2011 Hall of Fame Program
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2 0 1 1 Where most people saw snow, they envisioned mountains of opportunity. Let’s toast 8 amazing skiers & visionaries who made Maine the way skiing should be. Class of 2011 Induction Maine Ski Hall of Fame Friday, October 28, 2011 Lost Valley Ski Resort Auburn, Maine Page 1 Pr o g r aM Masters of Ceremonies Greg Sweetser • Dave Irons • John Williams • John Christie Class of 2011 Werner Rothbacher Horace Chapman Owen Wells Edmund MacDonald Chip Crothers David Farrar John Greene Carla Marcus m ission statement The mission of the Maine Ski Hall of Fame is to recognize those skiers, who through their efforts and achievements have brought distinction to Maine skiing. Some of these skiers made their mark in competition. Others were founders who built the sport into a way of life for so many Mainers. Still more were teachers who led countless skiers and competitors into our sport. Some had an intense impact on local skiers while others gained prominence on an international scale. Thanks to these skiers Maine has an industry that is a vital part of the economy, not only in the mountains, but throughout the state. It is to recognize the importance of skiing to Maine and its citizens that the Maine ski Hall of Fame has been formed. By enshrining those men and women who founded and built the sport in Maine, competitors who brought prominence to Maine skiing, their coaches and mentors, and others who have made significant contributions, we shall create a permanent record of their endeavors and achievements. By doing this we shall preserve this history for those to follow, that they may understand the great achievements of these individuals. Page 2 H o n o r r o l l Maine Ski Hall of faMe Class of 2003: Committee Wendell “Chummy” Broomhall, Aurele Legere, Robert “Bunny” Bass, Amos Winter, John Bower, Otto Wallingford, Al Merrill, Wes Marco, Doc Des Roches, Russ Haggett CHairMan Class of 2004: Dave Irons Greg Stump, Robert “Stub” Taylor, Linwood “Zeke” Dwelley, Donald Cross, Paul Kailey, Roger Page, Tom “Coach” Reynolds, Sam Ouellet, Jean Luce, Birger Adolph Olsen MeMberS Class of 2005: Karl Anderson Theo Johnson, James. C. Jones, Dick & Mary Kendall, Richard S. “Dick” Osgood, Scott Andrews Richard “Pat” Murphy, Robert Pidacks, Franklin “FC” Emery, Robert Remington, Tom Bennett Karl Anderson, Robert MacGregor Morse Dan Cassidy Class of 2006: John Christie Charles Akers, Norm Cummings, Ray Broomhall, Jack Lufkin, George Ouellette, Dick Doucette Richard Gould, Irving Kagan, Peter Webber, Fletcher Brown, John Christie Will Farnham Class of 2007: Bob Flynn Charles “Slim” Broomhall, Jim Miller, Galen Sayward, Winston “Win” Robbins, Tom Hanson Murray “Mike” Thurston, Bob Flynn, Tom Upham, Richard “Dick” Bell, Dave Irons Peter Hussey Connie King Class of 2008: Tim Lavallee H. King Cummings, Bill Cummings, Leslie Bancroft, Hans Jenni, Robert C. Kendall, Julie Parisien, Dan Simoneau, Tim LaVallee, Pat Miller Bruce Miles Dick Osgood Class of 2009: Glenn Parkinson Tom Bennett, Byron “Bud” Dow, Ted Curtis, John Roderick, Gail Platts Herbert L. “Herb” Adams, John Litchfield, Sarah Billmeier, Les Otten Tom Reynolds Class of 2010: Megan Roberts John Atwood, Marcus Nash, Morten Lund, Kirsten Clark-Rickenbach, Andy Shepard Joan McWilliams Dolan, Bernard Paradis, Bob Harkins Carl Soderberg Greg Sweetser John Williams Rebecca Woods Printing & Design by Carrabassett Marketing & Printing (207) 635-2332 • 15 North Main Street, North Anson, ME 04958 Congratulations Class of 2011 Inductees anks For Keeping Skiing Alive In Maine! www.CrockettFurniture.com Quality you Can aord Page 3 Werner rothbacher Werner Rothbacher learned to ski on the mountains that tious Junior Program to develop towered over his home town of Zell am See in Austria. After young skiers. Under his watch World War II he honed his skills on the Austrian National Team, several high caliber races were ski mountaineering in the high peaks of the alps and instructing staged culminating in the Sug- tourists that came to Zell am See in the 40’s and 50’s. He was arloaf Schuss at the end of the a skilled practitioner of the new Austrian technique known as 1957-58 season. His efforts led Wedeln. He graduated from the University of Graz and earned to Sugarloaf earning a reputa- a PHD from the University of Vienna and came to the United tion as one of the top mountains States as a Fullbright Scholar at Springfield College in 1952. in the East for racing. Having been a certified instructor in Austria since 1950 he be- In 1966 Werner left Sugar- came a part time instructor in his home country before return- loaf to embark on a career in ac- ing to the US in 1957 to direct the Sugarloaf Ski School. ademics, teaching