The place to be

Rod Kessler, chief operating officer at Revelstoke Mountain Resort, shares some of the joys of living in Revelstoke

Rod Kessler is the chief operating officer at Revelstoke Mountain Resort. — Sarah Windsor photo

Rod Kessler, chief operating officer at Revelstoke Mountain Resort (RMR), has enjoyed calling Revelstoke home for the past five years. He talks with Kootenay Business about the amazing outdoor activities that the area provides, his impressions of the city and the exciting happenings at the ski resort.

How long have you been living in Revelstoke and what originally got you interested in the area?

My wife and I have been in Revelstoke for five years. I came because it provided an employment opportunity to develop a new ski resort in a beautiful part of the world.

You obviously have prior experience with ski resorts. What is your impression of Revelstoke as a ski town?

What really impresses me about Revelstoke is not so much that it’s a ski town as that it has been here for a long, long time and is very diverse. From mining to (the) railroad to forestry, to the dam and the highway—all (these industries) are well established and have survived many trials and tribulations. In the last couple of decades, skiing has emerged; initially with ski touring, heli skiing, cat skiing and now with a ski resort that boasts the largest vertical in North America.

I understand you enjoy the outdoors. What do you like to do in and around the area in your free time?

I would have to say that at the top of the list is cycling. I ride a 29-inch single-speed, rigid, off-road mountain bike, a road bike and a cross bike. When I'm not alpine skiing or ski touring, I really enjoy skate skiing. Camping and fly-fishing are a great way to relax. Also hiking—pretty much anything outdoors. We do a lot of camping.

I’ve seen some great photos and heard some great things about the mountain biking in Revelstoke.

It's a must-do for any regional rider. Over the last few years there have been significant trail improvements and new trails developed for mountain bikers—both downhill and cross country. There’s also a well-established cycling club. (The) Keystone, which is just north of town, is arguably one of the top 10 most scenic trails in the world.

Why, essentially, did you choose to accept the position in Revelstoke?

Copious amounts of snow that have been consistent for a long, long time. Secondly, there was an opportunity that I don’t think too many people come across in their careers, where you can take all your experience and apply it to a white canvas—especially on the scale of this project; it’s of significant scale. We’ve got the largest vertical in North America and some of the most diverse terrain of anywhere in the world. It’s just an incredibly unique opportunity.

I believe this has been the strongest season for RMR so far. Do you expect to see continued growth?

Absolutely. There was robust growth for the resort and the community this year. We’ve been working diligently through our sales and marketing team to get the word out on Revelstoke, and this year it all came together. Everything we’re hearing back from our sales distribution networks is a very positive outlook for the future.

What have been some of the challenges of getting established in Revelstoke?

There really weren’t too many challenges, quite frankly. We’ve been welcomed into the community. It was a big project to start with and we had an enormous amount of support. We had some very challenging times in 2008, but we’ve been able to round that corner and move it forward.

Would you recommend the Revelstoke lifestyle and, if so, why?

If you enjoy big mountains, snow, the great outdoors and friendly people, then this is the place to be.