WOODSTOCK—The Woodstock Inn & Resort is offering the community an opportunity to own a piece of Suicide Six history. The ski area has donated 60 chairs from the 38-year-old, recently dismantled Chair #1 to Woodstock Ski Runners (WSR) for fundraising. All proceeds will benefit the WSR youth ski programs, with 50 percent of the funds specifically supporting WSR’s Friday Program, a low-cost learn-to-ski program offered to over 300 local schoolchildren every ski season, and 50 percent supporting WSR’s alpine and nordic racing programs.
On Friday, Sept. 30, at 10 a.m. chairs from the former Chair #1 at Suicide Six will go on sale for $350 per chair. Buyers are welcome to spend more than $350 per chair with excess funds reserved to benefit the Friday Program. Orders will be filled on a first come, first serve basis. There will be a limit of one chair per transaction.
Recognized as one of the oldest ski areas in the country, Suicide Six has a rich history. America’s first rope tow, introduced on nearby Gilbert’s Hill in 1934, inspired the opening of Suicide Six in 1936. In 1961 Laurance S. Rockefeller purchased Suicide Six from its founder, Wallace “Bunny” Bertram, as part of his vision for the community of Woodstock. Today, Suicide Six is one of Vermont’s leading family-friendly ski resorts, featuring more than 100 acres of skiing on 24 trails and slopes with terrain suitable for all abilities.
Construction has begun on a new quad chairlift at Suicide Six that will double the capacity of the previous chair, offering a more comfortable and rapid ascent to the summit. Leitner-Poma of America, Inc., Grand Junction, Colo., has been selected to install the equipment at an estimated cost of $1.5 million. Installation is on track for completion in time for a mid-December opening. Funding for the new chairlift is provided through a grant from the Laurance S. Rockefeller Fund.
Founded in 1932, Woodstock Ski Runners is the oldest ski club in the Northeast with a long-standing mission to instill a life-long passion for on-snow sports among the children of the Woodstock community. WSR’s fun, supportive, and family-friendly environment ensures access to both introductory and competitive programs in Alpine, Nordic and All Mountain categories.
WSR’s Friday Program was started in 1956 and is now celebrating its 60th anniversary. The program teaches children from 13 public schools, two private schools and homeschoolers from the greater Windsor County area. Last season 317 students participated in the program and learned from 80 volunteer instructors who taught seven different levels of skiing and three levels of snowboarding. WSR provided 39 scholarships, 22 of which included aid for ski equipment.
For more info. call 802-457-2971, or visit skirunners.adminskiracing.com.
