Former Sundance Resort Owner, Robert Redford Dies at 89

Originally posted on Powder | By Izzy Lidsky | Last updated Sep 16, 2025 2:54 PM ET

Actor and founder of Sundance Film Festival and Sundance Mountain Resort, Robert Redford, passed away in his home near Provo, Utah, on Tuesday September 16, 2025. Redford was 89 years old.

The PR firm, Rogers & Cowan PMK, announced the news of Redford's passing and said he'd died in his sleep in "the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved", but did not specify a cause.

Redford was perhaps best known for his acting career and roles in films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), The Sting (1973), and The Way We Were (1973). Redford later branched out into directing and won an Academy Award for his directorial debut with Ordinary People (1980).

Redford acquired Sundance Resort, in Utah's Wasatch range, in 1968. At the time, the resort included more than 5,000 acres, which Redford turned into a year-round resort. The resort's previous owners had installed a rope-tow in 1944, which pulled skiers 500ft up the mountain. A lodge was built in 1957, and in 1965, a Mandan double chair was installed, replacing the single chair and two T-bar lifts that had postdated the original rope tow.

Thus began Redford's decades-spanning love for skiing. He even graced the cover of POWDER magazine in November of 1980 (see below).

Robert Redford was a real skier.

The following quote depicts how much he loved the sport: "For me, personally, skiing holds everything. I used to race cars, but skiing is a step beyond that. It removes the machinery and puts you one step closer to the elements. And it's a complete physical expression of freedom."

In 2015, the Arrowhead triple chair at Sundance Mountain Resort was replaced with a quad named 'Red's Lift' in honor of Redford.

One of Redford's 'riskier' films, Downhill Racer (1969), portrays him as a ski racer, just one year after he purchased Sundance. Tap or click below to watch.

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More on Robert Redford's Sundance Resort and Sundance Film Festival

Although Redford was intent on Sundance Resort being a mountain escape, it also provided the perfect location to expand his creative endeavors.

In 1979, Redford hosted a three-day conference in an effort to support independent filmmakers. In 1981, the Sundance Institute was officially formed. The first film screening at Sundance took place in 1985 as a showcase and celebration of independent films. Sundance Film Festival took place in Park City for years and is one of the biggest and most well-renowned independent film festivals. It recently announced that it's moving to Boulder, Colorado in 2027.

Redford sold Sundance Mountain Resort in 2020, to Broadreach Capital Partners and Cedar Capital Partners, whom he felt were suitable buyers and would continue his legacy of preservation, recreation, and supporting the arts.

Redford's legacy lives on through his films, the Sundance Institute and film festival, and his haven in the Wasatch, Sundance Mountain Resort.

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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