By Don Nelson
C.P. Grosenick is in familiar territory as the new general manager at Loup Loup Ski Bowl.
Grosenick, who took over on Sept. 15 at the ski area on Highway 20 between Twisp and Okanogan, has been coming to the Methow Valley with his family to ski — alpine and Nordic — for 20 years.
When the Grosenicks’ three children started learning to ski at age 7 or 8, the Loup was one of the first places the family went, Grosenick said.
After 30 years as a Seattle-based broker for marine insurance and writing policies for other businesses including ski lifts, Grosenick has made a full-time commitment to the Methow. He and his wife, Marty, bought a cabin between Winthrop and Mazama about six years ago and have moved there. Their children are all grown and continue to ski, Grosenick said.
Grosenick, 58, said he started skiing when he was about age 4 and hasn’t stopped. He skied competitively in high school, and taught skiing while he was in college, becoming familiar with the major ski areas in the Cascades.
Because of his long experience with the Loup, he appreciates that the ski area is “family-centric,” Grosenick said — part of what made the general manager job an attractive opportunity.
Because he did insurance underwriting for ski lifts, Grosenick said it was necessary to become familiar with how downhill skiing areas operate. “I had to learn the business,” he said.
Grosenick said he doesn’t have any dramatic changes in mind. “We’re committed to making this thing work,” he said, “understanding the importance of it to the community. We’re going to look at what’s been successful and focus on our mission, which includes teaching kids to ski and making skiing affordable and fun.”
Grosenick said there is also an opportunity to make the Loup more well-known outside of North Central Washington.
The new general manager said he understands that the vagaries of winter affect how the area performs. Late snowfall hampered the Loup’s season in 2013-14.
The Loup offers 1,240 vertical feet of skiing with 10 runs on Little Buck Mountain, plus 23 kilometers of groomed Nordic trails. The facilities include one fixed-grip quad chair, one platter-surface tow, a rope tow, a day lodge that serves food, meeting rooms, an equipment rental shop and first aid room.
Grosenick replaces Sandy Liman, who was general manager at the Loup for the two previous years.
