On Friday, February 28, skiers woke up to a foot of new snow at Mad River Glen. During the morning people gathered on the third floor of the Base Box at the mountain to celebrate Ski History Day. The event was a collaboration between the International Ski History Association (ISHA) and Mad River Glen. ISHA board members Rick and Melinda Moulton co-produced the event which included speakers Dr. John Allen (author and board member of the New England Ski Museum), John Schultz (a founder of the Green Mountain Valley School and longtime Mad River skier) and Rick Moulton (historian and filmmaker).
The focus of the presentation was on ski pioneer Roland Palmedo and the founding of Mad River Glen in 1948. Wilbur Rice and Bob Soden, both ISHA board members, provided historic memorabilia for the ski history exhibit and were in attendance. Ry Young, Mad River's marketing and events manager, and Matt Lillard, Mad River's general manager, helped ensure that everything ran smoothly including a buffet lunch for over 100 people.
There was an antique ski attire contest and the winners were: Mary Kerr, Wendy Bridgewater, Penny Parsons and Tom Wilson. They each were awarded a yearlong membership to the Vermont Ski Museum. Austrian ski legend Dixi Nohl and his Mad River Ski School members from 1977-1978 enjoyed sharing memories from 43 years ago. This group included Glen Cousins, Rick Moulton, Steve Rennau, Alan Moats, Julius Dychton, Leigh Prescott Clark, John Schultz and Melinda Moulton. There were trail guides assigned to groups who wanted to tour the mountain.
Participants resurrected the No Stop/No Fall competition, and those who successfully completed their descent of the mountain without stopping or falling received an antique pin created 30 years ago. Rick Hopkins and Luke Prescott (ski patrollers for the last 40 years) tested and authenticated the participants' successful runs. Jeff Leich, director of the New England Ski Museum (NESM), and his wife, Martha, were on hand along with Jim and Karen Irwin, who are NESM board members. Also in attendance was the chair of the Vermont Ski Museum board, Greg Morrill, and the museum's curator, Meredith Scott. ISHA members and board members of the New England Ski Museum, Jan and Chuck Perkins, were part of the celebration. One of the highlights of the day was the revelation that ISHA member Christopher Sweet had not skied Mad River in 50 years. He was 11 years old the last time he went up the Single chairlift. He returned for this event and had a stellar day in the deep natural snow, he said, before reporting he would be back very soon to ski Mad River again.
Melinda Moulton is an ISHA member and a longtime Mad River skier.
