New Leadership at Our Four-Season Destination in Minnesota’s Northwoods
Located in northern Minnesota’s Iron Range, Giants Ridge has long been known as a four-season destination shaped by outdoor recreation and a strong connection to its surroundings. From skiing and snowboarding in the winter to golf, biking, and hiking in the summer months, the resort continues to serve guests looking for authentic experiences rooted in the Northwoods.
For Duane Stutzman, the new General Manager at Giants Ridge, that sense of place was evident early on when he arrived at Giants Ridge. Reflecting on the property and its potential, he noted that it is a destination where guests return year after year and feel a strong connection to both the resort and the surrounding landscape.
A Career Shaped by Reinvention and Resort Leadership
Duane’s path to Giants Ridge spans multiple industries and leadership roles, each chapter shaping how he approaches resort management today. “I started my career actually in a development business,” he explained. “I founded a development company where I did land development and grew the company to cover a three-state region… Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana.”
That experience eventually evolved into high-end homebuilding before a pivotal shift. “I was one of the lucky ones who sold the company during the real estate crash in 2008,” Duane said. “I decided to reinvent myself and became a ski instructor.”
Duane went on to hold leadership roles across major mountain destinations, including positions with Vail Resorts and Alterra Mountain Company. “I worked my way through supervisor, manager, area director, and general manager roles,” he said. “Each stop taught me something different about people, operations, and leadership.”
That experience now informs his approach at Giants Ridge. “What matters most to me is building strong teams,” Duane shared. “If you take care of your people, they take care of the guest experience.”
Looking Ahead with Purpose and Stewardship
As Giants Ridge continues to move forward, Duane’s focus is on strengthening core operations while expanding offerings that resonate with guests. “We need to grow our winter operations more,” he said, adding that mountain biking is “a big focus” moving ahead.
Programming and events are also an area of opportunity at Giants Ridge. Duane highlighted the resort’s established Live Music Series, which brings local and regional musicians to perform on Saturdays throughout the winter season in The Burnt Onion Kitchen & Brews, pairing live music with food and beverages for guests.
The live music calendar for early 2026 includes a variety of acts, from eclectic string-driven sets to soulful acoustic performances, that offer guests recurring reasons to gather off the slopes.
Duane noted that expanding these kinds of experiences is part of their thinking for future programming. He spoke to broadening the resort’s entertainment footprint and noted interest in enhancing the kinds of community-oriented events that bring people together throughout the year.
Across all areas of the resort, Duane emphasized the importance of refining the guest experience through consistent attention to detail. “We’ve had meetings about how we want to have an increased focus on the guest experience,” he said. “Just little small detail things to focus on.”
With that approach, Giants Ridge continues to evolve with an eye toward thoughtful growth, operational consistency, and experiences that keep guests coming back.
