A pair of events a week ago brought to mind how deeply skiing is entrenched of our way of life here in Maine, and how far back this goes.
One was the ninth annual Maine Ski Heritage Day at Sugarloaf, a major fund raiser for the Ski Museum of Maine. As always, we spent the day in the base lodge with displays from the museum in Kingfield. Along with pictures, brochures and posters featuring Maine skiers and products, we had various videos. A favorite is the actual ABC footage of the Tall Timber Classic, the first and only World Cup downhill held in the state. Another is “Tree to Ski,” and shows how Paris Manufacturing actually brought in logs, sawed them into proper sizes and created wood skis.
For more than five hours, we chatted with skiers who would stop by our display. The kids grabbed ski museum stickers for their helmets, while adults observed the photos and patches we had exhibited. In discussing how we had many made-in-Maine ski products in the museum in Kingfield, I like to point out how the majority of skis used by the 10th Mountain Division in World War II were made in South Paris by Paris Manufacturing, and how Bass switched all of their activity to making ski boots for the U.S. Army during war. Most had no idea that our troops were outfitted with skis and boots from Maine.
Of course, it was easy for me to talk about that factory in South Paris, because it’s where I grew up. My first skis came from that factory, but that side of their business died when Head produced the first successful metal ski and, in 1965, ski manufacturing ceased.
Fortunately, we have numerous pair of those skis which were seen on slopes everywhere through the 1940s, 50s and into the 60s. The museum also has Tubbs skis, which were made in Norway, Maine. They made skis and snowshoes and when they sold out to a Vermont company, it was strictly a snowshoe operation, and buyers of their snow shoes today have no idea that the company started in Maine.
A collection of enlarged photos drew plenty of attention and skiers were fascinated to see a picture of the original T-bar and base lodge at Sunday River. That was taken between 1963 and 1970.
Other pictures featured the Camden Snowbowl, construction years at Saddleback and Hank Kashiwa charging out of the start during that 1971 World Cup. Obviously, there is a lot more at the Museum which is over the Sugarloaf Ski Outlet Shop in Kingfield.
The other event was the Biathlon World Cup in Presque Isle. On opening day, Susan Dunklee won a silver medal, the first time any U. S. female had reached the podium in this event. The article mentioned that her father was a two-time Olympic cross country racer., which reminded me of his victory here in Maine. Stan Dunklee was skiing for Vermont when the 1976 NCAA’s were hosted by Bates, with the jumping and cross country at Rumford and the alpine events at Sunday River. Dunklee won the cross country title at Chisholm Winter Park at Black Mountain.
The museum day reminds us of the past and the World Cup in Presque Isle demonstrates that skiing traditions in Maine are alive and well.
The word is also spreading.
For the past year, the New England ski Museum has featured a display from Maine skiing. If you haven’t had a chance to visit that Museum at the base of Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire you still have time. Or you can wait and see it in Bethel when the display will start a year long run at the Bethel Historical Society June 24th. The Historical Society is open daily Tuesday through Friday from 10-4 and Saturday 1-4 during July and August.
This fits into a campaign to eventually have a Ski Museum satellite in the Bethel area as the museum seeks to expand its reach. Two events are scheduled this spring. The first comes up March 26. Sisters of Skade (A Norse Goddess), Maine Women in Skiing 1870-2016 in collaboration with the Bethel Historical Society’s Women’s History month. Saturday afternoon, the 26th, at the Bethel Inn from 4:30 to 6:30, this free event will feature a power point presentation followed by a panel discussion with female industry leaders and athletes. Athletes so far committed include Nikki Pilavakis-Davoren, Julie Parisien and Leslie Morrill.
On Saturday, April 16, you can find me at the Sunday River’s Barker Base Lodge. Skee Spree is an all day event with the morning hours from 8-1 for showing your memorabilia and sharing memories and a silent auction.
A live auction will take place at 2 p.m. Skiers are invited to bring along items to show and/or donate to the museum. The museum is especially interested in items from the early days at Sunday River and Mt. Abram, and you have more than a month to dig them out of storage.
You can learn more about the museum and the Maine Ski Hall of Fame on the web site www.skimuseumofmaine.org. There you will find information on how to join the museum, pictures of displays and a nomination form for the Maine Ski Hall of Fame. As I covered in last week’s column, the class of 2016 has been named and will be inducted at Sunday River Oct. 29.
See you on the slopes.
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