SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., September 29, 2026—North American ski area operators are invited to nominate their mountain’s snowmaking team for a chance to be a part of the 12th annual “I AM a Snowmaker” contest, hosted by SAM magazine and presented by HKD Snowmakers. The contest ultimately showcases a handful of snowmaking teams and the work they do via creative, behind-the-scenes videos.
Written nominations should tell the story of why a resort’s snowmaking crew would be a compelling entry to the contest. Nominations must be submitted before midnight on Oct. 14.
“Snowmaking teams are the backbone of every ski season, and HKD Snowmakers is honored to sponsor ‘I AM a Snowmaker’ again this year in celebration of the people who make it happen,” said HKD co-founder and president Charles Santry.
The teams chosen to compete will be announced in late October. Each team will then create a short video that will be shared on SAM’s digital channels, and the public will vote for their favorite on saminfo.com.
This year’s video theme, “Shift Change,” challenges teams to show how they hand off the work from one snowmaking shift to the next. What does the outgoing crew pass along? How do they share what they accomplished, what needs attention, and the plan for the next shift? Teams are also encouraged to show the camaraderie in the shop and snowmaking action out on the mountain. Videos will be released and voted on in January 2027.
“This year’s Shift Change theme highlights something every snowmaker knows: the work never stops, and the handoff between crews matters as much as the work itself,” Santry continued. “When teams share real-time information, strategize and adapt their plan, and seamlessly work together, they can take advantage of every snowmaking window. Efficiency in how we communicate and efficiency in the technology used on the hill is what turns a good handoff into a great one. We’re excited to see how crews show that in their videos.”
“It’s always great to feel the enthusiasm around the ‘I AM’ contest, and it all starts now with ski areas telling us about their snowmaking crews during the nomination period,” said SAM publisher Olivia Rowan. “We look forward to this every fall and hope ski area operators do too.”
The winning “I AM a Snowmaker” team will be awarded a Viper table, courtesy of HKD.
To enter, go to: www.saminfo.com/i-am-a-snowmaker.
