SAM Magazine—Bridgton, Maine, Sept. 15, 2022—Maine's Shawnee Peak will return to its original namesake, Pleasant Mountain, a move that honors its 84-year history and the mountain it calls home, said resort officials. 

"It gives me great pleasure to return to our original name and to know that this ski area is poised for a great future, so others may experience what many of us already have," said GM Ralph Lewis, who was raised in Bridgton. "Growing up on these slopes was instrumental in framing my passion for skiing and, like many others, Pleasant Mountain changed my life.”

The change comes after decades of passionate support from Pleasant Mountain loyalists, who created the needed momentum behind the revived moniker. The name Shawnee Peak—adopted in 1988 by a new ownership group hoping to create brand alignment with its Shawnee Mountain ski area in Pennsylvania—never caught on, and feedback from a recent survey was "overwhelmingly" in support of bringing back the Pleasant Mountain name, said resort officials.

The ski area has a storied history, beginning with a single ski trail cut in 1936. A Pleasant Mountain Ski Club existed as early as 1938, and throughout the years, the resort grew and expanded, boasting many firsts including Maine's first ski area, home to the first ski patrol (1938), and the state's first chairlift (1954). In the '70s it was a hub for the freestyle skiing movement. 

Boyne Resorts acquired the ski area in 2021 from longtime owner, Chet Homer. The company now owns four New England ski areas, including Pleasant Mountain, Sunday River, and Sugarloaf in Maine, and Loon Mountain in New Hampshire.

A new Pleasant Mountain website and logo have already been unveiled, with full implementation expected before the 2022-23 winter season.

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