Heidi Jo Karlsson expands mountain sports leadership at Giants Ridge

By AI, Created 11:25 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – Heidi Jo Karlsson has spent more than 45 years building mountain sports programs, training instructors, and growing outdoor recreation opportunities at Giants Ridge and across the Midwest. Her work highlights both the workforce challenges facing ski schools and the growing need for mentorship, certification, and year-round recreation.

Why it matters: - Heidi Jo Karlsson’s career shows how one leader can shape both sports instruction and community recreation over decades. - Her work at Giants Ridge affects access to training, youth programming, and instructor development in northern Minnesota. - Her focus on mentorship and women’s leadership speaks to a workforce pipeline challenge across mountain sports.

What happened: - Influential Women spotlighted Heidi Jo Karlsson, Director of the Mountain Sports School and Recreation Manager at Giants Ridge in Biwabik, Minnesota. - Karlsson brings more than 45 years of experience in ski and outdoor recreation. - Her background includes mountain sports school development, instructor training, certification work, event management and recreational programming. - Karlsson is a PSIA/AASI Level 3 Trainer, a CS2 Children Specialist and a PMBIA Level 1 mountain bike instructor. - Karlsson is an active member of the PSIA-AASI Central Division. - She earned a degree in Outdoor Recreation and Education from the University of Northwestern – St. Paul. - Karlsson earned her first PSIA/AASI certification in 1980.

The details: - Karlsson previously held leadership and director-level roles at Spirit Mountain Recreation Area, Buck Hill and Wild Mountain Taylors Falls Recreation Area. - Her career has centered on building sustainable ski school programs and strengthening instructor certification pathways. - At Giants Ridge, the mountain sports instructor team grew from eight instructors to nearly 50 under Karlsson’s leadership. - Karlsson reintroduced PSIA/AASI events at Giants Ridge to expand professional development and certification access. - She leads eight-week downhill mountain biking programs for youth and adults. - Karlsson was recognized among the top women in the ski industry by PSIA Central Region. - She was also featured in 32 Degrees. - Karlsson received the Nancy Oakes Hall Scholarship. - Her work has included balancing career growth with raising two children as a single parent.

Between the lines: - Karlsson’s story reflects a broader staffing problem in mountain sports, especially in smaller communities with limited workforce pools. - Her emphasis on training systems and mentorship suggests the industry is looking for ways to keep standards high while growing participation. - The spotlight also reinforces how women’s visibility in ski leadership can shape future hiring and advancement. - Karlsson says young women should not give up, even in a field that has historically been male-dominated. - Karlsson also argues that passion drives resilience, confidence and long-term success.

What’s next: - Giants Ridge is likely to keep building on the instructor base and training infrastructure Karlsson expanded. - Karlsson continues to focus on year-round recreation, including biking programs that serve both youth and adults. - Her ongoing work points to more mentorship opportunities for new instructors and future leaders in the region. - More information is available through Karlsson’s Influential Women profile.

The bottom line: - Heidi Jo Karlsson has turned decades of instruction and leadership into a model for expanding mountain sports access, training quality and female representation in the industry.