Waterville Valley is a ski resort in Waterville Valley , New Hampshire , United States . It is located within the White Mountain National Forest . Built on Mount Tecumseh , with a summit elevation of 3,997 feet (1,218 m) above sea level , the ski trails extend to a high point on the south ridge of the mountain at 3,840 feet (1,170 m), offering a vertical drop of 2,020 feet (615 m). The ski area has 11 lifts, including two high-speed quads and the slopes primarily face east and northeast.
21-399: In addition to downhill skiing, the resort offers 46 miles (74 km) of Nordic skiing , golf , nationally-ranked tennis courts, a skateboard park, a year-round ice arena, hiking, biking, and water sports. Organized skiing first started on Mount Tecumseh in the 1930s with the construction of two Civilian Conservation Corps ski trails. The first of the two trails was abandoned after
42-565: A Poma high-speed detachable quad chairlift was installed, running parallel to the World Cup Triple and High Country Double chairlifts. Due to wind issues, the upper portion of this lift was later removed. As a result, the top portion of the ski area is only served by the High Country T-Bar lift. In 1997, a Doppelmayr high speed detachable quad chairlift was installed, known as "Quadzilla". After filing for bankruptcy protection in
63-549: A decade, while the latter would later become incorporated into the Waterville Valley ski area. A group led by Tom Corcoran opened Waterville Valley 58 years ago in 1966 with four new Stadeli double chairlifts and a J-Bar surface lift . Of the original chairlifts, only the Lower Meadows remains. Over the next few decades, three Stadeli triple chairlifts were installed, including the World Cup Triple in 1985. In 1988,
84-618: A manner that allows the heel to rise off the ski , unlike alpine skiing , where the boot is attached to the ski from toe to heel. Recreational disciplines include cross-country skiing and Telemark skiing . Olympic events are competitive cross-country skiing , ski jumping and Nordic combined — an event combining cross-country skiing and ski jumping. The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships host these sports every odd-numbered year, but there are also separate championships in other events, such as Telemark skiing and ski flying . Biathlon combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting, but
105-464: A seasonal winter sports boarding school that specializes in training skiers and snowboarders, conducts training at Waterville. WVA is a subsidiary of the Waterville Valley BBTS ski club, using many of the club's resources and staff in its operations. Nordic skiing Nordic skiing encompasses the various types of skiing in which the toe of the ski boot is fixed to the binding in
126-460: A shorter ski was worn on the other foot for kicking. The underside of the short ski was either plain or covered with animal skin to aid this use, while the long ski supporting the weight of the skier was treated with animal fat in a similar manner to modern ski waxing . Early skiers used one long pole or spear. The first description of a skier with two ski poles dates to 1741. Troops in continental Europe were equipped with skis by 1747. Skiing
147-711: Is not included as a Nordic discipline under the rules of the International Ski Federation (FIS). Instead, it comes under the jurisdiction of the International Biathlon Union . The biomechanics of competitive cross-country skiing and ski jumping have been the subject of serious study. Cross-country skiing requires strength and endurance and ski jumping requires aerodynamic efficiency, both of which requirements translate into specific skills to be optimized in training and competition. Recreational skiing began with organized skiing exercises and races of
168-469: Is practiced in certain areas that are reserved exclusively for ski jumping. Telemark skiing is a ski turning technique and FIS-sanctioned discipline, which is named after the Telemark region of Norway. It uses equipment similar to Nordic skiing, where the ski bindings are attached only at the toes of the ski boots, allowing the skier's heel to be raised throughout the turn. However, the skis themselves are often
189-643: Is the use of skis to glide on snow for basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport . Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS). Skiing has a history of almost five millennia. Although modern skiing has evolved from beginnings in Scandinavia , it may have been practiced more than 100 centuries ago in
210-509: The Altai Mountains , according to an interpretation of ancient paintings. However, this continues to be debated. The word "ski" comes from the Old Norse word "skíð" which means to "split piece of wood or firewood". Asymmetrical skis were used in northern Finland and Sweden until at least the late 19th century. On one foot, the skier wore a long straight non-arching ski for sliding, and
