That smile. Oh, that infectious smile.

It is but one aspect of a much-loved personality who, more than any other, has come to symbolize Sugarloaf-USA.

His name is Dennis Parsons. But to thousands of visitors each year, the 46-year-old Kingfield resident is just Dennis – the big guy with the smile.

He is the one person at Sugarloaf whom everyone remembers. He is the lift attendant who always has something encouraging to say, even on the wildest winter days.

Ready with a big hello – and a box of tissues in case you need one – he guides you to the lift. For the few moments when it is your turn to follow his direction to proceed through the line, or the moment he holds a chair to help you safely on, you know his attention is focused totally on you. You are completely in his care, and you wouldn’t want it any other way.

When I learned that Dennis Parsons had been honored as the Outstanding Tourism Employee of the Year by the State of Maine Tourism Commission, I could not have been more pleased. No one is more deserving.

Dennis has been at Sugarloaf-USA since 1981. His brand of personal service is so unique that Sugarloaf management created an award called the Dennis Parsons Award. It goes to the employee who most closely replicates his style of service.

Bob and Barbara Briggs of Hampden are Sugarloaf regulars.

“He just makes your day,” Barbara said. “You can be standing in line and thinking about that, or the weather if it’s not so good, and he just melts everything away,” she added of his happy greeting.

Bob Briggs, in a service business himself, knows what it means to have an employee like Dennis.

“You can tell people until the cows come home you really have to focus on the customer and be customer-friendly,” the Bangor Hydro-Electric president said. “But you really can’t tell them how to do it. Dennis seems to me to be the best example of somebody who just naturally expresses that customer-friendly attitude.”

He paused, then added: “All of us in service businesses would wish that all our people could be like Dennis.”

Dennis mans the Spillway Chairlift. His most famous line is “hurry back now!” and when you do, he remembers to tell you he is happy to see you again. He is famous for his matchmaking. Whenever he spots a single male waiting in line, he makes a point to find a single female to share the ride up the mountain.

One couple he sees often are Debbie and Dick Campbell of East Holden. “He always knows who you are and always has a smile,” Debbie said. “You’re not just another ticket holder. And if you don’t have a smile, he makes it happen.”

Dick is one of Dennis’s favorites. “He’s the friendliest, most energetic person,” Dick said. “He’s always commenting on the brightness of my outfits. Sometimes politicians don’t get a chance to express themselves, so I like to on the mountain.”

Dick believes Dennis’s bubbly personality sets him apart from others who serve tourists. “Sometimes people who serve tourists become disenchanted with the personality of the tourist,” he said. “Not Dennis. He digs down deep and makes it special for everyone.”

The World of Dennis extends beyond Carrabassett Valley. He has been written about in magazines such as Ski and Skiing. He receives 90 percent more comments than any other employee at Sugarloaf, according to management.

One Vermont guest who has skied from Switzerland to California wrote that Dennis would get his vote for “number one lift attendant in the world.”

“He is priceless,” said Sugarloafer Will Farnham of Bangor. “Dennis does more for public relations at Sugarloaf than people can ever realize. He’s a great PR and marketing image for the mountain.”

Those of us who appreciate what Dennis Parsons does for us each day we ski Sugarloaf are thrilled the state has chosen to honor him. It couldn’t happen to a nicer person.