Utah People.

• Author: Gould, Kristen
• Position: Brief Article

You might think the president and general manager of one of the world's most luxurious ski resorts would be, well, swanky. Not so, when it's Deer Valley's Bob Wheaton. Ironically, the man who runs the mountain that defines "chic" for the ski industry at large, is unassuming and down-to-earth. You may even have ridden the chair lift with him and assumed he was "just another local."

Wheaton's a quietly kind man who looks more like a teddy bear than corporate executive. Yet his to-the-bone passion for skiing and the great outdoors, diligent work ethic, fierce loyalty to staff, and finally, his sense of humor, have garnered him respect and admiration from co-workers and ski industry counterparts alike.

Wheaton's been skiing since junior high in his home state of Michigan, and started teaching at the tender age of 15. Thirty years later, he's the recent recipient of the Intermountain Ski Area Association's Outstanding Contribution Award.

In Wheaton's opinion, skiing has come a long way, and for the better. "Where I learned to ski, we began at the top of the hill, and started aiming for these blue barrels at the bottom of the run. The goal was to end up close enough to the barrels that you could wrap yourself around them to stop," he chuckles. "Skiing's a much more pleasant" experience all around now.

Wheaton landed in Park City in, 1978 seeking Utah powder and the chance to work at a destination resort. After teaching at Park City Ski Area for two years-he was offered a ski instructor's position at Deer Valley. Ironically, he ended up taking the position of building maintenance manager instead. (He has a college degree in mechanical, electrical and structural engineering.) "It was decision for...