231-534: The Norwegian and Swedish infantries. Military races and exercises included downhill in rough terrain, target practice while skiing downhill, and 3 km cross-country skiing with full military backpack. Slalom (Norwegian: slalåm ) is a word of Norwegian origin that has entered the international skiing vocabulary. In the 1800s skiers in Telemark challenged each other on "wild slopes" ( ville låmir ), more gentle slopes had
SECTION 10
#1732883884767252-447: The adjective "sla". Some races were on "bumpy courses" ( kneikelåm ) and sometimes included "steep jumps" ( sprøytehopp ) for difficulty. These 19th century races in Telemark ran along particularly difficult trails usually from a steep mountain, along timber-slides and ended with a sharp turn ("Telemark turn") on a field or icy lake. Noted Nordic skiing resorts around the world include the following: Skiing Skiing
273-471: The bottom of alpine skis to give them traction on snow. This permits Nordic style uphill and back-country travel on alpine skis. For downhill travel, the heels are locked and the skins are removed. The Nordic disciplines include cross-country skiing and ski jumping , which both use bindings that attach at the toes of the skier's boots but not at the heels. Cross-country skiing may be practiced on groomed trails or in undeveloped backcountry areas. Ski jumping
294-568: The oldest in the USA, founded in 1934. The team has expanded its training to include ski racing, freestyle skiing and snowboarding, and boardercross disciplines. WVBBTS has received many prestigious awards since its inception, including the USSA Club of the Year award in 2006. It is the "home club" of Olympic gold medalist Hannah Kearney , winner of the women's moguls in 2010 . Waterville Valley Academy (WVA),
315-493: The resort from 1983 to 1985 . The most recent WC races were held 33 years ago, with six events in March to conclude the 1991 season. The circuit did not return to the eastern U.S. for over a quarter century, until November 2016 at Killington , Vermont , with women's technical events (giant slalom, slalom) on Thanksgiving weekend. Waterville Valley hosts the "Black and Blue Trail Smashers" (also known as BBTS) ski club, one of
336-531: The same width as Alpine skis. The following skiing disciplines are sanctioned by the FIS . Many have their own world cups and are included in the Winter Olympic Games . Equipment used in skiing includes: Technique has evolved along with ski technology and ski geometry . Early techniques included the telemark turn, the stem , the stem Christie , snowplough , and parallel turn . New parabolic designs like
357-710: The summer of 1994, Waterville Valley was briefly owned by the American Skiing Company in the mid-1990s. Due to anti-trust issues, Waterville and Cranmore Mountain Resort were sold to California-based Booth Creek Ski Holdings in the fall of 1996. Members of the Sununu family of New Hampshire and a group of area investors purchased the resort in October 2010 and it remains independent. Waterville Valley first hosted World Cup alpine events in slalom and giant slalom in 1969 and
378-478: The supervision of the ski patrol and the ski school . Alpine skiing branched off from the older Nordic type of skiing around the 1920s when the advent of ski lifts meant that it was no longer necessary to climb back uphill. Alpine equipment has specialized to the point where it can now only be used with the help of lifts. Alpine Touring setups use specialized bindings which are switchable between locked and free-heel modes. Climbing skins are temporarily attached to
399-548: The two is the type of ski binding (the way in which the ski boots are attached to the skis). Also called "downhill skiing", Alpine skiing typically takes place on a piste at a ski resort . It is characterized by fixed-heel bindings that attach at both the toe and the heel of the skier's boot. Ski lifts , including chairlifts , bring skiers up the slope. Backcountry skiing can be accessed by helicopter , snowcat , hiking and snowmobile . Facilities at resorts can include night skiing , après-ski , and glade skiing under
420-416: Was a regular stop on the tour for most of the 1980s. The 1969 races saw American women take four of the six podium positions, as Kiki Cutter won the slalom for her fourth World Cup win and Judy Nagel took third. Two days earlier, Marilyn Cochran and Karen Budge tied for second in the giant slalom. After two podiums at Waterville Valley in 1982 , Tamara McKinney won five consecutive World Cup events at
441-500: Was primarily used for transport until the mid-19th century but, since then, it has also become a recreation and sport. Military ski races were held in Norway during the 18th century, and ski warfare was studied in the late 18th century. As equipment evolved and ski lifts were developed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, two main genres of skiing emerged— Alpine (downhill) skiing and Nordic skiing . The main difference between
SECTION 20
#1732883884767#766233