we wanted to get into more of a mainte- nance process,” Manara says. “Part of the attraction of a Helly Hansen is the direct tie to our retail buying,” he says. “It cre- ates opportunities for additional volume discounts and to leverage marketing.” Within the Alterra lineup of resorts, each destination selects its uniform part- ner from the parent company’s outerwear brands of choice: The North Face and Helly Hansen. “This is in line with one of Alterra’s core principles: at each destina- tion, leaders are empowered to be deci- sive, creative, and bold in order to retain each mountain’s authentic character,” says Alterra spokesperson Amelie Bruzat. Alterra first partnered with The North Face in 2018 when the resort com- pany was founded. Today, Stratton and Sugarbush in Vermont as well as Blue Mountain and Tremblant in Canada are among the destinations that use The North Face for uniforms. “The driving forces at the resorts are the super users like ski school and ski patrol. Function and fit are key in this arena,” says Teya Neff, The North Face communications manager, performance and impact. “The partnership also gives us an opportuni- ty to connect with consumers at Alterra resorts year-round through traditional marketing executions and activations.” The North Face also expands its reach by supplying uniforms to indepen- dent resorts like Mount Rose Ski Tahoe, Nev., and Monarch and Silverton, Colo. Clockwise from top left: Copper Mountain sports Mammut uniforms; Mountain Uniforms supplies Mountain High; Patrol kits are part of Flylow’s niche.
Photo Credit: Jay Dash
cally doubled our resort partner portfolio this season,” Lennig says. Powdr purchases Mammut for uni- forms across the resort portfolio in one buy on a four-year uniform cycle. “The uniform market appears to be consoli- dating with only a few dominant play- ers,” says Stacey Hutchinson, Powdr vice president of communications and gov- ernment affairs. “Outfitting tens of thou- sands of resort staff demands substantial production capacity, intricate logistics, and product durability. “Mammut has been a dedicated partner since the start,” she says. “Their collaboration involves immersing them- selves in our operations, from team meet- ings to resort visits.” Indeed, Mammut prides itself on making design changes based on user feedback captured through direct polling and surveys. The Organization Angle In 2024, when Patagonia left the uniform space and with it, the National Ski Patrol, Mammut stepped in. “[Patagonia’s depar- ture] opened new opportunities for us,”
Lennig says. Meanwhile, The North Face is the uniform sponsor for PSIA-AASI. The brand says the partnership is a way for it to connect directly with instruc- tors, influential pros The North Face calls “super users.” The Conglomerates In 2019, as PGRI was adding resorts to its portfolio (the group owns six resorts, including Jay Peak, Vt., Mount Washing- ton, B.C., and Powderhorn, Colo.), the company made Helly Hansen its offi- cial uniform supplier across all moun- tain departments. Most PGRI resorts had been independently using the brand any- way. “It was kind of a hodgepodge at the local rep level. We were looking for some economies of scale with purchasing,” says Mike Manara, director of mountain operations at Mount Washington. PGRI looked for a brand with a pur- chasing cycle that allowed it to replen- ish uniforms as needed. “If you’re trying to change up the entire ski school, it’s quite expensive. Rather than dealing with crazy ebbs and flows of purchasing,
DEDICATED UNIFORM BRANDS
Staying Consistent Mountain Uniforms has worked with about 400 ski areas over the years, with repeat business from resorts like Smug-
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