SAM Magazine—Whistler, British Columbia, Jan. 7, 2025—Industry luminary and Canadian Ski Hall of Fame inductee Roger McCarthy died unexpectedly over the weekend. He was 75.Courtesy of Canadian Ski Hall of Fame & Museum

"Roger was an authentic leader who connected with his team at every level. That connection resulted in an organizational energy that transformed the guest experience at every resort Roger was involved with during his career,” said fellow industry trailblazer Bill Jensen. “Truly a remarkable individual."

McCarthy’s 50-year career started in 1972, when he moved from his native New Zealand to Whistler, British Columbia, and began working as a lift operator at Whistler Mountain, where he climbed the ranks in mountain operations. 

In 1990, he joined Intrawest as the director of human resources at Blackcomb (the company merged the two resorts in 1996) and was subsequently promoted to lead Mont Tremblant, Quebec, when Intrawest acquired it in 1991. McCarthy is credited with transforming Mont Tremblant into a leading ski destination and regional economic engine. 

In 1998, he was promoted to Intrawest SVP, Eastern Region, which included Blue Mountain, Ontario; Mont Ste-Marie, Quebec; Mountain Creek, N.J.; Stratton Mountain, Vt.; and Snowshoe, W.Va. His responsibilities later expanded to include Intrawest’s developments in Europe, including the Spain snowdome Madrid Xanadu. 

In 2000, he joined Vail Resorts as the COO of Breckenridge, Colo., and later Keystone, Colo., as well, before resigning from the company in 2007 to focus his efforts on the development of a new resort in Russia in anticipation of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games and other consulting projects.

He retired to Whistler and served as a councillor for the Resort Municipality of Whistler from 2011 to 2014. For his work at Mont Tremblant, McCarthy was inducted in the Laurentian Ski Hall of Fame in 2016. For his impact on the overall ski industry in Canada, he was inducted in the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame in 2023.

“Roger is quite famous around Whistler, and he will surely be missed,” said Jim MacInnes, board chair of Crystal Mountain, Mich. “He often held court at the Nita Lake Lodge coffee shop, where the usual topic of discussion was the fine points of ‘bomb throwing’ from a helicopter for avalanche control during the early days of Whistler."

In a tribute shared to social media, Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton reflected on McCarthy: “He was a leader. He was a mentor. He was a friend. He chased the most interesting and toughest challenges. In true Whistler fashion, he showed up from New Zealand with a backpack, started as a liftee, moved to patrol, and on to vice president. Roger didn’t talk about change, he lived it. … Nobody told a story like Rog told a story. He made every room he was in a better place to be. Roger McCarthy was truly one of a kind. We will all miss you.”