Vintage 1990s Commercial Shows Now-Abandoned Ski Resort
Holyoke, Massachusetts — Vintage commercials are always fascinating to watch, as they offer a glimpse into how things used to be. For skiing, it shows how ski resorts in less snow-sure environments had to convince people to visit
As demonstrated by this 1991 Mt. Tom commercial, they had to convince people to come up when it hadn’t snowed recently.
In the video shared by Balsamwoods, Dave Moore, the longtime GM of Mount Tom, is rocking a sweet stache and an interesting hat/goggle combo. He shows off their snowmaking guns in action, proclaiming it’s always snowing at Mount Tom (when below 32 degrees). Snowmaking wasn’t quite the force it is now for New England’s ski industry, although it was starting to gain traction. While skiers and riders now know the mountains will have snow if it’s cold, some didn’t have that mindset back then.
History of Mount Tom & Dave’s Role In It
First opened in 1960, Mount Tom was the local spot for Holyoke and Amherst skiers for about four decades. At its peak, Tom saw around 300k visits, making it among the most popular ski resorts in the region.
Dave was the General Manager during the 1980s and 90s. During his tenure, he helped grow summer activities. Back then, summer activities weren’t a focus for ski areas. A key focus was adding a waterpark with a wave pool and slides. New lifts, adding more snowmaking, and lift refurbishments were other focuses. One of his key legacies was his work with Senator Ted Kennedy to pass ski area safety legislation. He would transition to be the head of Tom’s Board of Directors during the resort’s final years.
Ultimately, one 1980s quote by Dave to the Holyoke Transcript Telegram showed the ski resort’s strength and weakness:
“If Mount Tom depended on what (snow) was on the ground, it would have been out of business 25 years ago.”
In 1998, various factors led to Mount Tom’s closure. This included an ownership change, Holyoke’s population decline, warm winters, legal expenses from an alpine slide lawsuit, and the slow conversion of its summer activities competitor, Riverside Park, into Six Flags New England.
While Moore moved on to a different profession following the ski resort’s closure, locals were able to recognize him by his license plate: SKI TOM. Dave Moore sadly passed away in February 2025 at the age of 78. You can read more about Moun Tom’s history here, and Moore’s obituary is worth reading as well.
The ski area remains abandoned, but the mountain is still used by backcountry skiers.
Image/Video Credits: Balsamwoods, Skimap.org
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