Have you ever been out skiing and noticed a family with grandparents, parents, and kids all out on the same slope, and caught yourself smiling?
Maybe it’s a grandparent riding the lift with a kid whose skis barely reach the edge of the chair. Maybe its parents helping buckle boots while the older generation stands nearby, smiling like they’ve seen this moment play out before. Or maybe it’s seeing a grandkid watch their grandparents with awe, as they kick up some snow spray on their turns. There’s just something about seeing multiple generations on the mountain together that makes the whole day feel a little different, even if you’re not part of it.
Skiing has always been about more than the turns, and when families share it across generations, it becomes something else entirely…it becomes tradition. That is why I sat down with Raelene Davis, a grandma, a skier, and the VP of Marketing at Ski Utah.
If you have spent much time around Utah skiing, there is a good chance you have crossed paths with her story without even realizing it. Raelene has been part of Ski Utah for more than four decades, helping tell the story of skiing in this state while living that story with her own family at the very same time. Few people have seen the growth of Utah ski resorts, the changes in the industry, and the way families experience skiing in Utah quite like she has.
What started as a job turned into a life on the mountain, and somewhere along the way, skiing became the thread that tied her kids, grandkids, and an entire family together. What I loved most about hearing her tell it is that it did not begin in some polished, picture-perfect ski family. It began in a way that feels a lot more familiar.
Not born into skiing, but raised in Utah
Raelene did not grow up in a ski family. She grew up in Vernal, where life outside looked more like fishing, camping, and being in the mountains. Her parents worked hard, and like a lot of families then, recreation was something you fit in where you could.
Still, they felt that growing up in Utah meant their kids should at least have the chance to learn.
“We were in Utah,” she told me. “It was important for them to have their children learn to ski.”
A family friend took her to Grizzly Ridge, a small ski area near Flaming Gorge, when she was eight years old. It was a simple start, one that would stick with her for the decades to come.
Her family moved to Colorado, and she found herself joining weekend bus trips with other kids from school up to Winter Park, Keystone, and Copper Mountain. She was skiing more, but never with the idea of going pro. She just loved being outside, being with people, and being in the mountains.
After finishing at BYU, she saw a job posting for Ski Utah. At the time, she was more interested in marketing and publishing than skiing itself, but the position put her right in the middle of the world of Utah ski resorts, and pretty soon the sport became part of her life in a way she never expected.
More than a job, a lifetime in Utah skiing
This April, Raelene will have been with Ski Utah for forty-one years. Part of what makes Raelene so easy to talk to is that even after decades in the industry, she still talks about her job with excitement and wonder.
She has watched Ski Utah evolve from printed vacation planners to magazines to websites to digital campaigns, all while working toward the same goal.
“I really like to consider myself as a champion of growth,” she told me. “How can we get more kids and adults into the sport?”
That idea has shaped a lot of the programs families rely on today, from youth initiatives to pass programs to the information skiutah.com provides for people trying to plan their first ski trip to Utah.
Helping people find their way into skiing was a big part of her job, but it also became part of her own life.
Turning skiing into a family tradition
When Raelene and her husband started raising kids, skiing became something they wanted to share with them. Raelene had seen the impact it made on her as a kid, and she wanted the same thing for her kids.
One of the best decisions they made came early. They decided to put their kids in ski lessons. So they enrolled them in ski school at Snowbird.
“I felt that if they could ski Snowbird, they could ski anywhere,” she said.
As it turns out, she was right.
The lessons gave them a strong foundation, and before long, skiing became part of the Davis family rhythm. Saturdays meant heading to the mountains. Because of Raelene’s work with Ski Utah, they were able to experience resorts across the state, from the Cottonwoods to Park City and beyond. Each resort has its own feel, its own pace, its own kind of memory attached to it. Her family got to grow up inside that variety.
Now her kids are grown, married, and raising families of their own. Ten grandkids later, the tradition is still going.
Watching the next generation take over
If you have skied long enough, you know there comes a day when the kids you kept having to pick up suddenly start skiing faster and better than you.
Raelene laughed when we talked about that, because she has already watched it happen once with her own children, and now she is watching it happen again with her grandkids. Her oldest grandchild is already chasing jumps, looking for rails, and heading into the trees without hesitation. The younger ones follow right behind.
“It’s exciting to see the older cousins taking the younger cousins under their wings and kind of showing them the ropes,” she said.
