Our Mission
Pico Ski Club
was founded over 50 years ago and continues a skiing
tradition-with a focus on families--through social activities,
junior ski racing programs and organization of competitive
events.
History
A Proud
Tradition
The Otter Ski Club, a predecessor of the Pico Ski Club, was
founded in the late 1930’s. The club became inactive during
World War II, yet Janet Mead kept the Pico Ski Area operating
during wartime and offered free skiing to all service men and
women. Her daughter Andrea Mead became a ski racing celebrity of
the country, and her Olympic Gold medals put Pico in the
post-war national spotlight. More than two dozen young Rutland
area skiers
served in the Tenth Mountain Division (ski troops of WW II) and
formed the nucleus of the new club upon their return from duty.
Karl Acker, Swiss slalom ace, was brought to Pico in 1939 by the
Meads to head up ski instruction, and joined the Tenth Mountain
Division after his immigration to the US. Other Tenth Mountain
Division members Joe Jones, Arny Kirbach and Erling Omland are
still active skiers and reside in the Rutland area.
Education & Ski Racing
The Pico Junior Program, led by Larry and Helena Culver,
originally offered free instruction to regional children. Later,
as enrollment exceeded 600, a modest fee was charged to cover
basic expenses. More than 8000 skiers have been introduced to
the sport through this junior program; many have seen two
generations follow in their tracks. As juniors learned the
fundamentals and gained skills, the most qualified continued to
train in Pico’s race programs. The culmination of the initial
surge of Pico ski talent came in the spring of 1959, when six
Pico skiers participated in the Junior National
Ski Championships at Yakima, WA. Since that time Pico has
produced numerous skiers of collegiate or professional
reputation including: Rick and Suzy Chaffee, Kent and Kurt
Belden, Johnnie, Mike, Rich & Annie Higgins, Scott and Carolyn
Heald, Megan and Christie Brown to name a few.
Membership
During the last fifty years, thousands of individuals have
enjoyed the
privileges and obligations of membership in an organization that
has a proud history. Some members of the Pico Ski Club represent
a third or even fourth generation of tradition in their
families. Today, with 500 members from the area and greater
northeast, the tradition of family skiing, ski racing and skier
development lives on.
Contact Information
- Postal address
- PO Box 341 • Rutland, Vermont
05702
- Electronic mail
- General Information:
info@picoskiclub.com
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