England Skiing
What is the oldest ski resort in new england?
This is a subject for debate simply because there were ski resorts before there were lifts and tow ropes. Most ski historians will say that Suicide Six is the oldest resort. I say browse through the website I cited and decide for yourself. You can also contact the nice folks at the New England Skiing Museum in New Hampshire. email: staff@skimuseum.org
1934—January 28 saw the first rope tow installed in the U.S. by Bob and Betty Royce, proprietors of the White Cupboard Inn, in Woodstock, VT. The Royces made sketches of Alec Foster’s first rope tow in Shawbridge, Quebec, and employed David Dodd, a local mechanic, to construct it for them on a sidehill owned by farmer Clinton Gilbert which the Royces leased for the winter. The tow, originally called the Ski-Way, consisted of a continuous loop of rope running over a series of wheels and was driven by the rear wheel of a Model A Ford. Bob Bourdon, a Woodstock native, was its first rider. Wallace “Bunny” Bertram took it over for the second season, improved the operation, renamed it the Ski Tow and eventually moved it to The Gully and then Suicide Six. (interviews Bob Bourdon, Betty Royce, et al)
Ski-ing in England, Weardale, County Durham, England