What Ski Cooper does

Ski Cooper is a privately held, family-operated ski resort located atop Tennessee Pass, ten miles north of Leadville, Colorado, and incorporated as Cooper Hill Ski Area, Inc. Founded in 1942 on the site where the U.S. Army trained the 10th Mountain Division ski troopers at nearby Camp Hale, the resort runs under a USDA Forest Service Special Use Permit and operates 480 lift-served acres across 64 trails served by five lifts at a base elevation of 10,500 feet and a summit of 11,700 feet. The company's average 260-inch annual snowfall is entirely natural, with no snowmaking infrastructure, and a 1,200-foot vertical drop with a longest run of 1.4 miles.

The core product is lift access sold via day passes ($35-$99, tiered by age and weekday/weekend) and annual season passes ($10-$599, tiered by age with early-bird discounts), augmented by a full-service rental shop, ski and snowboard lessons directed by certified professional Bill McGinty, four on-mountain food and beverage outlets, a retail store, an adaptive-lesson program, uphill-skinning access, and a partnership at the Tennessee Pass Nordic Center. Technology infrastructure centers on RFID-enabled passes that allow online ticket loading and contactless lift-line scanning on a standard WordPress/Cloudflare e-commerce stack, with marketing executed through social media, a content blog, email, and earned-media coverage including New York Times and Powder Magazine features.

Ski Cooper distributes exclusively direct-to-consumer through its own website and on-mountain ticket window, with no resellers, and captures incremental traffic through reciprocal season-pass agreements with the Powder Alliance (16 North American resorts), Freedom Pass (20+ resorts), and Colorado partners Loveland, Monarch, and Sunlight. Pricing is positioned 50-70% below major Colorado competitors, targeting families, budget-conscious skiers, beginner-to-intermediate skiers, children, and military personnel. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the company has no parent, no subsidiaries, no external institutional investors, and no funding history.

Name

Ski Cooper

Legal name

Cooper Hill Ski Area, Inc.

Website

https://skicooper.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ski Cooper is a privately held, family-operated ski resort in Leadville, Colorado, offering 480 acres of natural-snow terrain, 64 trails, and five lifts via day and season passes, plus rentals, lessons, dining, and Nordic activities serving families, beginners, and budget-conscious Colorado skiers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ski Resort / Winter Mountain Recreation

NAICS

Skiing Facilities (71392), Skiing Facilities (713920)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Ski & Mountain Resorts (Lift-Served Skiing/Riding) (THAAAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Winter & Mountain Guides (Ski, Snowshoe, Avalanche, Ice Climbing) (THAAALAF), Ski Areas & Lift Operations (Independent Mountains) (THAAAJAB)

Keywords

• Ski resort operations
• Winter recreation services
• Alpine skiing facility
• Ski instruction programs
• Snowboard rental services

Headquarters

HQ city

Leadville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Lift Tickets (Day Passes): Ski Cooper generates revenue primarily from selling day lift tickets at varying prices based on age and day of week, with weekday rates significantly discounted from weekend and holiday rates.
2. Season Passes: Annual season passes provide unlimited skiing access with tiered pricing by age, with early-bird discounts for purchases made in summer. Includes partner resort benefits.
3. Equipment Rentals: Full-service rental shop offering ski and snowboard packages, high-performance gear, and helmets for daily rental.
4. Ski and Snowboard Lessons: Private lessons, semi-private lessons, kids lessons, and group first-timer lessons offered for various skill levels and ages.
5. Food and Beverage: On-mountain dining including Base Camp Cafeteria, Katie O'Rourke's Irish Pub, Ridgeview Cafe, and Timberline Taproom serving food and beverages.
6. Retail (Trading Post): On-site retail shop selling winter gear, accessories, Cooper logo merchandise, and souvenirs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ski Cooper operates a 480-acre alpine ski resort in Leadville, Colorado, providing lift access via day passes and season passes across 64 trails served by 5 lifts. The resort supplements its core lift access with equipment rentals, certified ski and snowboard lessons, on-mountain dining, a retail shop, and reciprocal access to 30+ partner resorts for season pass holders. All terrain is served by 100% natural snowfall averaging 260 inches annually, with no artificial snowmaking.

Product overview

Ski Cooper is a family-friendly ski resort offering a unified skiing experience built around day and season pass access to 480 lift-served acres of natural snowfall terrain. The core product is lift access via day passes or season passes, supplemented by equipment rentals, professional ski and snowboard lessons, on-mountain dining, retail shopping, and Nordic activities at the Tennessee Pass Nordic Center. Season pass holders receive additional value through partner benefits granting free days at reciprocal resorts through Powder Alliance and Freedom Pass networks. The resort also offers uphill access, adaptive lesson programs, and special events throughout the season.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cooper Day Pass
• Cooper Season Pass Annual unlimited access pass for the entire ski season with no date restrictions, available with Partner Benefits including 3 free days at each reciprocal partner resort. Includes Adult, Youth, Kids, Senior, Seniors 75+, and Military tiers.
• Cooper Rental Shop Full-service ski and snowboard rental facility offering daily equipment packages including high-performance and powder skis, snowboards, boots, poles, and helmets, with separate pricing tiers for ages 14 and under, ages 15 and over, performance upgrades, and helmets.
• Ski and Snowboard Lessons Professional instruction program offering private, semi-private, group, and kids lessons for alpine skiing, telemark, and snowboarding for ages 3 and up, including adaptive and special needs programs, directed by certified professional Bill McGinty.
• Food and Beverage Services On-mountain dining outlets including Base Camp Cafeteria, Katie O'Rourke's Irish Pub (North America's highest elevation Irish Pub), Ridgeview Café at the summit, and Timberline Taproom, serving food and beverages to skiers and visitors.
• Trading Post Retail Shop Retail shop at the base area offering winter essentials, Cooper logo apparel, souvenirs, gloves, goggles, helmets, and gear for skiers and visitors.
• Season Pass Partner Benefits (Reciprocal Skiing) Reciprocal skiing program providing Cooper Season Pass holders with 3 free days at each of 30+ partner resorts across the Powder Alliance and Freedom Pass networks and additional Colorado reciprocal partners.
• Tennessee Pass Nordic Center Cross-country skiing, telemark, and snowshoeing facility operated in partnership, offering equipment rentals for Nordic winter sports.
• Uphill Access Program Skinning and hiking access to the mountain outside of lift operating hours, with designated routes and policy for uphill travel.
• Adaptive and Special Needs Lessons Private lesson accommodations for skiers with special needs including physical, emotional, behavioral, or learning disabilities, with referrals to specialized adaptive sport centers in Colorado.

