Two weeks ago my wife and I attended the annual Vermont Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame induction dinner at Killington’s K1 base lodge. It had been an event on my radar for the last few years. The timing and location of this year’s event happened to work out perfectly, so we jumped at the opportunity.
I enjoy meeting people from across the industry, but I also enjoy learning about the history of the sport of skiing. New England has a long history when it comes to skiing and snowboarding. The stories of how ski areas across New England were started, the people or groups who made it happen, and ultimately how they have developed into what they are today is fascinating to me. Not to mention the laundry list of ski industry legends who called New England home.
As many people know, Masters ski racing was born in New England and NEMS also has a long and rich history in the region. In fact, the founder of Masters ski racing, Al SIse, was inducted into the VT Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame in 2007.
To see all of the VT Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame Inductees: Click Here
This year’s Hall of Fame inductees were Howard Buxton, John Egan, Diane & Tim Mueller, and Suzi Rueck. It was great to see the inductees at the event surrounded by friends and family. I’m constantly reminded of the fact that you cannot accomplish anything in this industry without a strong support system, so being able to share such an accomplishment with others is always nice.
John Egan was easily the most well-known of the inductee group. I remember seeing his videos as a kid and always hearing about the crazy stuff he was doing on skis. Ironically, we ended up sitting with his crew for the event and they were a great group. I had a chance to catch up with John after the event and we had a great conversation. We spoke about skiing in Antarctica and Greenland and how both are very different but amazing places.
Diane & Tim Mueller were in attendance as well. They bought Okemo in the 1980s and developed it into one of the best resorts in New England over the next 30 years. They later purchased Mt. Sunape (NH) and Crested Butte (CO). The couple sold their ski properties to Vail Resorts in 2018. What I didn’t know was that when they purchased Okemo they were running a resort in the Virgin Islands called Point Pleasant, which they also developed.
Suzi Rueck brought a huge group from Stratton to the event. Her induction video talked about how she got into snowboarding during a time when snowboarding wasn’t allowed at most mountains, including Stratton. It was cool to hear that she was also a former ski racer. She went on to win the U.S. Open Snowboarding title in Slalom and got 2nd in Giant Slalom. She then contribute to the first PSIA manual on teaching snowboarding and linked up with Burton to grow snowboarding at Stratton. Some of the stories she shared there were pretty funny.
Now we all know it’s not a Stratton party without the most famous guy at Stratton in attendance. Hubert Schriebl was there taking shots and mingling around. Everyone wanted to talk with Hubert. You would have thought he was being inducted into the Hall of Fame that night. In my opinion, he should probably be there already. Obviously I had to grab a photo with Hubert before leaving. He’s been taking pics of me and every other NEMS racers for years in our speed suits. I thought it would be nice to get a pic with him while wearing my other suit!
This was a great event and highlighted the accomplishments of some amazing individuals. If you ever have the opportunity, I’d recommend attending it. I’m excited to see who is inducted next season.
-Matt Mitsis
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