Every now and then, what starts as one winter at Deer Valley turns into a lifelong calling.
Jason Brown first applied for a job at Deer Valley Resort 20 years ago and has since found himself hooked on a way of life that no other job could replace. After 17 years on the lift maintenance crew, he’s one of Deer Valley’s veteran lift mechanics and spent the last three as a supervisor helping to mentor the next generation.
After three years as a Deer Valley ski patroller, Brown made the move to the lift maintenance team. He was curious about the hands-on nature of the work and the constant learning, he said.
“The ski lifts always interested me. I thought I was going to be maybe a lift mechanic for one year or less. 17 years later, I’m still a lift mechanic. So it’s been quite a ride,” said Brown. “Ski lifts, not only are they changing every year with technology, but they can always teach you something.”
Brown learned the trade by doing. With few formal pathways for lift mechanic training, he credits much of his knowledge to the veteran crew members who were willing to share what they knew. Now, he’s working to help modernize that process for the next generation. This summer, he’s serving as a field manager for Salt Lake Community College’s first-ever offering of Ski Lift Maintenance level 1 course.
“Most of my experience has come on the back of senior guys being willing to work with me and show me what I need to know,” said Brown. “You really have to rely on other people. There’s not too much on ski lifts you can do as an individual person. Everything’s either big, heavy or unsafe to do by yourself,” said Brown.
Brown stepped into a role as one of two supervisors three years ago. He leaned on the advice of mentors Mike Renz and Tory Matthews, who helped guide Brown through his transition into a leader on the crew.
“Renz and Troy are both unbelievably patient, and having them around to remind me that you should take the time and talk to people on a human level and form those bonds independent of ski lifts,” said Brown. “Now when I’m introducing new mechanics to the department, I emphasize the fact that you should get to know these people. It’s a work family; it’s trust and friendship.”
Ski Utah named Brown the lift mechanic of the year at the 2025 Yeti Awards. For Brown, the honor carried even more weight because of who put his name forward. Renz, a 38-year veteran on the maintenance crew, nominated Brown for the award in his final days on the job before his retirement.
“Having somebody you look up to see what you’re doing and appreciate it, that was a huge honor. Even if I hadn’t won, just having his nomination was special,” said Brown.
These days, Brown’s job leans more toward leadership, planning and training than it once did.
He has focused on helping new lift mechanics feel welcome and supported from day one — a priority he credits as one of the biggest reasons he was nominated for the award. Renz pushed him to check in more often with team members who are still learning the ropes and to create a culture where everyone feels like part of the crew.
“My role has transitioned less into being in the field as much and more helping organize and coordinate staff to make those things happen,” he said. “Now I’m also involved in hiring and onboarding new people, in the hopes to bring people up to speed a little quicker.”
Brown’s crew tackles a nonstop cycle of inspections, repairs and upgrades, from pulling hundreds of chairs off the lines to break them down and rebuild them, to maintaining the miles of cables, towers, motors and hydraulics that keep everything turning safely.
Summer brings a rush of planned overhauls and more in-depth maintenance work, while winter demands constant checks and quick fixes to keep skiers moving, no matter what the weather throws their way. It’s intricate, heavy and sometimes unpredictable work, but Brown said that variety is exactly what makes the job worth doing.
“You get to work with a lot of good people, a lot of different skill sets coming together to make it all work well. I feel like it’s a great job, just because of the variety that you get to see and do. And so I’ve always been pretty grateful for the experience that I get now,” said Brown.
For Brown, it’s the people who make all the difference. Unlike many resort jobs that slow down in the off-season, lift maintenance ramps up in the summer, keeping the crew working side by side all year long. High above the ground or deep in the machinery, they rely on each other completely. Trust and teamwork are non-negotiable when you’re handling heavy equipment and hovering high above the slopes, he said, and it’s a big part of why Brown has called Deer Valley home for the past 20 years.
“They’ve turned into lifelong friends. Not every industry has that. There’s a lot of trial-by-fire friendships that get formed by spending time on towers in cold and hot weather. You get to learn to just suffer together,” said Brown.