CARRABASSETT VALLEY — When Ski Area Management Magazine recently recognized Sugarloaf Communication Manager Ethan Austin as one of 20 “Young Guns, the ski industry’s top young professionals under the age of 30, Austin said it was both “surprising and humbling.”

Austin said he initially found out about the honor in June when the author called for an interview. The article, came out last week when he was on vacation. “It was a good surprise to get on my week off,” he said.

“Any time you are recognized by peers like that, it’s always great,” he said. The magazine is soliciting readers to vote for their favorite “Young Gun.” Austin said he’s trying to keep the whole thing “low key, but if anyone wants to vote for me …”

Last winter was Austin’s third year as communication manager at Sugarloaf. It was a winter filled with difficult moments like the Spillway East deropement that left eight people injured. “Something like Spillway, as much as you prepare, it’s trial by fire. It was a case of we did some things that did work and some that didn’t. We kept working through it. It was definitely stressful at times this winter.”

He said that there were also a lot of happy moments — the big snowstorms, the 60th anniversary, opening up new trails at Burnt Mountain.

Austin graduated in 2004 from Tufts University in Boston with a double major in English and environmental studies and a focus in journalism. He grew up in Wales and learned to ski at Lost Valley, “skiing Sugarloaf any chance we had.”

He started as a snow reporter at Sugarloaf, and benefited from the mentoring from former Communication Manager Bill Swain and Vice President of Sales and Marketing Brad Larsen.

“They’ve been patient through the learning process,” Austin said.

The article credited Sugarloaf with the largest social media presence of any eastern ski area, with 26,000 Facebook fans, and 4,000 followers on Twitter.

Social media is a part of the public relations landscape today, Austin said.

“We’ve worked hard over the last few years to be involved in new social media outlets available, and have developed a good strategy for that,” he said. “We have the largest social media following of any ski resort in the East, and even bigger than some out West. We host all videos on YouTube.”

But there’s no doubt that a lot of social media strength is “due to Sugarloaf itself, the Sugarloaf brand, and the allegiance of the people who ski there.

“Sugarloaf has always had a strong die-hard following,” he said.

According to the magazine, about five years ago, there was a general feeling among top resort managers that the industry faced a looming succession shortage.

After 25, 30 or 40 years of running their resorts, they didn’t see many folks capable of replacing them when they retired.

In 2005, the magazine launched the Top 10 Under 30 (ish), a call to the industry to tell about its brightest young stars. Nominations trickled in that first year, but the following year it tripled. It became so popular they expanded the list to 20 outstanding individuals.

The article cites the following six-word bio: “PR guy, photographer, writer, skier, Sugarloafer.”

It continues saying, “Poised, articulate and tuned into modern communications, Austin expertly managed a communications crisis when worldwide news of a chairlift derailment put him in the hot seat.”

Austin did just make the cut, not because of his talents, but because in December, he will turn 30.

“I don’t think this honor impacts where I’m going to go,” he said. “It was started because there was a feeling that there was a lack of young people to fill the older generation’s shoes. In more recent years, they’ve found an influx of young talent. I know that’s true from my colleagues at other mountains. They are ready to take on larger roles in the industry. It’s good for the industry as a whole.”

“Ethan has done an excellent job in being the mouth-piece of the resort,” Larsen said. “Sugarloaf is one of Maine’s best known companies and has tens of thousands of customers. That visibility requires strong and focused communications. Ethan has filled that roll nicely. He’s been calm and articulate, even under the most stressful of circumstances. He is well versed on social media and in-tune to ski and snowboard culture. He’s also a Mainer with a good understanding of our customers’ perspectives. Ethan will have a long career in the ski industry if he chooses to do so.”