Quantifiable outcome

• Day pass pricing 50-70% lower than major Colorado ski resorts
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Powder AlliancecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSki Cooper is a member of the Powder Alliance network, which includes 16 partner ski resorts across North America. Cooper season pass holders receive 3 free days at each Powder Alliance resort including Angel Fire, Bear Valley, Blacktail Mountain, China Peak, Dodge Ridge, Loveland, Mission Ridge, Mt Hood Skibowl, Mt Shasta Ski Park, Mountain High, Sierra at Tahoe, Silver Mountain, Snow King, Timberline, and White Pass.
• Freedom PasscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCooper is a partner on the Freedom Pass, providing season pass holders with 3 free days at each Freedom Pass resort including Beech Mountain, Bogus Basin, Caberfae Peaks, Cherry Peak, Crystal Ridge, Eaglecrest, Little Switzerland, Lost Valley, Masella (Spain), McIntyre, Mt Ashland, Mt Southington, Mt Spokane, Nordic Mountain, Norway Mountain, Red River, Seven Oaks, Ski Butternut, Steeplechase, and Yawgoo Valley.
• Bear Creek (PA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerReciprocal partner resort. Cooper season pass holders receive 3 free days with Partner Benefits card.
• Diamond Peak (NV)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerReciprocal partner with blackout dates Dec 19, 2026-Jan 3, 2027, Jan 16-18, 2027, Feb 13-22, 2027.
• Sunlight (CO)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerColorado reciprocal partner resort. Cooper season pass holders receive 3 free days.
• Loveland (CO)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPowder Alliance partner in Colorado. Cooper season pass holders receive reciprocal access.
• Monarch (CO)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerColorado reciprocal partner resort. Cooper season pass holders receive 3 free days.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Loveland Ski Area: Colorado-based independent ski area with comparable scale, no-frills positioning, and a focus on local skiers and powder; also a Powder Alliance partner, making it directly comparable to Ski Cooper in market, business model, and customer base.
• Arapahoe Basin: Colorado independent ski area known for high-altitude terrain, late-season skiing, and a culture-driven brand. Similar in independence, scale, and authentic local positioning, though A-Basin is recognized more for advanced terrain than Cooper's beginner-friendly mix.
• Monarch Mountain: Small Colorado independent ski area with no snowmaking and a similar independent, family-friendly operating model; operates under a Forest Service permit and is also a Cooper reciprocal partner, making it a directly comparable independent mountain.
• Eldora Mountain Resort: Colorado ski resort closest to a major population center (Boulder/Denver), positioned as an affordable alternative to larger Summit County resorts. Comparable day-pass pricing structure and target customer base, though Eldora is Ikon-affiliated rather than independent.
• Silver Mountain Resort: Idaho-based independent ski area and Powder Alliance partner with comparable independent ownership model and reciprocal pass relationship to Cooper. Useful comparable for independent mountain economics in a regional U.S. market.
• Angel Fire Resort: New Mexico ski resort and Powder Alliance partner, comparable in independent ownership, modest scale, and family-friendly positioning. Provides a benchmark for southern-Rocky independent mountain operations.
• Sunlight Mountain Resort: Small Colorado ski area near Glenwood Springs and a Cooper reciprocal partner. Similar in scale, independent operating model, and Forest Service tenure, providing a tight peer benchmark for the western Colorado independent segment.
• Diamond Peak Ski Resort: Nevada-based independent ski area on Lake Tahoe's north shore and a Cooper reciprocal partner. Comparable in family-friendly, affordable, independent positioning, with a similar modest scale and a non-mega-pass commercial model.

Broad incumbents

• Vail Resorts: The largest North American ski operator (Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Park City, etc.) and the dominant Epic Pass issuer. Defines the premium pricing tier against which Ski Cooper's affordable positioning is differentiated.
• Alterra Mountain Company: Owner of the Ikon Pass and a portfolio of major North American destinations (Steamboat, Winter Park, Squaw Valley, etc.). Represents the second major mega-pass competitor shaping the independent-vs-destination dynamic that Cooper competes within.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/skicooperco
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SkiCooperColorado
• Facebookfacebook.com/skiCooperChicagoRidge
• Instagraminstagram.com/skicooper

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ski Cooper