Last summer, James H. Coleman Jr., who was announced on Wednesday as the impending buyer of Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort, went to a ski camp held in Aspen.
Coleman spent much of the day skiing moguls with Kirk Rawles, a longtime Purgatory ski coach.
“Skiing moguls isn’t the easiest thing,” Rawles said. “He did a great job with it.”
Coleman caught many locals by surprise Wednesday when Durango Mountain Resort CEO Gary Derck announced Coleman was the resort’s buyer. It was public knowledge that DMR’s aging ownership group was shopping the resort, but selling to the largely unknown son of a Texas developer raised eyebrows.
At least the guy can ski.
Coleman, age 47, grew up in Austin, Texas, and Southern California. He first skied at Purgatory in 1983 as a high school sophomore.
“From the time I started skiing, even as a high school student, I knew I wanted to be in this industry,” Coleman said in an email response to questions Friday.
He’s quickly become a player in the industry since going on something of a buying spree, acquiring three ski areas this year.
In addition to Purgatory, Coleman recently agreed to purchase Arizona Snowbowl in Flagstaff, news that emerged the same day as his acquisition of Purgatory.
And in May, Coleman’s management group, along with Los Alamos County, took over Pajarito Mountain Ski Area in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Los Alamos Ski Club’s members approved selling the ski area to fund infrastructure improvements, according to a news release.
Coleman’s most extensive experience is with Sipapu Ski and Summer Resort in Taos County, New Mexico, which he purchased in 2000.
Since then, he’s doubled skiable terrain at Sipapu.
“We’ve been the first ski area to open in New Mexico for 11 straight years,” Coleman said. “Most of those years, we also offered the state’s longest season.”
He added, “I love it when people come up to me and say, ‘First to open, last to close!’”
The four ski areas – Sipapu, Pajarito, Arizona Snowbowl and Purgatory – will offer reciprocal skiing to season pass-holders. The properties will fall under the umbrella of a to-be-named company.
Coleman said the mountains together offer a cohesive product.
“While each ski area has its own unique offerings and distinct flavor, this collective of Southwest mountains share several important traits: they are within a convenient drive of each other, they are family-friendly, they provide an incredible product and they offer tremendous value,” he said.
Coleman said he has no immediate plans to add to his collection of ski areas.
“I am always open to new opportunities, although I do not have anything in the works right now,” he said. “I am focused on Purgatory and our other resorts as we get ready for the upcoming ski season and plan for future improvements.”
For Purgatory, Coleman said he wants to work on ensuring long seasons and developing new terrain.
“Skiing is my first priority, and opening additional terrain is always at the forefront of my to-do list,” he said. “My plan is to add new terrain every year for the foreseeable future.”
Coleman moved to Durango in 2005. He is married and has two children. His son, Garrett, participates on Purgatory’s Freestyle ski team.
“Our family relocated here to be closer to Sipapu and because Durango offers a great quality of life,” Coleman said. “We love it here.”
Coleman enters a ski area deeply embedded in the local culture and economy. Purgatory will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year, and he’ll be the first owner fully removed from the founding ownership group.
Many locals have specific wishes for Purgatory.
Rawles said he hopes Coleman replaces chairlifts 5 and 8 on the mountain’s backside with higher-speed lifts. “I like the idea that maybe the potential is there for that to happen,” Rawles said.
Coleman said no changes are planned with regard to Music in the Mountains, the popular annual summer festival.
Coleman said he got in “around 50” days of skiing last winter. So what’s his favorite ski run at Purgatory?
Styx, he said. It’s a black diamond.
cslothower@durangoherald.com
