Vibe-Winter-2425 - Flipbook - Page 44
Valley Veterans
of Ski School
By Dave Greenslit
Decades of Dedication
he Mt. Washington Valley has a rich history of skiing, with ski schools and their instructors playing a significant role in the sport’s
development. The first ski school in the country began not far from the Valley, at Sugar Hill near Franconia, in 1929. Two European instructors taught techniques pioneered by Austrian Hannes Schneider. Within a decade, a similar school, also staffed by
European instructors, was started in Jackson. That school then moved to Cranmore, with Schneider himself soon to follow.
As Jeff Leich wrote in a New England Ski Museum newsletter, back then area skiers were long on enthusiasm but short on
know-how. They needed help—and still do.
Janet Dow, Peter Theriault, Karen Dolan, Bruce Grubb, Sue Wemyss, John Macdonald, and Althea Cranton, are among
longtime area instructors who have been meeting that need. In the case of Theriault and Dolan, that’s been for 50 years or more.
T
Janet Dow @Attitash
Attitash instructor Janet Dow describes herself this way: “In my
mind, I’m 10-years old, but my body says 70-plus years young.”
She did not get the earliest start in skiing, trying it in high
school and surviving after boys would take her to the top of a
mountain, show her how to snowplow and say, “See ya’ later!”
But then there was a 35-year skiing hiatus when she moved
to Chicago. She took it up again when she moved back to New
England in the early 2000s.
Dow set her sights on becoming an instructor at Attitash,
which she says had all she needed: family, friends, training, and
fun. She has been at it for more than 15 years, many of them
teaching kids.
Dow has also taught in Attitash’s “Thank Goodness I’m
Fifty” program on Fridays for adults that age and older, and in
the resort’s women-specific clinic.
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Her approach is to ask students what they want from a
lesson and, as she describes it, “meet them where they are.”
She brings her people skills, technical know-how and a bit of
creativity to each lesson.
“My favorite part of skiing is sharing my passion for sliding
on snow and to help others enjoy themselves, no matter what
level,” she said. “It’s truly a pleasure, having fun together, overcoming fears or anxiety, or exploring the great outdoors. It’s all
part of creating the skiing experience of a lifetime.”
Peter Theriault @Jackson XC
Theriault has been skiing so long he remembers long, straight
skis, leather boots, and bamboo poles—equipment available at
hardware and Army/Navy stores. He was born into a ski family.
In the 1940s, his parents, aunts, and uncles took the overnight
ski train from the station in Salem, Mass., to North Conway,
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