Bogus Basin Lift Mechanic Maddy Baldwin Named Winner of SAM Magazine’s Rise UP Challenge
We are excited to announce that our very own Lift Mechanic, Maddy Baldwin, has been voted the winner of the 2025 Rise Up Challenge by Ski Area Management (SAM) Magazine!
The Rise Up Challenge, sponsored by Leitner-Poma of America (LPOA), shines a spotlight on emerging lift mechanics and their mountain teams through three-minute video submissions from each resort. Our submission, filmed by Logan Brown, offered a look at the day-to-day life of a lift mechanic at Bogus Basin — highlighting the determination, knowledge, and tenacity it takes to keep the lifts spinning all season long.
Out of the five national finalists this year, Maddy and the team secured 1,540 of the 3,893 total votes cast.
- TotalVotes Cast
- 3,893
- Nominated Lift Mechanics
- 5
- Educational Grant
- $3,500
As this year’s winner of the 2025 Rise Up Challenge, Maddy will receive a $3,500 educational grant from the LPOA that can be used to pay for extra lift classes, certificates, etc. The other finalists were also recognized with grants ranging from $500 to $1,500, honoring their dedication and contributions to the ski industry.
“Congratulations to Maddy, the Lift Mechanics Team and Bogus Basin! So glad to see the Bogus Basin Crew get some well deserved national recognition. Thanks for all you do everyday!”
– Bogus Basin Board Member
Keeping The Lifts Running At Bogus BAsin
The days are long, the weather is unpredictable, and yet the Bogus Basin Lift Maintenance team consistently shows up to make sure the Treasure Valley community has reliable, year-round access to the mountain.
The Lift Operations Team includes seven full-time, year-round lift mechanics that maintain all mountain chairlifts and conveyors; John Paradis, Maddy Baldwin, Cory Jewell, Curtis Meyer, Peter Bionaz, and Loren Exon. Andy Christy manages the Lift Maintenance team. The department’s leader, Matt Fritz, Director of Lifts, is one of Bogus Basin’s longest-tenured employees, having worked at the mountain since 1987.
As Bogus Basin Lift Maintenance Manager Andy Christy and Lift Mechanic John Paradis share in the Rise Up Challenge video, keeping the lifts operational is no easy task. “You have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable in lift maintenance,” according to Christy.
- Working Days a Week
- 6
- OperatingHours per Day
- 13
- Peak SeasonDays
- 120
In the wintertime, the Lift Maintenance team works seven days a week, 13+ hours a day to ensure the lifts are operating properly, solving mechanical issues if they arise. The team spends the summer replacing old parts, from chairs to guide wheels, and running routine safety inspections on all of the chairlifts and chairlift towers.
Keeping the lifts spinning is a demanding job – make sure to thank a lift mechanic next time you see one!
Installing Two Brand-New Chairlifts
Last summer (2024), we installed two brand-new chairlifts – a huge accomplishment for our Lift Maintenance team. The project demanded many hours in the mountain elements as the small team dismantled the existing Coach and Bitterroot Chairlifts, filled new lift tower foundations with concrete delivered by helicopter, installed terminals and engine rooms, spliced cables, mounted chairs, and finally finished with load testing the chairlift with heavy water barrels.
Did you know? Our lift maintenance crew helped raise 20 lift towers in just four hours — an incredible feat of teamwork and efficiency!
Into the Future…
The Rise Up Challenge celebrates the next generation of outstanding lift mechanics across the nation. Maddy embodies what that future looks like – ambitious, dedicated, and ready to push the industry forward.
“I’m incredibly grateful to have been part of this year’s Rise Up Challenge alongside four other amazing lift mechanics. Receiving the education grant from SAM and Leitner-Poma is such an honor, and I’m excited to further my skills by taking electrical classes that will directly strengthen my abilities in the field.””
Maddy Baldwin, 2025 Rise Up Challenge Winner
With her education grant, Maddy looks forward to furthering her education through electrical classes and/or programs. We can’t wait to see what heights she reaches next.
“She makes this place fun – and brings her own personality in. I absolutely trust her with my life up on a tower. If she wants to be here for 15 years, she’s got a place here. That’s for sure.”
John Paradis, Lift Mechanic at Bogus Basin
Watch The Video
If you or someone you know is interested in joining the Bogus Basin team, please visit our website.
About Bogus Basin Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area is a 501(C)(3) organization dedicated to engaging the community to provide accessible, affordable, and fun year-round mountain recreation and education. Opened in 1942, Bogus Basin offers 2,600 acres of daytime skiable terrain and 200 acres for night skiing, seven chairlifts and three people-mover carpets, and an 800-foot tubing hill. The Nordic Center offers 37 kilometers of groomed trails for skiing and snowshoeing. Environmental education and community outreach programs, primarily youth, serve over 20,000 individuals annually. Summer activities include The Glade Runner Mountain Coaster, The Mine Shaft Challenge Course, mountain biking, events, hiking and chairlift service for hike and bike transport. Bogus Basin is located 16.5 miles north of Boise, Idaho, and operates under a special use permit with the Boise National Forest. www.bogusbasin.org
