Bogus Basin Lift Mechanic Maddy Baldwin Named Winner of SAM Magazine Rise UP Challenge

Statement Bogus Basin:

We are excited to announce that our very own Lift Mechanic, Maddy Baldwin, has been voted the winner of the 2025 Rise Up Challenge by Ski Area Management (SAM) Magazine!

The Rise Up Challenge, sponsored by Leitner-Poma of America (LPOA), shines a spotlight on emerging lift mechanics and their mountain teams through three-minute video submissions from each resort. Our submission, filmed by Logan Brown, offered a look at the day-to-day life of a lift mechanic at Bogus Basin � highlighting the determination, knowledge, and tenacity it takes to keep the lifts spinning all season long.

As this year�s winner of the 2025 Rise Up Challenge, Maddy will receive a $3,500 educational grant from the LPOA that can be used to pay for extra lift classes, certificates, etc. The other finalists were also recognized with grants ranging from $500 to $1,500, honoring their dedication and contributions to the ski industry.

Keeping The Lifts Running At Bogus Basin

The days are long, the weather is unpredictable, and yet the Bogus Basin Lift Maintenance team consistently shows up to make sure the Treasure Valley community has reliable, year-round access to the mountain.

The Lift Operations Team includes seven full-time, year-round lift mechanics that maintain all mountain chairlifts and conveyors; John Paradis, Maddy Baldwin, Cory Jewell, Curtis Meyer, Peter Bionaz, and Loren Exon. Andy Christy manages the Lift Maintenance team. The department�s leader, Matt Fritz, Director of Lifts, is one of Bogus Basin�s longest-tenured employees, having worked at the mountain since 1987.

Lift Maintenance Team dismantling Historic Bitterroot Chairlift, 2024. From Left to Right: Lift Mechanics Maddy Baldwin, John Paradis (above), Peter Bionaz, Eric Campbell, Loren Exon, Matt Fritz, Director of Lifts, Andy Christy, Lift Manager

As Bogus Basin Lift Maintenance Manager Andy Christy and Lift Mechanic John Paradis share in the Rise Up Challenge video, keeping the lifts operational is no easy task. �You have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable in lift maintenance,� according to Christy.

In the wintertime, the Lift Maintenance team works seven days a week, 13+ hours a day to ensure the lifts are operating properly, solving mechanical issues if they arise. The team spends the summer replacing old parts, from chairs to guide wheels, and running routine safety inspections on all of the chairlifts and chairlift towers.

Keeping the lifts spinning is a demanding job � make sure to thank a lift mechanic next time you see one!

Installing Two Brand-New Chairlifts 2024

Last summer (2024), we installed two brand-new chairlifts � a huge accomplishment for our Lift Maintenance team. The project demanded many hours in the mountain elements as the small team dismantled the existing Coach and Bitterroot Chairlifts, filled new lift tower foundations with concrete delivered by helicopter, installed terminals and engine rooms, spliced cables, mounted chairs, and finally finished with load testing the chairlift with heavy water barrels.

Into the Future�

The Rise Up Challenge celebrates the next generation of outstanding lift mechanics across the nation. Maddy embodies what that future looks like � ambitious, dedicated, and ready to push the industry forward.

�I�m incredibly grateful to have been part of this year�s Rise Up Challenge alongside four other amazing lift mechanics. Receiving the education grant from SAM and Leitner-Poma is such an honor, and I�m excited to further my skills by taking electrical classes that will directly strengthen my abilities in the field.� Maddy Baldwin, 2025 Rise Up Challenge Winner

With her education grant, Maddy looks forward to furthering her education through electrical classes and/or programs. We can�t wait to see what heights she reaches next.

�She makes this place fun � and brings her own personality in. I absolutely trust her with my life up on a tower. If she wants to be here for 15 years, she�s got a place here. That�s for sure.� John Paradis, Lift Mechanic at Bogus Basin

Leitner-Poma of America

�We are proud to sponsor the Rise Up Challenge each year and to recognize and reward the hard-working men and women in lift maintenance. These unsung heroes operate behind the scenes, putting in long hours and working in challenging conditions to keep skiers and riders moving seamlessly up the slopes. Congratulations to this year�s winner, Maddie Baldwin from Bogus Basin, Idaho, and to all this year�s competitors.� Leitner-Poma of America

2025 Rise Up Challenge by Ski Area Management (SAM) Magazine! >>>>

https://bogusbasin.org/