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Showdown MontanaStill Going Downhill

Showdown Montana · since 1936

Legends of Showdown

There are many, many legendary people who have donned the halls of Showdown over the years, but only a very select few have made it into the Showdown Legends category. To get to this level, one must have helped in one way or another make Showdown substantially a better place. These people here are amongst the highest levels and have put considerable time and effort into ensuring Showdown thrives. We must all give great appreciation to each and every one of these legends below for their contribution not just to Showdown Montana, but to the entire ski industry.

97 Legends · 1,764 photographs · 37 with a page in the papers

Nominate a Legend

There are no set rules to determine a legend status, but it is rigorously vetted and considered. If your nominee is not selected right away, their nomination never disappears and at some point they may become legends.

Sign in to nominate — any member or editor can put a name forward.

The Ski Club years

1936–1956
9 Legends
1965 Ski Hut Jim hasterlik with beardJim HasterlikHe built the Ski Hut — twicefrom 19371941 Ed Schenck, George Prentice, Rowe and Bob Selzer near car with gear-Donated by Donna WahlbergGeorge PrenticePrentice Run, named for him in 1939from 19391940s Ed SchenckEd SchenckClub president at the 1940 dedicationfrom 19391936 Lou Demorest portraitLou DemorestSurveyed the Little Belt Mountains with the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930sfrom 19402010 Big Ski Patrol group on top of moutainThe Great Falls Ski PatrolThe volunteer patrol — about fifty strong for ninety yearsfrom 19401936 Jack Throckmorton first time at King's Hill in winterJack ThrockmortonClub president, and the Mile is hisfrom 1940Joe TaylorA Neihart boy in 1936, and sixty years of itfrom 19471947 Harlan Cory on Ski PatrolHarlan CoryClub president 1953, and twenty-four seasons of passesfrom 19532024 Mike's Bell — First Tracks Facebook Post from 11-22-2024Mike BellForty-one years on the patrol; the bell is hisfrom 1955

The Shareholders Era

1957–1973
13 Legends
1960s Earl Hall Smoking PipeDr. Earl HallPresident of Ski Lift, Inc. — the Hall-O is hisfrom 19421960 Ron Hall — The T-Bar — Group of Ski Club MembersRon HallInstructor, coach, and keeper of the photographsfrom 19602013 Stan King at Top PatrolStan KingSixty-two years on the ski patrolfrom 19621974 Jenette Hollingworth-Delcomte (Ellington) — LodgeWayne EllingtonFounder of the professional ski patrol — sixteen yearsfrom 19671994 Mike GoldJamie Hurd and FamilyMarketing director, 1992-94 — and here from 1968from 19681980s AJ Buskirk holding old timey rifle and Scott Mosher with goggles on - George Willett EraThe Mosher FamilyPatrol, ski school and ski shop — three generationsfrom 19681980s Arlington AJ Buskirk-this photo was a big part of marketing at the timeAJ BuskirkCat skinner, and the face on the postersfrom 19701999 Jim Hasterlik, Dale Pugh, Allan Rabbit, Pinky Mathews — Top Rock — Ski Bums GroupPinky and Vera MathewsHe wired the 1970 double chair and got the phones goingfrom 1970Fritz SchmutzThe Swiss engineer of the 1970 double chairfrom 19702022 Allan Rabbit Receives Award, Bill Lay on right, Allan, and ???Charlie and Bill LayThe mountain's telephones, father and sonfrom 1977Tilly GiliesShowdown's kitchen for three decadesfrom 2003Bill BourretTodd Trophy 1959, club officer, racing fatherWayne AndersonHe wired the lodge's overhead heaters