German and physical education at Brunswick He was certified in the US in 1960 and was one of the first High School. But he didn’t leave skiing taking over as director of instructors to introduce the Wedeln technique to skiers in this the Lost Valley Ski School, which was much closer to Brunswick. country. From 1957 to 1966 Werner shaped the face of ski- Directing one Maine’s biggest ski schools (100 instructors) he ing as he built the Sugarloaf Ski School based on the Austrian continued his penchant for developing instructor with his well technique. The ski school played a key role in the mountain’s known Sunday Clinics. Werner was also instrumental in creat- growth. ing community outreach ski programs with numerous schools While marketing the mountain through ski school was a that kept the instructors busy under the lights nearly every major focus for Sugarloaf’s first Austrian instructor, developing night of the week. top flight instructors was an even greater contribution. Werner Along the way he found time to coach the Colby College brought in more Austrians including members of the 1960 Olym- Ski Team, direct a learn to ski program at that school and later pic team and worked to bring local instructors up to the highest coach the Bowdoin College Ski Team. Through a long career standards. Through his Sunday morning clinics Sugarloaf instruc- this Austrian native elevated the skills of hundreds of instruc- tors became recognized throughout the East and PSIA. tors that in turn brought thousands of skiers into the sport. This In addition to bringing thousands of skiers into the sport, lifelong devotion to skiing in Maine and beyond had earned Rothbacher advanced ski racing at Sugarloaf with an ambi- Werner Rothbacher a place in the Maine Ski Hall of Fame. Congratulations 2011 Maine Ski Hall of Fame Inductees! Congratulations to the Maine Ski hall of Fame Class of 2011 Time for an Upgrade? Where future hall of fame Alpine, Nordic & skiers get equipped. Telemark Skis & Boots Apparel & Accessories Snowboards Sales, Service & Repairs Rt. 4, Jay, Maine • 1.866.754.3376 ski-depot.com • raceskis.com Mon-Sat 9-9, Sun 10-6 • Rte. 1, Kittery, ME • 888-587-6246 • ktp.com Page 4 Sugarloaf Congratulates Maine Ski Hall of Fame Class of 2011 Page 5 John greene John Greene’s skiing grabbed attention in 1962 when, as In 1972 Greene teamed with a sophomore at Edward Little High School, he won skimeister Joe Pete Wilson to create “North honors at the state meet. As a four event skier he was a consistent American Nordic”, establishing high place finisher for three years and in his senior year was 12 cross country touring centers named to the National Junior Nordic team and competed in the in New England and New York. National Championships in Squaw Valley, CA. He continued These centers were among the his four event skiing at St. Lawrence University leading SLU to earliest commercial centers to a first place finish at a freshman carnival at Dartmouth in 1965. promote cross country skiing as Winning skimeister honors was a regular occurrence through a family sport. Unfortunately, his college years 1966-1968 and he was named to the National a pair of poor snow years and Nordic “B” Team in 1966. On University leave in 1967 he trained gas shortages doomed the with the Olympic team in Alaska and was named as an alternate enterprise, but the idea of commercial cross country centers was to the U.S. Nordic Team for the Grenoble Olympics. firmly planted. Returning to Maine in 1968 Greene joined Bass sports In 1977 John’s second movie connection came while as Cross Country Product Manager and traveled to Norway to managing a cross country center in Sun Valley Idaho, this time in research the “Eie” X-C binding, which had been developed by front of the cameras. He appeared in the beginning of the CBS DR. Nils Eie. Back in Wilton John developed an injection molded made for television movie, “The Deadly Triangle”, as a biathlon cross country boot to fit with the step in Eie binding, which was skier who is shot while training. Later in the film he was a stunt sold as the Bass Eie System. He held promotions in major cities double for one of the main film characters, which required him throughout the U.S. with the assistance of Bonnie Bell Cosmetics to ski downhill on cross country equipment, a difficult feat given including one in NY City’s Central Park. the instability of cross country gear compared to alpine ski The EL Grad’s efforts to promote the sport of cross country equipment. skiing continued when he filmed the movie “Quiet Skis” with well In a life that was much too short, John Greene made a known photographer Fletcher “Duke” Manley. In contrast to ski significant impact on his chosen sport of cross country skiing.