Montpelier, VT – August 26, 2026—Ski Vermont congratulates Josh Storino and the Mount Snow lift maintenance team of West Dover, VT on winning the 2026 Rise Up Challenge. Presented by Leitner-Poma of America (LPOA) and Ski Area Management Magazine, the national competition supports the education and recognition of the ski industry’s next generation of lift-maintenance professionals through video submissions. It also celebrates the effort and experience required to keep a ski area’s uphill transportation infrastructure running.
Mount Snow’s winning video followed Storino’s career path at the ski area from a lift operator position to his current role as a Level 2 Lift Mechanic. As winners of the competition, the Mount Snow team will receive a $3,500 education grant from LPOA.
Storino is currently enrolled in Vermont’s Ski Lift Technician Apprenticeship Program, registered with the Vermont Department of Labor and the only state program of its kind in the country. The three-year program consists of a total of 6,000 hours of on-the-job training, plus 75 hours of related classroom instruction for each of the three levels, coordinated by Ski Vermont. The curriculum includes lift operations and functions, maintenance of lift components and systems, basic rigging, and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) passenger tramway safety requirements. Participants who complete the program are Vermont Trade Qualified Ski Lift Maintenance Technicians.
The Ski Lift Mechanic Apprenticeship Program is just one of several training and continuing education programs available for anyone interested in a career in the ski industry. More information is available at https://skivermont.com/education-and-training.
Media Contact:
Bryan Rivard, Director of Communications
Ski Vermont (Vermont Ski Areas Association)
Bryan@skivermont.com | 802-223-2439
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About Ski Vermont
Ski Vermont (Vermont Ski Areas Association) is a not-for-profit trade association founded in 1969 to foster the prosperity and sustainability of Vermont’s ski industry. Ski Vermont supports its 22 alpine and 23 cross-country member ski areas in Governmental Affairs, Marketing and Public Affairs, and serves as an ambassador for tourism in Vermont, where skiing and snowboarding are the official state winter sports. The top ski state in the east and among the top destinations in the US, Vermont boasts world-class snowmaking quality, coverage, and efficiency, a wide variety of terrain, and a profound historical impact on the sports of skiing and snowboarding.
