Lebanon, New Hampshire — If you’re looking for something to be thankful for this week, non-profit ski areas are a good place to start.
As you probably know, many ski resorts in North America have closed for good for various reasons. Some communities have decided to run their mountains as non-profits to keep an affordable place for locals to ski and ride, among other reasons.
Mountains Not For Profit by Teton Gravity Research and Indy Pass covers the inspiring paths of four non-profit ski areas. The film features four North American ski areas: Whaleback Mountain in New Hampshire, Black Mountain in Maine, Antelope Butte in Wyoming, and Shames Mountain in British Columbia.
I was able to attend one of the premiere screenings a few weekends ago at the Lebanon Opera House in New Hampshire. The show started with a brief introduction from Jon Hunt, the Executive Director of Whaleback Mountain, and Erik Mogensen, the Managing Director of the Indy Pass. The approximately thirty minute film was met with lots of hoots and hollers, especially during the Whaleback scenes.
It was cool to see Evan Dybvig interviewed in the film. He made the place a freestyle skiing hub that was known for its terrain parks. The two-time Olympic skier revived the mountain in 2004 and ran it until the ski area was forced into liquidation in 2013. From there, Whaleback became a non-profit after being bought from the bank. Its growth since then has been impressive, with a new lift and snow guns coming this winter.
Image/Video Credits: Teton Gravity Research/Indy Pass, Whaleback Mountain