The George Willett years

1973–2020
58 Legends
1973 George Willett and Griz the Dog-George WillettOwner and manager, 1973–2020 — forty-seven yearsfrom 19702024 Jimmy Hoxter — 50 Year Anniversary AwardJimmy HoxterMountain manager — fifty years on the liftsfrom 19731989 Kara Phillips — Upper QuicksilverThe Phillips FamilyJoni Phillips signed the first Showdown passesfrom 19731977 John Kowalski — The Mountain — Happy ski dayJohnny and Renee KowalskiShowdown's kitchen from 1974 — twenty-seven seasons, with Reneefrom 19742026 Chris QuinnChris QuinnPatrol director — fifty-nine years on the hillfrom 19741990s Idaho Trenberth Ski InstructorBill "Idaho" TrenberthSki School Director to 1990 — fifty-one years on the hillfrom 19741978 John Metrione bardtening in old Hole in the Wall SaloonJohn MetrioneOn the 1978 triple-chair crew, behind the bar for a decade — and later administered Showdown's permit for the Forest Servicefrom 19782004 Margie Willet the janitorMargie WillettTicket office, books and guest services, 1978–2020from 19781990's Lyle CiglerLyle CiglerSki School Director from October 1990from 19791999 Allan Rabbit Ski PatrollerAllan RabbitForty-seven seasons on the ski patrol — nine of them paidfrom 19791992 Mike GoldMike GoldInstructor, seven winters — and nearly sixty years herefrom 19821990s Bob's Bar, Tony Juntunen Jr., George Willett, Margie Willett, Chris Quinn, Idaho Trenberth, Dick Nebel, Jimmy Hoxter?Tony and Sherry JuntunenBob's Bar in Neihart, 1982 to 2018 — where the mountain came down to at the end of the dayfrom 19821990s Kevin Lacey Skiing BumpsKevin LaceyAssistant ski school director — and its trainerfrom 19821989 Kathy Sulser, snowboard competition - Frank Ball PhotoSam and Kathy SulserOn a snowboard at thirty-two, and for twenty-one yearsfrom 19822010 Jim Gold, Pam Gold on top of mountainJim and Pam GoldJim, in the ski school since 1983 and a founder of the We Ski Cousins — and Pam, whom he met on the double chairfrom 19832002 Sue Broquist, Dave BroquistBroquist FamilyRacer, then ski school director — and Sue behind the barfrom 19841996 Jerry SolbergJerry, Sandy and Jeff SolbergThe rental shop, twenty-three yearsfrom 1984Rory TollefsrudInstructor and coach — the trophy carries his namefrom 19841990s Dave Elmquist — On the MountainDave ElmquistForty-one seasons on the patrol and countingfrom 19851990s Mel CarnahanMel CarnahanSki patroller, forty years — and the fireworksfrom 19861990s Kevin Lacey, Tammy Lacey — Triple ChairTammy LaceySki instructor, certified 1986 — and a teacherfrom 19861990s Jan Alltucker at Top of Triple ChairThe AlltuckersThe lifts and the rental shop — twenty-seven yearsfrom 19871990s Cluas Ahmels-editedKlaus AlmelsTwenty-eight years in the rental shopfrom 19881980s Jay ZehntnerJay and Ben ZehnterThe rental shop, father and sonfrom 19881990s Top Rock Chris Quinn and Joe BlanchardJoe BlanchardSki patrol director — and he built the Top Rockfrom 1989Bill MacfaddenEagle Mount founder — adaptive skiing at Showdownfrom 19902024 Bridgette Paddock and unknown man, Mark Paddock on rightThe Paddock FamilyTwo generations on the patrol — thirty-five years and tenfrom 19901996 Brian Hoven — The Hole in the Wall SaloonThe Hoven FamilyThe 1990s race programme — three Hovensfrom 19911980s Dick Nebel — Fireman’s ChallengeDick NebelGrooming and lift maintenance, 1991 and 1992from 19911990s Scott Dvorak and KidsScott DvorakSki instructor — PSIA-certified here in 1992from 19921990s Jim Anderson SkiingJim and Angie Anderson and FamilySki School Director 1997–2001, and back every winter sincefrom 1997Brock Stokke skiingThe Stokke FamilyTheir March event stops the mountain at two o'clockfrom 1998Jodi ZehntnerEleven years running the Showdown daycarefrom 19982000 Joe Pope — Terrain ParkJoe and Kyle PopeJoe ran the terrain park for three winters and started the Montana Snowboard Championships — his wife Kyle came the season afterfrom 19992000s Jim Driver:Derek Whittenberg:Ty Johnson:Leo Hurtz ski school in front of lodge chimneyJim DriverSki school staff, in KARBON, in the 2000sfrom 20002001 Chris LeathamChris and Beth LeathamThey ran the ski school together, 2000 to 2007from 20002023 Boom Crew with Mel CarnahanThe Boom CrewShowdown's New Year's Eve fireworks, from about 2002from 20022009 Jake Parchen ski school penguinJake ParchenSki school instructor from 2002-03, and one of the men who ran the school through the 2010sfrom 20022009 Nate SchendelNate SchendelSki school from 2004 — and the man who made Showdown's 75th-anniversary filmfrom 20042025 Jimmy Hoxter, Evan Clark, Tim Ramsey, April Roth, Amy Porter, Hannah Patrick, Ripliegh Dees, Ryan Moran, Oliver Korslien, Brady Moran, Ben Zehnter, Kianna Facebook Post from 11-11-2025Tim RamseyKitchen Manager — twenty years of feeding the hillfrom 20062013 Ben Haugan chain saw carving sign out of tree of Prospector double chairlift duringBen HauganRan the snow school, then the mountain — 2007 to 2015from 2007Charley and Ally Willett and FamilyCharley and Ally Willett and FamilyOn this hill since 1983, and the ones writing it downfrom 20072021 Jared Burton — Top of Porphyry PeakThe Burton FamilyA fun day in 1989, and the terrain park nowfrom 20092013 Jesse Gregory at top of triple making call to the bottomJesse GregoryFacility Manager — seventeen seasons, every departmentfrom 20092009 Evan haugan, Ken Tipton, Sam Sulser in kitchenEvan HauganKitchen manager — the other half of a two-department familyfrom 20092010 Eric Held head ski patroller on top of mountain with other ski patrollersEric HeldHead of the ski patrol, 2009 to 2011from 20092024 AJ Korselin Accepting Award and unknown personAJ KorslienThe terrain park, then the whole mountainfrom 20091990s unknown female, Baron Noble, Bonnie Noble in barBonnie and Baron NobleGreat Falls and Neihart regulars — telemark and the barChuck and Gerry JenningsGreat Falls skiers — three generations on this hill2019 Dale and Jean PughDale PughSki patroller — and the Banff films, twenty-five years2004 Ed Noble on bar deckEd NobleOne of the 1973 sellers, and he never leftEv HallForty-six winters here, Guest of the Year 2025John KlinefelterGreat Falls businessman — Showdown was his place1970s Rick Hoadus and unknownRick HoadusSki school director, and the man in the red 1970s jacket1997 Rick JacobsRick JacobsSki instructor, 1990s — still in the powder in 20112004 Shelly Milburn, Bonnie Noble, Sue Broquist — The Hole in the Wall SaloonShelly MilburnIn the bar and about the lodge, 1999 to 20042011 Spencer Paul, Jesse Gregory near snowcat hauling logsSpencer PaulSnowcat and logging crew — he spotted the 2012 fire2021 Terry Stevenson in Top RockTerry StevensonGreat Falls Ski Patrol, Team 3 — avalanche qualified

