cutting through the noise and separating fact from fiction along the way.

Our sport is at the beginning of a generational handoff—for the first time, a cohort of new skiers and riders are arriving to the mountains fully fluent in a digital world where community and identity are often built first online and reinforced later in person.  As Vail Resorts launches new young adult pricing for our 2026/27 Epic Pass products, CEO Rob Katz sits down with content creator Grace Donner to hear how Gen Z skiers and riders are engaging in the sport differently, redefining how people get introduced to it, and changing the way it grows.

In our latest episode of Epic By Nature, we’re building on the conversation we started earlier this season around how to make skiing and riding more accessible and more welcoming to more people. CEO Rob Katz sits down with Quincy “Q” Shannon, a leading organizer in Denver’s Black snowsports community, to discuss who feels invited onto the mountain and what it truly takes to build a sense of belonging in snowsports.

The start of the North American ski season has largely been a tale of two winters. While parts of the country saw historic early snowfall, the Rockies experienced one of the worst early-season snowfalls in more than 30 years. And yet for all our teams, winter has been anything but slow.

In this episode, CEO Rob Katz talks with Keystone Resort’s Senior Mountain Operations Director about how multi-year investments in snowmaking, technology, and expertise helped Keystone become the first resort in North America to open this season—and how creativity and teamwork have kept the mountain and the community moving forward, even when conditions haven’t cooperated.

What does it mean to balance labor unions, employee needs, guest expectations, and community commitments? One year after the labor strike at Park City Mountain, CEO Rob Katz and his Chief of Staff reflect on lessons learned, share insights into the company’s approach to organized labor, and explore the responsibilities and stakeholders that extend beyond the bargaining table.

Food is more than just fuel when you’re skiing or riding—it’s a core part of the fun. But as trends and expectations change, so too must the dining experience—which is why Vail Resorts recently announced a series of strategic investments and upgrades to elevate mountain dining across our portfolio. In this episode, CEO Rob Katz talks with two of our leading innovators about how mountain dining is evolving—and how we’re evolving along with it, putting our money where our mouth is through immersive (and delicious) dining experiences.