Ep 21. - Kurt Carter of Craigieburn Valley Ski Area, New Zealand

Big Mountain Skiing, Minimal Infrastructure: How the Club-Field Model optimizes for great skiing not profit.

Have you ever experienced a nut-cracker lift? If you have you definitely have stories to tell about it. Today we’re heading into the heart of New Zealand’s Southern Alps to visit a super unique ski area that like most Club Fieldsin New Zealand is power by the nut cracker. Think big alpine terrain, very few people, minimal infrastructure and affordable big mountain skiing.

Forget high-speed lifts, luxury condos, and sprawling base villages. At Craigieburn Valey Ski Area,  skiers ride steep rope tows using Nutcracker, stay in a communal lodge where guests help cook and clean, and spend their days exploring some of the most challenging terrain in New Zealand.

Joining us today is Kurt Carter, General Manager of Craigieburn Valley. Kurt shares the fascinating history of New Zealand's club field model, explains why Craigieburn proudly operates as a not-for-profit ski club, gives us an inside look at a ski area where community often matters just as much as skiing, and poses the question, could this model ever work in North America?

12 Actionable Insights

1. Sell a Tribe, Not a Ticket

Insight: The strongest ski brands create belonging, not transactions. People return because they feel part of a community, not because of the lift system.

How Craigieburn Uses It:Guests staying in the lodge are required to participate in community duties such as helping prepare meals or cleaning up afterward. Rather than being viewed as a burden, this creates relationships, shared experiences, and a strong sense of ownership in the ski area. 

How Other Ski Areas Can Use It:Create intentional opportunities for guests to participate instead of simply consume. Community dinners, volunteer days, ambassador programs, member events, mountain cleanups, and staff-hosted experiences can all increase emotional attachment and word-of-mouth marketing.

2. Word-of-Mouth Outperforms Advertising When the Experience Is Exceptional

Insight: Marketing works best when it amplifies a great experience rather than trying to compensate for a mediocre one.

How Craigieburn Uses It:While social media is important, Kurt repeatedly emphasized that creating an exceptional first visit is their biggest marketing strategy. Guests become advocates who spread the story organically. 

How Other Ski Areas Can Use It:Measure success not only by visits but by referrals. Focus investment on improving guest experience, staff interactions, onboarding, and memorable moments. The best marketing budget is often creating experiences people can't stop talking about.

3. Own a Niche Instead of Competing on Everything

Insight: The most successful small ski areas don't try to be everything to everyone.

How Craigieburn Uses It:Craigieburn openly markets itself as an advanced mountain. They don't apologize for being steep, challenging, and focused on big-mountain skiing. They know exactly who their ideal customer is. 

How Other Ski Areas Can Use It:Identify your strongest differentiator and lean into it. Whether it's families, terrain parks, powder, affordability, backcountry access, food, or community culture, clarity attracts more loyalty than trying to appeal to everyone.

4. Be Honest About Who Isn't Your Customer

Insight: Clear qualification often improves guest satisfaction more than broad marketing.

How Craigieburn Uses It:Craigieburn actively warns beginners about the difficulty of the terrain and rope tows. In some cases, they even direct guests to neighboring ski areas that better match their ability

level. 

How Other Ski Areas Can Use It:Instead of overselling, create realistic expectations. The guests who arrive knowing exactly what to expect become happier customers, leave better reviews, and are more likely to return.

5. Turn Your Biggest Barrier Into Part of the Adventure

Insight: What seems like a weakness can become part of your brand story.

How Craigieburn Uses It:Most resorts would see difficult Nutcracker rope tows as a problem. Craigieburn embraces them as part of the challenge and identity of the experience. Getting to the top becomes an achievement in itself. 

How Other Ski Areas Can Use It:Instead of hiding operational quirks, look for ways to make them memorable. Historic lifts, remote access roads, hike-to terrain, rustic lodges, and unique traditions can all become marketable assets.

6. Package the Entire Experience, Not Just Skiing

Insight: Guests buy experiences, not individual products.

How Craigieburn Uses It:They bundle lodging, meals, skiing, and community into simple, affordable packages. Their two-day ski-and-stay package makes the decision easy for guests. 

How Other Ski Areas Can Use It:Bundle accommodations, rentals, lessons, dining, transportation, and activities into a single purchase. Reducing planning friction often increases conversion rates.

7. Create Membership Benefits That Actually Matter

Insight: Membership programs work when the benefits are tangible and immediately valuable.

How Craigieburn Uses It:Membership unlocks discounted accommodation, cheaper skiing, access to season passes, and inclusion in the club community. Membership feels like joining something meaningful, not just receiving a discount card. 

How Other Ski Areas Can Use It:Build membership around identity and belonging, not just discounts. Exclusive events, early access, insider communications, special experiences, and recognition programs often create stronger loyalty than price reductions alone.

8. Use Existing Customers as Your International Sales Team

Insight: Passionate guests often market more effectively than paid campaigns.

How Craigieburn Uses It:Many club members ski in both hemispheres. They naturally become ambassadors who introduce Craigieburn to skiers around the world, driving international visitation through personal recommendations. 

How Other Ski Areas Can Use It:Identify your most passionate customers and actively support them as ambassadors. Give them stories to tell, shareable content, referral incentives, and opportunities to represent the brand.

9. Low-Cost Infrastructure Can Be a Competitive Advantage

Insight: Revenue growth isn't the only path to profitability.

How Craigieburn Uses It:Their rope tow infrastructure, off-grid systems, and simple operating model keep overhead remarkably low. That allows them to deliver affordable skiing without requiring huge visitation numbers. 

How Other Ski Areas Can Use It:Before chasing growth, examine operational simplicity. Small infrastructure improvements, energy savings, and reduced maintenance complexity can sometimes have a bigger financial impact than increasing ticket sales.

10. Give Staff Ownership, Not Just Job Descriptions

Insight: Empowered staff solve problems faster and create better guest experiences.

How Craigieburn Uses It:Kurt structures operations so each staff member effectively becomes the supervisor of their own area. Weekly meetings provide support, but day-to-day ownership stays with the individual. 

How Other Ski Areas Can Use It:Assign clear ownership for departments, guest touchpoints, and projects. Employees who feel accountable for outcomes tend to be more engaged and proactive than those simply following instructions.

11. Protect the Authenticity That Made You Successful

Insight: Growth should strengthen a brand's identity, not dilute it.

How Craigieburn Uses It:Despite discussions about modernization, Craigieburn remains committed to preserving its non-commercial, community-driven atmosphere because they believe that's exactly what attracts guests. 

How Other Ski Areas Can Use It:When considering new developments, ask: "Will this make us more distinctive or more generic?" The most valuable brand assets are often the things that make a place feel different from every other resort.

12. Build a Story That People Want to Join

Insight: Great destinations sell a narrative, not amenities.

How Craigieburn Uses It:The story isn't about lifts, lodging, or convenience. It's about earning your turns, steep terrain, mountain community, adventure, and authentic ski culture. Everything reinforces

that narrative. 

How Other Ski Areas Can Use It:Define the story your mountain represents. Every marketing campaign, guest interaction, event, and development project should reinforce that story. Strong brands are remembered because they stand for something.