Nickie Mabey
Founder and CEO
With four generations of family skiers behind her it’s no surprise Nickie’s parents had skis on her feet as soon as she could walk. And with that kind of heritage she was destined to find her calling on the slopes.
Founding Mabey Ski was a dream 15 years in the making for Nickie — time she spent acquiring the knowledge and experience she’d need, working ski seasons across the globe exploring new cultures, organizing large-scale corporate events, and creating bespoke itineraries for ski and luxury travel agencies.
Nickie is ‘hands on’ when it comes to Mabey Ski adventures too, scouring out small backcountry lodges, brainstorming new ideas with guides and getting insider tips from partners that make guests feel like locals.
When she isn’t in the backcountry in search of fresh tracks, you’ll find her taking a dip in the local lakes, hiking trails, falling off her mountain bike or tucking into a charcuterie board with a cabernet sauvignon at Bar Oso.
Nationality: British
Favourite ski experience: There are a few, but I’ll narrow it down to two. Skiing waist-deep powder with a local guide in Rusutsu, Japan, where we skied fresh lines all day long and finished with a dip in a mountainside onsen (hot spring). And a more recent multi-day trip in BC’s backcountry where my boundaries were pushed and I was dropping 2-metre cornices into knee-deep powder and skiing some of the best lines of my life — steep, soft and long!
Favourite piece of gear: My Osprey 30L pack — it’s super comfy in the backcountry, and I always ride with it in resort too as it has a hydration resevoir with an insulated pcoket to stop it from freezing. Lots of pockets for snacks and duct tape too (my other essential items).
Favorite après-ski drink and snack: Sizzling gyoza with a soy, vinegar and ginger dipping sauce, served with a local beer.
What’s on your bucket list: To ski all 7 continents. I’ve skied in North America, Europe, Asia and Australasia so far. Next, I want to ski tour in Peru and experience the local culture (donkeys take your skis up to the alpine whilst you hike up!). Then I’m aiming to ski in Antarctica in November 2023, and Morocco before 2025.
Ben Cooke
Head of Adventures
Having grown up in the flat, sheep-filled fields of rural Oxfordshire, UK, Ben found himself craving a little more vertical in his life and has spent the last 10 years living, working and playing in the steep-and-deep powder skiing mecca of Whistler on the west coast of British Columbia, Canada.
Over the last 14 years he has worked in the UK, Belgium, the French Alps, and Canada in numerous roles within the sales, ski travel and destination marketing sectors.
An avid adventure-ski traveler, Ben has skied the backcountry of Canada, USA, Japan, England (yes, you read that right!), France, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Bulgaria in the last 10 years and plans to ski in Antarctica, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Chile, Iran, India, New Zealand and more in the next 10!
When he’s not out skiing, day dreaming about skiing, talking about skiing, planning where to go skiing, tuning skis, and researching gear to use whilst skiing, Ben loves to snowmobile, mountain bike, hike, camp, fly fish, eat cheese, collect (and drink) wine and tell atrocious dad jokes. Did we mention he likes to ski?
Nationality: British
Favourite ski experience: I think heli-skiing in Bella Coola, BC was the most spectacular trip I’ve ever been on. Huge mountains, deep powder, sunshine and incredible food — it had it all. I already have my next trip booked!
Favourite piece of gear: Ski straps, I never leave the house without them. They are seemingly made of kryptonite and I’ve used them to fix skis, boots, bindings, bags and even to limp home a broken snowmobile 25km through the backcountry. Tie it around your leg and you’ll always have one handy, plus they only cost $5 — bargain!
Favorite après-ski drink and snack: Fried chicken and champagne, of course. Trust me, it’s a thing.
What’s on your bucket list: I’ve always dreamed of ice climbing then skiing down an iceberg, and would definitely love to do some ski mountaineering in Antarctica. Our incredible Sail and Ski touring experience at the Lyngen Lodge in Norway is definitely next on the list for me though. Off skis, I plan to mountain bike in the Himalayas and hike Kilimanjaro in the next few years. I’m still trying to convince my partner to take 6 months off to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from Canada down to Mexico together!
