FIle Photo / Tim Greenway
Chet Homer, the longtime owner of Shawnee Peak, is shown at the ski resort in this 2016 file photo.
October 22, 2021
Shawnee Peak, Maine's oldest ski resort, sold to Michigan-based Boyne Resorts
Courtesy photo
Shawnee Peak will be known as Pleasant Mountain going forward.
By William Hall
Shawnee Peak, the oldest ski resort in Maine, has been sold to the Michigan company that already owns the state’s two largest mountains for winter sports enthusiasts.
Boyne Resorts on Thursday acquired the Bridgton resort from 27-year owner Chet Homer for an undisclosed price, according to a news release.
Boyne’s 11 resorts across North America also include Sugarloaf in Carrabassett Valley and Sunday River in Newry. The company acquired both in 2018. Boyne owns another New England resort, Loon Mountain in New Hampshire, as well as properties in the West and in Canada.
Transition of the Shawnee ownership will begin immediately, and all Shawnee employees will be retained, Boyne said in the release. Current ski passes and lift tickets from Shawnee will remain valid.
“After 27 years of stewardship, I cannot think of a better future for Shawnee Peak. And with Boyne Resorts being a family-owned business and the next steward of this mountain, this is a terrific outcome for our team, our guests, and my family,” Homer said in the release.
“Boyne is highly respected in the ski industry, and I am confident the ski area as well as skier experience will continue to thrive in the years ahead.”
Shawnee Peak is on Pleasant Mountain, whose northern slopes Mainers began skiing in 1935. Maine’s first T-bar lift began carrying skiers up the mountain in 1953, according to a published history of New England skiing.
In the 1980s, Pleasant Mountain began to struggle financially in competition against newer, larger resorts with more advanced snowmaking capabilities. In 1988 the ski area was sold to Shawnee Mountain Corp. for $1.4 million. Pleasant Mountain was subsequently rebranded "Shawnee Peak," the name of the company’s Pennsylvania ski area.
Homer, former executive vice president with Tom’s of Maine, purchased the resort in 1994 and initiated a series of upgrades. Today, Shawnee offers a 1,300-foot vertical drop, the fifth-highest in Maine, and 225 skiable acres served by four chairlifts and two surface lifts.
Stephen Kircher, president and CEO of Boyne Resorts, said, “We are incredibly excited to welcome Shawnee Peak into the Boyne Resorts family, and it reinforces our commitment to elevate New England skiing. With its rich history and accessible location, Shawnee Peak holds an important position in Maine’s ski industry and growing our sport."
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