Showdown is Montana’s oldest continuously operating ski area, serving the Little Belt Mountains and beyond for almost 90 years.
“Traditionally, we were farmers and ranchers from Central Montana and our slopes would be covered with people skiing in Carhartts and jeans,” says Avery Patrick, vice president and marketing director for Showdown Montana.
She operates Showdown with her mother, Katie Boedecker. Together, the duo purchased the family’s ski area from Katie’s father five years ago, carrying on a legacy that spans more than 50 years. Katie raised her children on the mountain, and now Avery’s raising her children on the same runs.
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65 miles southeast of Great Falls, this mountain has been a place for good, old-fashioned family fun for the better part of the last century: No fuss, no frills and no expectations; just fresh powder, short lift lines and a mix of terrain to suit any skier. These days, the Showdown crowd has expanded its appeal to more than the locals, but the heart of the mountain still beats like its early days.
The ski area is one of the few in the world that is owned and operated by women, and perhaps the only one run by a mother-daughter team. “It’s just a great adventure,” says Avery. “There’s never a dull moment, never a dull day, and we love what we do.” That includes keeping Showdown an accessible place for people to play with their friends and family.
“Winters in Montana are long, and you need to get out and play. We’re really happy that we’re the place people come to do that,” says Avery.
“We really work hard to keep skiing affordable — I think skiing has become pretty expensive over the years. So we have a lot of different programs and passes that we offer that we’re really proud of. And we really try to keep learning to ski affordable also. And then we really try to keep Showdown feeling like home.”
Their work doesn’t end with the mountain or winter: They’re committed to creating year-round employment opportunities for the good people who give their time and talents to Showdown.
“For us, it’s very important to keep people working year-round full time. We have really good people that work here, and so we can’t do that just off the ski area. So we have to create new revenue streams,” says Katie, Showdown’s president and general manager. To that end, the pair recently purchased and refurbished The Edith, a former Super 8 in nearby White Sulphur Springs that has been given new life as a boutique hotel. The thoughtful redesign is fresh, and mixes Victorian and modern styles to give the hotel its eclectic vibe. Its success is spurring mother and daughter to keep going.
“We’re looking at purchasing two more hotels in the next year. We would like to purchase one or two more little local ski areas and really preserve the integrity and local flavor of that mountain,” Katie adds.
Tough snow years underscore the need for such ventures. In the 2023-2024 season, Showdown — like many of Montana’s ski areas — faced one of its worst years in terms of snowfall. Seasonal work can be filled with uncertainty, especially when you’re at the mercy of the unpredictable Montana winters.
“So many businesses in Montana are dependent on the state’s natural resources, the weather, all of that,” says Avery, quick to add that it “makes us tough. It gives us grit. We’re proud of where we’re from and I love being a part of it.”
Even as they work to expand their business and provide year-round employment opportunities, the duo is committed to growing in a way that feels true to them and preserves the spirit and down-home feel that makes Showdown special to so many.
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“We think coming to Showdown is like coming home to a little piece of yourself, and it doesn’t matter where you’re from in the world. People that are at Showdown — our guests, employees — tend to be pretty authentic, and we feel like that gives people permission to just take a deep breath and be themselves. And that’s really important to us,” says Katie.
“We still have some people skiing in Carhartts and jeans and cowboy hats, and then we have all the skiers who show up in their fancy gear, and we’ve got something for everybody,” Avery adds.
No matter where you come from, how many times you’ve been here, or how you choose to get down the mountain, there’s always a place for you to connect with all the best parts of Montana at Showdown.
