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At a standing room only crowd at Black Mountain, Indy Pass and Entabeni Systems announced they have purchased Black Mountain from the Fichera family, who have owned and operated the ski area in New Hampshire for the past 30 years. Indy Pass managing director and Entabeni Systems founder Erik Mogensen, who spoke at the community event will serve as general manager of Black Mountain for the 2024-25 season and will transfer the ownership to a community co-op by the 2025-26 season.
Andy Shepard, recently retired CEO and GM of Saddleback Mountain and the new director of community engagement for the Indy Pass, will assist Mogensen in transitioning the mountain to the co-op model. Doug Fichera, the son of previous Black Mountain owner John Fichera and a longtime ski industry veteran and consultant, has been named as the director of mountain operations.
Mogensen aims to shift the resort’s ownership to Black Mountain’s skiing and riding community, such that anyone can purchase shares and be a part of the mountain’s future.
“Thanks to the Fichera family, Indy Pass is taking over the stewardship of Black Mountain and intends to turn it into an impactful community-run co-op,” said Mogensen. “This sustainable model will keep this historic mountain viable for generations. There are dozens of small ski areas across the country struggling to stay afloat, and we believe this financial model is a viable option for many. For-profit, nonprofit, and co-ops—all independent mountains matter. They are the past and the future of our sport.”
“This mountain has been central to our family’s life for 30 years. There is no better partner for a project like this than the Indy Pass,” said John Fichera. “Erik and the team he has built [are] 100 percent in. I have always been a big believer in the importance of independent mountains, and I am proud that Black Mountain will become a community asset for generations to come.”
The resort is scheduled to open to the public on Dec. 20, 2024. Black Mountain season passes are now on sale at blackmt.com. Purchasers of this year’s season passes will retain the first option to buy shares in the forthcoming co-op.
Many will be asking who is Erik Mogensen or Entabeni Systems? Erik Mogensen is an entrepreneur and tech innovator who founded Entabeni Systems, a company dedicated to supporting small ski resorts by improving their operational efficiency through data collection and analytics. Originally from outside Buffalo, Mogensen became a multimillionaire at 21 after selling a legal billing app to LexisNexis. His passion for skiing led him to work as a ski instructor and, eventually, to create Entabeni Systems. The company partners with smaller ski areas to help them better understand their customers, ensuring their survival amidst industry consolidation. Entabeni also powers the tech behind the popular Indy Pass skiing program.
Source: SAM
