Waterville Valley Resort

Waterville Valley is a ski resort in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire, United States. It is located within the White Mountain National Forest. Built on Mount Tecumseh, with a summit elevation of 3,997 feet (1,218 m) above sea level, the ski trails extend to a high point on the south ridge of the mountain at 3,840 feet (1,170 m), offering a vertical drop of 2,020 feet (615 m). The ski area has 11 lifts, including two high-speed quads and the slopes primarily face east and northeast.

Waterville Valley Resort
Top of Highcountry Double,
south shoulder of Mount Tecumseh
Waterville Valley Resort
Location in New Hampshire
Waterville Valley Resort
Waterville Valley Resort (New Hampshire)
LocationWaterville Valley,
New Hampshire, U.S.
Nearest major cityPlymouth – 20 miles (32 km)
Coordinates43°57′55″N 71°31′40″W
Vertical2,020 ft (615 m)
Top elevation3,840 ft (1,170 m)  (lift-served)
3,997 ft (1,218 m)  (summit)
Base elevation1,820 ft (555 m)
Skiable area220 acres (0.89 km2)
Runs50
14% Novice
64% Intermediate
22% Expert
Longest run1.9 miles (3.1 km)
Lift system2 HS Quads, 2 Triples,
3 Doubles, 1 Platterpull,
1 T-Bar, 2 J-Bars
Terrain parks6
Snowfall148 inches (12.3 ft; 3.8 m)
Snowmaking100%
Night skiingNo
Websitewww.waterville.com

In addition to downhill skiing, the resort offers 46 miles (74 km) of Nordic skiing, golf, nationally-ranked tennis courts, a skateboard park, a year-round ice arena, hiking, biking, and water sports.[1][2]

History

Organized skiing first started on Mount Tecumseh in the 1930s with the construction of two Civilian Conservation Corps ski trails. The first of the two trails was abandoned after a decade, while the latter would later become incorporated into the Waterville Valley ski area.[2]

A group led by Tom Corcoran opened Waterville Valley 54 years ago in 1966 with four new Stadeli double chairlifts and a J-Bar surface lift. Of the original chairlifts, the High Country and Lower Meadows still remain.[2]

Over the next few decades, three Stadeli triple chairlifts were installed, including the World Cup Triple in 1985.

In 1988, a Poma high-speed detachable quad chairlift was installed, running parallel to the World Cup Triple and High Country Double chairlifts. Due to wind issues, the upper portion of this lift was later removed. As a result, the top portion of the ski area is only served by the High Country Double chairlift.[2][3] In 1997, a Doppelmayr high speed detachable quad chairlift was installed, known as "Quadzilla".

Ownership

After filing for bankruptcy protection in the summer of 1994,[4] Waterville Valley was briefly owned by the American Skiing Company in the mid-1990s. Due to anti-trust issues, Waterville and Cranmore Mountain Resort were sold to California-based Booth Creek Ski Holdings in the fall of 1996. Members of the Sununu family of New Hampshire and a group of area investors purchased the resort in October 2010 and it remains independent.[2]

World Cup

Waterville Valley first hosted World Cup alpine events in slalom and giant slalom in 1969 and was a regular stop on the tour for most of the 1980s. The 1969 races saw American women take four of the six podium positions, as Kiki Cutter won the slalom for her fourth World Cup win and Judy Nagel took third.[5] Two days earlier, Marilyn Cochran and Karen Budge tied for second in the giant slalom.[6] After two podiums at Waterville Valley in 1982, Tamara McKinney won five consecutive World Cup events at the resort from 1983 to 1985.[7][8][9] The most recent WC races were held 29 years ago, with six events in March to conclude the 1991 season.

The circuit did not return to the eastern U.S. for over a quarter century, until November 2016 at Killington, Vermont, with women's technical events (giant slalom, slalom) on Thanksgiving weekend.

Clubs and schools

Waterville Valley hosts the "Black and Blue Trail Smashers" (also known as BBTS) ski club, one of the oldest in the USA, founded in 1934. The team has expanded its training to include ski racing, freestyle skiing and snowboarding, and boardercross disciplines. WVBBTS has received many prestigious awards since its inception, including the USSA Club of the Year award in 2006. It is the "home club" of Olympic gold medalist Hannah Kearney, winner of the women's moguls in 2010.[2]

Waterville Valley Academy (WVA), a seasonal winter sports boarding school that specializes in training skiers and snowboarders, conducts training at Waterville. WVA is a subsidiary of the Waterville Valley BBTS ski club, using many of the club's resources and staff in its operations.[10][2]

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References
  1. "Waterville Valley Resort". Waterville Valley Resort. 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  2. "NewEnglandSkiHistory.com: Waterville Valley Resort". NewEnglandSkiHistory.com. 10 December 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  3. "NewEnglandSkiHistory.com:Waterville Valley Resort - White Peaks Express Chairlift". NewEnglandSkiHistory.com. 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  4. "S-K-I Ltd. cleared to purchase ski area". Lewiston Sun-Journal. (Maine). Associated Press. October 17, 1994. p. 3.
  5. "Kiki gets 1st in slalom at championships". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). UPI. March 24, 1969. p. 10.
  6. "Austrian girl nips two from US in that GS". Lewiston Evening Journal. (Maine). Associated Press. March 21, 1969. p. 17.
  7. "American wins GS". Ottawa Citizen. (Canada). UPI. March 11, 1983. p. 36.
  8. "McKinney takes first in slaloms". Ottawa Citizen. (Canada). UPI. March 12, 1984. p. 30.
  9. "U.S. ace nabs lead in slalom". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). UPI. March 17, 1985. p. E-7.
  10. https://www.wvbbts.org/about-us
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