Excellent bit of ski history exploring New Hampshire’s Waterville Valley Ski Resort’s connection to the early days of freestyle skiing.
It all traces back to a conversation between Tom Corcoran and Doug Pfeiffer about who was the best skier on the mountain. US Ski Team member, Tom Corcoran argued it was the ski racer while Doug Pfeiffer pointed to the renegades who were skiing moguls and hitting jumps. There was only one way to settle the dispute and that was through competition.
A challenge was announced on the pages of Skiing Magazine inviting the best skiers from around the world to come to Waterville Valley to compete in The National Championships of Exhibition Skiing. The legend has it Wayne Wong hitch hiked his way cross country from Vancouver and ended up winning.
Here’s the story told by the people who there:
You may be wondering, “How did Waterville Valley become the Birthplace of Freestyle Skiing?” Freestyle skiing first came to Waterville Valley in 1969, when we opened the nation’s first freestyle instruction program, which is how Waterville got it’s title as the official Birthplace of Freestyle Skiing. The following year, we hosted the first National Open Championships of Freestyle Skiing on the Sunnyside trails, organized by Tom Corcoran and Doug Pfeiffer.
In 1971, Waterville Valley hosted the first ever “Hot Dog Competition: National Championships of Exhibition Skiing.” Legendary freestyle skier, Wayne Wong, traveled to here from Vancouver at the age of 21 on $200 of sponsorship money to compete in the World Cup Freestyle Finals on True Grit. Following that event, Wong became BBTS’s head freestyle coach in 1973 and still has close ties to Waterville Valley Resort.Â
By the early 90s, Waterville Valley Resort had hosted several Freestyle Championship events and opened the first terrain park in the state of New Hampshire – “The Boneyard.” Since then, our ski resort has been a breeding ground for pro-snowboarders including Pat Moore, Chase Guldemond, and Luke Mathison.
Just as Waterville Valley played a role in the development of freestyle skiing, so in turn, freestyle skiing shaped Waterville Valley. Many legendary freestyle skiers played significant roles in the development of the ski resort, including Wayne Wong, Doug Pfeiffer, and Nick Preston. The Freestyle Lounge, Preston’s Path, and Wayne Wong Way are all named in honor of these freestyle legends.Â
Over the years, the ski resort’s commitment to freestyle skiing has spurred several educational and training opportunities for young skiers and riders. Today, we are home to a thriving community of young athletes. From BBTS Snowsports Club to the Waterville Valley Academy – Waterville Valley Resort serves as a training ground for many aspiring Olympiads, including 2010 gold medalist Hannah Kearny, who trained at BBTS. We hope the Freestyle Championship events will inspire and influence aspiring young athletes, demonstrating the phenomenal skill, athleticism, and sportsmanship involved in Freestyle Skiing.
