SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., March 27, 2025—The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) has named two longtime ski industry leaders as the recipients of two of its most prestigious awards. Chris Cushing and Chip PerfectResort planner Chris Cushing is the 2025 NSAA Industry Impact Award honoree, and Perfect North Slopes (Ind.) owner Chip Perfect is the recipient of the 2025 NSAA Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Cushing has been with SE Group since 1985. He has spent the past 40 years assessing, planning, and designing ski areas worldwide, working on a total of more than 200 ski area projects on five continents. He’s been involved in such major resort revitalizations and expansions as Deer Valley, Utah, and Steamboat, Colo. 

Cushing comes from a strong background of resort planning. His father, Joe, led Sno.engineering, which became SE Group, in the 1960s and is widely considered an originator of modern mountain planning. 

Of his relationships in the ski industry, Cushing told NSAA, “For those of us who have been in the business this long, that's why—it’s the people we work with. They're interested, and they listen, and they're collaborative. You go out and have beers together. You know, that's what has made this career so fun!

“NSAA has been a big part of my life,” he continued. “To be honored with this award from the people with whom I’ve shared my career, it’s the ultimate confirmation that whatever we all did, it worked!” 

Read Cushing’s full bio on NSAA’s website.

Perfect grew up on his family’s farm in southern Indiana. A college student approached the family about turning a portion of the property into a ski area, and Perfect North Slopes became a reality in 1980 with two handle tows, three rope tows, and a few ski runs. 

Since then, Perfect has grown the ski area into one of the most successful operations in the Midwest. The ski area was an early adopter of high-capacity snowmaking, allowing Perfect North to capitalize on short windows of opportunity to make a lot of snow. Perfect also pioneered innovative ticketing and lesson options for guests to get the most bang for their buck.

He grew into an industry-wide leader, joining the NSAA board of directors in 2004, becoming part of the NSAA executive committee in 2007, and being elected as the first board chair from the Midwest in 2012. Perfect was honored by the Midwest Ski Areas Association in 2018 with the Jim VanderKelen Lifetime Achievement Award.

He now owns and operates three ski areas—Perfect North Slopes, Timberline, W.Va., and Swiss Valley Ski & Snowboard Area, Mich. In addition to these ventures and being an Indiana State Senator from 2014-2023, Perfect is involved in a variety of other businesses, including a local movie theater, restaurants, and a dirt track speedway.

Read Perfect’s full bio on NSAA’s website.

Cushing and Perfect will be formally honored at the 2025 NSAA National Convention, May 11-14, in Marco Island, Fla.