Business
Showdown changes hands, stays in family
Town Crier “Briefs from the Region” (2) – 2/5/21
Independent ski area ownership is rare, and women ski area owners are virtually nonexistent, but regulars of Showdown Ski Area in Neihart, Montana, are used to their local hill being a rare gem. After 47 years behind the helm, owner George Willett will pass down the business to his daughter Katie Boedecker next September. Showdown got its start as King’s Hill in 1936, making it Montana’s first ski hill, and has since served the mining town of Neihart with fresh Little Belt Mountains powder. Back then it was only a dollar to ride the tow rope to the top of Porphyry Peak. Willett told the Billing’s Gazette that he began skiing at Showdown back in 1968, and bought the area with a friend in 1973. During his reign, he made significant improvements, including adding lifts and a designated parking lot.
