Ehlias Louis began ski racing after his family moved to Park City in 1976. He excelled in the sport, progressing through the local race program to earn a spot on the U.S. Ski Team. Injuries, however, cut his competitive racing career short.
He went on to get a degree in aerospace engineering at the University of Colorado and worked for Lockheed Martin where he helped design NASA’s Orion spacecraft.
Louis later earned an international MBA and moved his young family to France. After returning to Park City, he worked with his father, a local architect, on a couple of real estate developments.
Louis was the owner and operator of a small short-term rental business, Cooper Wynn Property Management, when the ski team job opened.
Reflecting on the opportunity to lead the organization that helped shape his life, Louis said the timing felt right.
“And I thought about it - I have so many great feelings, and really consider most of my life lessons, and what's been able to drive me from ski racing as a young kid under Bob Marsh, and those early days, all the great coaches that helped me understand what you can control and what you can’t control which I think is one of the biggest lessons that I took out of it,” he said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” June 15. "Always through my career and life, I’ve always gone back to those lessons that I learned on the mountains here in town, and so when this opportunity came up, it was good timing for me.”
Louis said he is still transitioning from his other businesses, but expects to be fully settled in his new role beginning Aug. 1.
“I thought some of my business acumen and my knowledge of the community and growing up here could be an asset, and I was fortunate that the board and the selection committee felt the same,” he said. “So, I'm really honored, really excited,” he said. “It's kind of a surreal moment to think back to the Bob Marsh days, and the executive director, then, when I was 10, to be in his shoes, so there's a little bit of pressure. I'm on the shoulders of some community giants, so I'm excited about trying to help out.”
Former Park City Ski Team athlete, two-time NCAA ski champion and U.S. Ski team member Adam Cole has known Louis for most his life and believes he is a strong choice for the position.
“Park City Ski Team was our lives growing up, and it made a huge impression on us,” Cole said. “So, I'm excited that he feels that way, and he can bring that passion back to the team.”
Park City Ski & Snowboard oversees nine competitive programs, including alpine, freestyle, ski jumping and ski mountaineering. Louis said one of his goals is to better understand each discipline and help unify the organization.
“I did tell all the staff that I'm excited to learn their sports. I'm excited to learn their little micro cultures and try to bring it all together,” he said.
Park City Ski & Snowboard serves about 1200 athletes, making it one of the largest youth sports organizations in the community. Louis said he’s eager to get started.
