When Sun Peaks Resort LLP (SPR) announced its first-ever Ambassador Program last year, 113 people applied for the 10 sought-after spots. The goal was to find four athletes and six key influencers to help promote the resort globally via social media. 

Driving this pioneering project is SPR’s marketing and content manager, Sam Loxton. 

Destination awareness is a long-term objective Loxton said, with athletes continuing to spread the word as they compete in high level competitions, moving towards potential professional careers in the ski and snowboard industry. 

“Word of mouth has always been one of the strongest forms of influence – a recommendation from someone you trust is much more likely to sway you than seeing an ad or reading a review,” he said. “In a similar way, social media allows us to share our experiences of places like Sun Peaks with our friends.”

Since the first days of blogging, vlogging and the rise of social media, online influencers have gone from casual, real-life posts and pics to what has now been commodified into ‘The Influencer Economy.’ This dynamic force is shaping how consumers around the world perceive destinations and make travel choices. 

So, who was picked? 

One of the new athlete ambassadors is 17-year-old Nayte Brown who has been competing in snowboarding competitions for the past five years. 

“I was super excited when I found out I was chosen for the Sun Peaks Ambassador Program,” he recalled. “I wasn’t sure who had applied or who was going to be chosen so there was a lot of anticipation before the announcement date.” 

Perks for the athletes include $2,500 cash sponsorship, a complimentary Alpine Season Pass, free membership at Sun Peaks Alpine Fitness for six months, as well as an array of Sun Peaks swag. 

The financial impact has been significant for Brown, helping defray expenses such as travel, accommodation, coaching and competition fees.

In return, he stages photo and video shoots here, tagging Sun Peaks Resort on social media and on his rider bio during competitions. 

“I share the stoke by engaging with people on the hill, whether that be locals or visitors during a chairlift conversation,” he added. “I always point out the tremendous effort that the resort has made in putting together a solid terrain park early on in the season as well as their capability in opening runs during this tough snow year.” 

At 36, Marlie Marchewka has been snowboarding at Sun Peaks for half her life. Having worked for SPR before on various photo and video shoots, something she has particularly enjoyed participating in through the program. 

“One of my favorite parts about these missions is getting to be at the top of the mountain for first light or a stunning sunset, and then being able to ride down the mountain with that incredible light,” she explained. “You never forget that feeling, it always takes your breath away and you feel so lucky to be up there for it.” 

Sharing the exuberance of her riding experiences on social media is a key element of her ambassador work, giving her the opportunity to be playful and creative with her content. 

With her “glass half full” mentality, Marchewka describes her new role as a motivator.

“When I think of an ambassador, I think of someone who inspires me, shares their passion, has experience and challenges themself, someone I can look up to or even relate to. Someone who sheds a positive light on what they are all about and representing.” 

Although new for Sun Peaks, the concept of having dedicated ambassador teams has been gaining traction throughout North America for the past decade. Aspen Snowmass was an early adopter and closer to home, the Banff and Lake Louise area established the SkiBig3 Ambassador Team around four years ago.

The Sun Peaks Ambassador program will continue into the summer, with applications for a mountain bike team opening this month.