Waterville Valley, NH

As you're driving along Route 49 and about to enter the village of Waterville Valley, you're greeted by this sign:

If you Google "birthplace of freestyle skiing," you won't find Waterville Valley or resort founder Tom Corcoran mentioned anywhere. Instead, those bigger, glitzier, more famous areas -- Sun Valley & Heavenly Valley -- get all the recognition and glory.

Waterville Valley Resort has always been a bit of a secret to the greater world (shhhhh...that's how many of us like it!). This is apparently the case with the world's understanding of where freestyle skiing was born!

In author Grace Bean's history of Waterville Valley, The Town at the end of the road, she wrote that "Waterville Valley became the first [ski] area to offer freestyle instruction. A freestyle program was started in 1969-70...Freestyle classes were offered at all levels, including the Kids' Ski School..."

Bean also noted that "Tom Corcoran and Doug Pfeiffer, editor of Skiing Magazine, organized the First National Open Championships of Freestyle Skiing at Waterville Valley (February 28-March 1, 1970)...Herman Goellner, an experienced skier from Vermont, was the 1970 winner. The event was so successful that in 1972 two other areas offered freestyle competitions - Vail and Sun Valley."

"...Probably the most excitement engendered for freestyle in Waterville was the presence of Wayne Wong, a remarkable twenty-two-year-old acrobatic skier from Vancouver, BC, who came east in the spring of 1971 to participate in Waterville's National Championships of Exhibition Skiing. He had started skiing at age eleven and continued as a teenager but found it "too expensive." His school friends had talked him into coming to Waterville, just to see how he would do. The student council had collected $200 to send him...He finished third in the Waterville Competition. Within a year he was a national phenomenon. The next winter he returned to Waterville as an instructor and headed up the junior freestyle program. In 1972 he was named by Skiing Magazine as "Hot Shot Skier of the Year."

Well, there you have it. Waterville Valley IS the birthplace of freestyle skiing. Harumph...So there Sun Valley and Heavenly Valley.

Photo below: Wayne Wong

Waterville Valley, New Hampshire has enjoyed a long history of ski racing that started with resort founder and two-time Olympic ski racer Tom Corcoran. Corcoran put Waterville Valley on the map by launching world class athletes in skiing and snowboarding.

Several Waterville Valley athletes are hoping to represent the U.S. in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. Michelle Gorgone, a 2006 Olympian and WVBBTS Ski Club alumna, is expected to compete again in Alpine Snowboarding. Hannah Kearney, also a 2006 Olympian and alumna of the WVBBTS Freestle Ski Program is currently on the Women's A Team for Moguls and a frontrunner to represent the U.S. Nordic skier Kris Freeman will be heading to his third Olympic appearance and claims Waterville Valley as his official training site. The resort is also hoping that Dylan Ferguson, currently on the U.S. Aerials B Team will be selected to the Olympic roster.

In honor of this winter's 21st Olympic Games and the Olympic athletes who got their start at Waterville Valley - Waterville Valley Resort is offering an Olympic-sized learn to ski and ride deal over three weekends: December 12 & 13, 2009, January 9 & 10 and March 20 & 21, 2010.

Each weekend will feature the resort's new Olympic $21 Learn to Ski and Ride Specials, including a beginner lesson, skis or snowboard rental equipment, and a beginner area lift ticket for the day. At the end of your first day on the slopes, Waterville Valley will give each new skier or snowboarder a "WV Learn to Ski/Ride Pocket Guide" full of incentives to come back for two more days! After day three, a "Love to Ski/Ride Pass" will provide you with 50% off lessons, rentals and lift ticket discounts for the rest of the season.

This is great, affordable way to learn. Who knows? Maybe we'll see some future Olympians on Waterville Valley's slopes this winter!

If you're heading to Waterville Valley this winter, be sure to stop by Waterville Valley Realty and say hello!