Humble Beginnings
Like many entrepreneurial endeavors, Boyne Mountain Resort was born from humble beginnings. Everett Kircher was an avid skier based in Northwest Michigan. The US’s first Ski Club – Otsego Ski Club – was in nearby Gaylord. However, the club left something to be desired for skiers like Kircher who were looking for a challenge – especially after experiencing skiing at Lake Placid in New York.
Kircher embarked on an adventure to find a Michigan property that could provide more mountainous conditions for challenging downhill skiing. With 2 friends and a combined $15,000, Kircher found the perfect property in Boyne Falls, Michigan. Remarkably, the property owner gifted Kircher the property, admiring – or at least being amused by – the young man’s ambitious plans.
Boyne Ski Club Opens January 1949
After clearing trails by hand with the help of youth hostellers and local students, installing a pre-owned chairlift, and constructing a lodge, Boyne Mountain Resort – then known as Boyne Ski Club – held its grand opening ceremony in January of 1949.
Improvements & Developments
Over the years, Boyne Mountain Resort continued to grow in size and popularity. Here are some of Boyne’s major milestones since opening:
- Early 1950’s – a chalet was built to accommodate guests overnight
- 1959 – Boynehof Lodge is built to accommodate even more guests
- 1960’s – the Duck Bill Snowmaker is installed
- 1966 – the first 4-person chairlift in the world is unveiled at Boyne Ski Club
- 1970’s – opening of tennis center and The Alpine golf course
- 1980’s – a second golf course – The Monument – opens, along with a cross country ski center
- 1996 – the high-speed Boyne Mountain Express – the first 6 person chairlift in the world – is installed
Boyne Mountain Resort went on to open the Grand Mountain Lodge and Spa, Avalanche Bay indoor water park, a tubing park, a zipline adventure park, electric snowbikes, and more. The resort has hosted the well-known broadcaster Bill Flemming, international professional ski racing events, and filmmaker Warren Miller, among others.
How They’re Celebrating
An article which highlights Boyne’s 75 year history says of the club’s opening in the 1950’s, “the parties during these years were so legendary that no one, living or dead, wants their name on today.” While that may be true, Boyne’s spirit of celebration has clearly lived on.
Boyne’s anniversary celebration started with the 75 Hour Mountain Challenge, during which the mountain was open for skiing for 75 hours straight. During this time, teams and individuals raised money via pledges for each lap completed during the 75 hours. Money raised, along with registration and lift ticket fees, all went towards Challenge Mountain, a non-profit organization that empowers individuals with disabilities through adaptive recreational activities (including skiing!).
Boyne is introducing a slew of new attractions and updates during its 75th year, including:
- Two new, upgraded Dopplemayr chairlifts to replace the existing Boyneland and Superbowl lifts
- A new Sunkid covered conveyor lift in the beginner area of the mountain
- Maintenance upgrades including snowmaking improvements, new pipe and valve house, and additional Snow Cats
- The addition of music and color-changing LEDs to the tubing park
- A holiday light display that overlooks Boyne Valley, running from November – March
- Sunrise and sunset guided tours for the park’s MoonBike electric snow bikes
- A new gelato cart
- The addition of the Mountain Kids Store to Boyne Country Sports
- New cross country skiing equipment
But that’s not all! Boyne Mountain also commissioned local artist Tanya Whitley a nostalgic 75th anniversary poster. The beautiful poster is a tribute to the past and a celebration of the future of Boyne Mountain. Based on the growth of Boyne Mountain over the last 75 years, we agree that the future is worth celebrating! Congratulations to Boyne Mountain Resort for 75 years of memories.