Boedecker & Gold

2020 onward
9 Legends
1980s Katie Boedecker — Rental ShopKatie Boedecker and FamilyMarketing, then manager, then owner — since 1996from 19962021 Avery Patrick, Sean Patrick — Big 7 in the background Facebook Post from 02-09-2021Avery and Shawn PatrickMarketing director from 2015; an owner since 2020from 2014kim Johnson in officeKim JohnsonAdministration — the first Employee of the Weekfrom 20192011 George Gold-Clark Striking poseGeorge and Zane Clark-GoldMarketing director, and an organiser of the Showiesfrom 20202025 William Gold, Rachel Gold — Not at Showdown Facebook Post from 02-14-2025Will and Rachel Gold and FamilySnow School Director — the largest departmentfrom 20202009 Bridger Boedecker smiling at lodge with mountain in backBridger BoedeckerBuilt the rental reservation system, 2021from 2021Sam Sulser, Ryan Quinn at Top RockRyan QuinnA judge's clipboard at Top Rock, March 20212025 Jim Grewe — Parking Lot — Pink Snowcat! Facebook Post from 09-17-2025The Grewe Family and Peterson EquipmentThe snowcat dealer — and the pink PistenBullyTommy CroffHe plows U.S. 89 over Kings Hill Pass

Not yet placed in an era

no start year in the archive yet
8 Legends
2023 Aaron Weissman — The Lodge Deck — 56" storm cleanup, Shovel and you get free skiing! Facebook Post from 02-20-2023Aaron WeismanBo AdamsDebbie GolbergKyle and JeannieMarilynn Tallmen2001 Bonnie Noble, Dave Elmquist, Montana Decker — on bar deck — hanging outMontana Decker2021 Randy "RJ" Jackson, Ben Demaray, Frankie Feeback, Aaron Weissman — Outside the lodge Facebook Post from 03-06-2021Randy JacksonTerry GoodmanThe patrol's annual award carries his name

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