Eight of the ten grandkids are already on skis, and every year the group gets a little bigger, a little faster, a little more confident.
And sometimes the best moment of the day is not the run at all.
“Having your grandchild say, ‘I want to ride with Grandma,’ that brings such joy,” she said.
You could hear the pride in her voice when she talked about that. Not pride in how good they are, but pride in what skiing has given them. Time together, confidence, friendships, and something healthy to grow up with.
The little traditions that become the big ones
Not every family tradition starts out as a tradition; it sometimes starts as a favorite dessert.
For the Davis family, one of those things is carrot cake at Deer Valley Resort. Every time they ski there, the kids start asking about it after a few runs. “When can we get the carrot cake?” “Are we going now?”
It’s a small thing, but those are the moments kids remember. The snack, the family meeting spot, the ski lift laughter and so much more.
Why skiing keeps families connected
One thing Raelene noticed over the years is that skiing gives families a reason to stay close.
Her kids lived out of state for a while, but during COVID they all ended up back in Utah. Suddenly, weekend ski days became possible again, and the family started spending more time together on the mountain.
Now they meet up at the resort, ski a few runs together, split off with friends, then reconnect for lunch.
“They’re finding friends who ski,” she said. “To see them choosing a healthy sport like skiing…that does my heart good.”
Even when everyone cannot be there, the connection is stronger than ever.
“They send videos and photos,” she told me. “Look what I did. First time on the chairlift. First time without the Edgie Wedgie.”
She was beaming with joy in recounting text and image chats her family sends during the ski season.
Advice for families who want to start skiing in Utah
For families who want to start skiing in Utah but feel overwhelmed, Raelene’s advice is simple.
“Prepare early, and use the resources that are there to help.”
Skiutah.com has guides for beginners, information on Utah ski resorts, youth programs, gear swaps, and passes that make skiing more accessible for families. Programs like the Ski Utah Passport help kids get on the mountain at a lower cost, and planning ahead can make a big difference. Spring is actually a great time to start planning out the next ski season.
“You need to be engaged with Ski Utah,” she said. “There’s a lot of information on how to get started.”
She also still believes strongly in lessons. Getting kids comfortable early makes all the difference, and confidence is what turns a cold, intimidating day into something they want to do again.
Most of all, she said, “just show up.”
A perfect ski day
When I asked Raelene what a perfect ski day looks like now, her answer had nothing to do with numbers.
“A good parking spot for sure. Fresh snow with sunshine. One of my grandkids wanting to ride the chairlift with me. And yes, the carrot cake.”
After forty-one years of skiing in Utah, that is what matters most to her. The time with family, and the memories made on the slope.
Quick chairlift questions with Raelene
Before we wrapped up, I asked her a few quick questions, the kind you might ask if you were riding a chairlift with a stranger. Here are her answers.
First tracks or last chair? “First tracks!”
Best skier in the family? “I’m going to get in trouble…I’d say, Jeff.”
Best meal on a ski day? “Deer Valley turkey chili.”
Best ski snack? “Probably sugar-free jerky…but that’s for me, not the kids.”
Powder day or corduroy? “Corduroy…but I like powder too.”
Weekend outing or weekday runs? “Weekend outing”
Night skiing or early bird? “Early birds all the way.”
Favorite lift to get stuck on with family? “The new Deer Valley East gondola.”
Most random person she has met skiing? “Franz Klammer in Austria.”
It felt like the perfect way to end the conversation with Raelene. Simple questions, simple answers, but every one of them tied to a lifetime on the mountain and the continuation of a legacy she hopes will carry on for generations to come.
Why Utah makes this possible
Utah has always been known for the snow, it’s the best snow on earth for a reason, but the real reason ski traditions last here goes deeper than that. The variety of Utah ski resorts, the accessibility, and the culture around skiing make it possible for families to grow into the sport together.
No matter your experience level, Utah offers ways for everyone to get started and keep going. You can spend a season exploring different mountains, or spend years returning to the same one until it feels like home. Either way, the days start to stack up.
A parent teaches a child. That child grows up and teaches their own kids. A grandparent rides the chairlift with a grandchild who can barely keep their skis straight. A few years later, that same kid is chasing cousins through the trees and asking for carrot cake on the way down.
That is how tradition gets built, one ski day at a time.
