SAM Magazine—Lakewood, Colo., May 1, 2024—Russ Coloton and Kenny Hess will receive the 2024 National Ski Area Association (NSAA) Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes individuals who have demonstrated an extraordinary lifetime commitment to NSAA and the ski industry, and whose contributions will benefit the industry for decades to come.Russ Coloton and Kenny Hess

Russ Coloton

Coloton, who recently stepped down as general manager of Hunter Mountain, began his 44-year career at the upstate New York ski area as a lift supervisor, quickly working his way up to operations manager before becoming GM in 1999. 

In 2016, he guided Hunter through its acquisition by Peak Resorts—and then by Vail Resorts three years later. He also served two six-year stints on the NSAA board, as well as period on the Ski Areas of New York (SANY) board.

"Russ spent his entire ski area career at Hunter Mountain—most of that working for two brothers that trusted in his ability to lead the team through many years of ups and downs that come with eastern weather and New York regulations," Hunter Mountain director of skier services Sarah Slutzky told the NSAA Journal. Sultzky is the granddaughter of Orville Slutzky, one of the founding brothers of the resort along with Israel Slutzky. "Running a successful ski area in the East takes a special type of resiliency, and then we bring family dynamics into it,” she added. “That was not for the faint of heart.

“He then was able to hold the reins steady through two corporate acquisitions, all while maintaining the trust and dedication of the Hunter team,” said Slutzky. “Not everyone in this industry could lead through such change and adversity, but Russ did so in a way that truly set Hunter up for success, no matter what we faced. Those of us that worked for Russ are all better for it." 

Read NSAA’s full bio of Coloton here.

Kenny Hess

Hess, who is retiring as the director of sports and risk management at Virginia’s Massanutten Resort, has been instrumental in transforming the small ski area into a multi-sport, four season resort with a full range of amenities since he started there in the early 1980s.

"Over his 40+ year career, Kenny … embraced mountain biking when many were still trying to figure it out. He operated snow tubing at a level very few could achieve,” Jay Roberts, executive director for the Wintergreen Property Owners Association, which operates Massanutten neighbor Wintergreen Resort, told the NSAA Journal. 

Roberts also credited Hess with improvements ranging from chairlift upgrades, new slopes, a waterpark, expanded snowmaking, lift loading conveyors, ice skating, terrain parks, zip lines, and ropes courses. 

"Through the ups and downs of resort operations and ownership challenges, Kenny never wavered and he never left," Roberts said. "He simply kept improving.”

NSAA’s director of risk and regulatory affairs, David Byrd, called Hess “the ultimate industry collaborator” who was always happy to share new ideas, insights, and strategies with other ski areas.

Read NSAA’s full bio of Hess here.

Reported by Bob Curley