BigRock Mountain Receives National Recognition for Guest Safety Program

• Posted on 16 May 2025
• By Aaron Damon
• 0

Alexis(student) and Kianna (instructor)

About BigRock Mountain
Located in Mars Hill, Maine, BigRock is a nonprofit ski area dedicated to making winter sports accessible to all. Through programs like Ski4Life, BigRock provides affordable, high-quality instruction and fosters a lifelong love of skiing and snowboarding in the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts.

Mars Hill, Maine – [05/16/2025] – BigRock Mountain is excited to announce that it has received the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) Best Guest Safety Program Award for its innovative and community-driven Ski4Life Button Program.

This award, presented at the NSAA national conference, recognizes outstanding safety initiatives within the ski industry. For BigRock Mountain, a community-run nonprofit located in Northern Maine, this honor represents a significant acknowledgment of its grassroots efforts to ensure skiing is safe and accessible for local youth.

“At BigRock, our mission focuses on accessibility and youth development,” said Aaron Damon, Assistant General Manager at BigRock. “ We created the Button Program to protect and empower children—especially beginners—so they can safely enjoy everything the mountain has to offer. This project was made possible through the collaboration of multiple departments and our dedicated group coordinators.” The Ski4Life Button Program is a color-coded system designed to match each student’s skill level with appropriate terrain:

Green Pin: Beginner – limited to the magic carpet

Blue Pin: Novice – approved for the triple chair and novice terrain

Black Pin: Intermediate – ready for summit-level terrain via the quad chair

This simple, visual system allows instructors, lift operators, and even non-skiing school chaperones to quickly understand where each student belongs. Originally funded by a $500 grant from WinterKids, the Button Program has evolved into a vital component of the Ski4Life experience, supporting over 2,200 student visits annually.

The program's success is deeply personal for those involved. “Yesterday was an unforgettable adventure,” shared instructor Kianna Rose on Facebook. “One of my students started the season barely knowing how to snowboard. Weeks later, she was riding from the summit—and I was honored to pass down my old helmet and goggles to help her continue her momentum.”

With support from the Mountain Foundation Scholarship and a dedicated team of staff and volunteers, BigRock continues to nurture the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts—one pin, one lesson, and one smile at a time.

From all of us at BigRock: thank you for believing in our mission.