JAY — Spruce Mountain Ski Slope has announced that Zak Toothaker has been named the ski area’s manager, and a new ticketing program is offering discounts to skiers looking to check out other ski areas in the region.

“I look forward to welcoming you and creating an experience that you will always remember,” Toothaker said in the announcement on the Spruce Mountain Facebook page.

A 2019 graduate of Spruce Mountain High School, Toothaker has been a fixture at the slopes since he was young.

“Each day they were open, my goal was to be there for the first run,” Toothaker said, “and I would not stop until the lights and the tow ropes were shutting off.”

“We are super excited to have Zak on board as our new manager,” Director Ron Jacques said. “He’s been a fixture at the mountain since he was a kid and is looking forward to giving back to the club.”

Toothaker is now on leave from the Army National Guard and is pursuing a criminal justice degree at Southern Maine Community College in South Portland. While only serving as manager for this winter season, Toothaker hopes to remain involved in the ski area for as long as he can.

“I anticipate always being involved in the mountain in one capacity or another,” he said. “For now, my focus is on creating a place where people can feel welcomed regardless of experience and create memories with family and friends for years to come.”

Along with the addition of Toothaker, much work has been done to the ski area in preparation for the upcoming season.

“We are upgrading our lighting to LED on the entire mountain,” Jacques said. “Bush hogging has been completed and major brush clearing has been done, as well as some rock removal. The ‘new’ groomer and electrical generator have been serviced and are ready to go. We are looking to bring the Sunday Funday racing program back under the direction of Seth Fournier.”

Jacques added that Fournier has been active in the ski racing community for more than 20 years and brings much enthusiasm to the mountain.

Spruce Mountain has also unveiled a reciprocal discounted ticket program with Titcomb Mountain, Black Mountain and Lost Valley. The program allows anyone with a season pass to any of the ski areas to ski at the others at a 50% discount.

Jaques has also organized a GoFundMe page for Spruce Mountain to help cover the cost of fuel for the upcoming season. The page had received over $22,000 in donations as of last Monday.

“The mountain thrives on the support of the community, guests and volunteers,”Toothaker said. “Without this, we would not be able to have such a great place to enjoy.”