September 30 was Mrs Legnavsky’s last day working for RealNZ.
The former general manager of Cardrona Alpine Resort said she had enjoyed her most recent position but could not turn down the new opportunity.
She and her husband Pete Legnavsky leave for the United States on October 15 and she starts her new job at Lake Tahoe, near San Francisco, two days later.
"I want to dive straight in," she said.
"Pete will be there to help ... [He] will then return to New Zealand and pack up the kids."
The Wanaka ski identity started working at Cardrona as an instructor in 1993, and worked her way up to general manager before being promoted recently to Real NZ chief experience officer.
The US job heralds the end of lengthy family separations. Covid travel restrictions prevented her from joining her husband Pete and her teenage Olympian free skier son Gustav last year at overseas competitions.
"For the first time ever, I will be able to watch Gustav at Copper Mountain, Calgary and Mammoth; and he can come home to his own bed in between times."
Mrs Legnavsky said she was attracted to the Sugar Bowl because it is owned by the resort homeowners.
"A big part of the job is managing their homes. Real estate and luxury homes are part of the village services. It is not like something we have got in New Zealand.
"I have a massive multimillion-dollar master plan to deliver on, including a new base area and gondola, and a new restaurant area."
Sugar Bowl resort is on national forest land and open to the public, but visitor numbers are managed so the resort remains sustainable and retains its values for the future.
The skifield board is pursuing climate change action, such as electric charging stations and rail transport.
Sugar Bowl had a similar vibe to Wanaka.
"Full of incredibly fit, outdoorsy people; a big community of ski touring and back country people.
"And I love that it has nailed schooling. It has a day and boarding school for ski racers and park and pipe riders."
Mrs Legnavsky was adamant teens should not miss school while chasing gold medal dreams.
"Gustav is really young. It really worries me. What happens is their life is only skiing and that’s dangerous ... What I like is having a much more rounded child.
"We will be living on the mountain. The village is snowbound. There is gondola access and the manager’s house is about five metres away from the first lift and 5m away from a beautiful gym and sauna.
"We are looking forward to getting really fit and having a white, gingerbread, fairy-house Christmas."
