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Still Going Downhill

Legends of Showdown · The George Willett years, 1973–2020

2013 Ben Haugan chain saw carving sign out of tree of Prospector double chairlift during

2013 Ben Haugan chain saw carving sign out of tree of Prospector double chairlift duringGeorge Willett Collection

Ben Haugan

Ran the snow school, then the mountain — 2007 to 2015

Legend of Showdown

Born
First skied at Showdown
First worked here: 2006
Years at Showdown: 2007–2015
Positions: Ski school, with Jake Parchen, 2009–2015
Operations manager, 2009-2015
Summer crew, c.2007–2015

What they did

4 entries

2011Snowcat logging crew, with Jamie and Jesse Gregory
November 2012Test-ran the new conveyor lift
2014Gave the Great Falls Tribune the ski area's first published staff headcount: fifty full-time employees, plus 20–25 on weekends and holidays
Ran Benny's Bomber's Squad, an advanced youth ski program named for him, three Sunday afternoons each March

Photographs

21 in the archive

2009 Ben Haugan Skiis Muley — 2009 Ben Haugan Skiis MuleyGeorge Willett Collection

2009 Ben Haugan with ski school class at Top Rock — 2009 Ben Haugan with ski school class at Top RockGeorge Willett Collection

2010 Ben Haugan — On the Mountain — explaining the game to YSL kids — 2010 Ben Haugan — On the Mountain — explaining the game to YSL kidsGeorge Willett Collection

2010 Ben Haugan — On the snow — Holding the sun — 2010 Ben Haugan — On the snow — Holding the sunGeorge Willett Collection

2010 Ben Haugan talking to huge YSL group with bananas in the back — 2010 Ben Haugan talking to huge YSL group with bananas in the backGeorge Willett Collection

2010 Ben Haugan — Top of the mountain — talking to group of YSL kids — 2010 Ben Haugan — Top of the mountain — talking to group of YSL kidsGeorge Willett Collection

2010 Ben Haugan with santa beard and beer — 2010 Ben Haugan with santa beard and beerGeorge Willett Collection

2010 Ben haugan, Jessica Willett at Womens conference in great falls — 2010 Ben haugan, Jessica Willett at Womens conference in great fallsGeorge Willett Collection

2010 Ben haugan, Nicki Reynolds, Frank Feeback dancing to music in bar — 2010 Ben haugan, Nicki Reynolds, Frank Feeback dancing to music in barGeorge Willett Collection

2011 Ben Haugan and big trees near snowcat hauling logs closeup — 2011 Ben Haugan and big trees near snowcat hauling logs closeupGeorge Willett Collection

2011 Ben Haugan and big trees near snowcat hauling logs — 2011 Ben Haugan and big trees near snowcat hauling logsGeorge Willett Collection

2011 Ben Haugan, Jamie Gregory near snowcat hauling logs — 2011 Ben Haugan, Jamie Gregory near snowcat hauling logsGeorge Willett Collection

2011 Ben Haugan, Jamie Gregory, Jesse Gregory near snowcat hauling logs — 2011 Ben Haugan, Jamie Gregory, Jesse Gregory near snowcat hauling logsGeorge Willett Collection

2011 Ben Haugan, Jesse Gregory looking at logs snowcat hauling logs — 2011 Ben Haugan, Jesse Gregory looking at logs snowcat hauling logsGeorge Willett Collection

2011 Jason Mathews, Nick Boucher, AJ Korselin, Ben Haugan — Throwdown at Showdown Big Air Jump — 2011 Jason Mathews, Nick Boucher, AJ Korselin, Ben Haugan — Throwdown at Showdown Big Air JumpGeorge Willett Collection

2011 Ben Haugan — The Hole in the Wall Saloon Facebook Post from 12-18-2011 — 2011 Ben Haugan — The Hole in the Wall Saloon Facebook Post from 12-18-2011Showdown Facebook Collection

2012 New 400ft. Conveyor Lift Facebook Post from 11-17-2012 — 2012 New 400ft. Conveyor Lift Facebook Post from 11-17-2012Showdown Facebook Collection

2013 Ben Haugan chain saw carving sign out of tree of Prospector double chairlift before — 2013 Ben Haugan chain saw carving sign out of tree of Prospector double chairlift beforeGeorge Willett Collection

2013 Ben Haugan chain saw carving sign out of tree of Prospector double chairlift during — 2013 Ben Haugan chain saw carving sign out of tree of Prospector double chairlift duringGeorge Willett Collection

2013 Ben Haugan chain saw carving sign out of tree of Prospector double chairlift-after — 2013 Ben Haugan chain saw carving sign out of tree of Prospector double chairlift-afterGeorge Willett Collection

2013 Labor Day Extravaganza 2013 Facebook Post from 09-05-2013 — 2013 Labor Day Extravaganza 2013 Facebook Post from 09-05-2013Showdown Facebook Collection

All photographs of Ben Haugan in the search →

Also

Built the PROSPECTOR sign at the bottom of the double chair, chainsaw-carved with Jesse Gregory, 26 August 2013 — it still stands

Added by the people who were there