Franconia, NH – On the same day that the United States Ski & Snowboard Association (USSA) floated the idea of an East Coast return for the World Cup at Killington, they also announced that the former Mittersill ski area in New Hampshire, now part of Cannon Mountain, will be a newly designated USSA Training Site.
The new training venue is the result of a partnership between the USSA and the State of New Hampshire, Franconia Ski Club and Holderness School, all of which have a rich history in the sport. The Franconia Ski Club, which dates back to 1933, has counted as members Olympians Joan Hannah, Julia Ford and Bode Miller. The club organized the first World Cup held in North America in 1967. One of the most prominent academies in the USSA system, nearby Holderness School, in Plymouth, dates back to 1879 with ski racing programs beginning in the 1920s.
The ski runs on the mountain shared by Cannon and Mittersill date back to 1933. Mittersill, founded by the Baron Hubert von Pantz of Austria in 1945, was one of the prominent ski areas in the East until it went dormant in 1984. Local efforts to bring it back, through partnership with the State of New Hampshire and the U.S. Forest Service, resulted in it re-opening in the 2009-10 season with a new chairlift added a year later when it was incorporated into Cannon Mountain.
“Cannon Mountain and Mittersill have such a rich legacy in New England skiing and racing,” said USSA President and CEO Tiger Shaw. “The Mittersill training site is an outstanding example of how the USSA can partner with local clubs and academies to bring added value to athletic programs that will impact a broad range of athletes. The State of New Hampshire, Franconia Ski Club and Holderness School have created a partnership that will be of great benefit to thousands of ski racers in the USSA Eastern Region.”
The new race training venue is comprised of two legendary Mittersill trails. Baron’s Run will be the speed venue for super G and giant slalom. The Taft Slope will have an adjacent T-Bar and offer high efficiency slalom and giant slalom training.
“The terrain of the hill at Mittersill is incredible. Kids will have the ability to experience terrain continually coming at them—a lot like that of European tracks—and what they have to do to make it work. This is something that’s really lacking in our country,” says Franconia Ski Club Director Rich Smith.
Aggressive project timelines may allow for on-snow training as early as the 2015-16 season, and—upon full completion—the venue will impact thousands of USSA alpine racers in the East. Trail development is now underway with direct engagement by Project Manager Ted Sutton, one of the most highly regarded International Ski Federation trail certifiers; Franconia Ski Club Director Rich Smith, a veteran of nearly three decades of coaching; veteran U.S. Ski Team coach Mike Kenney; and longtime U.S. Ski Team, club level and current Holderness School Director of Snow Sports Georg Capaul. Inclusion of snowmaking capabilities and surface lift facilities are also currently underway.
Both the State of New Hampshire and the Federal Government have invested in the project because of its economic and educational impact on the region. The USSA supported the project by providing a channel for future contributions through a new infrastructure fund designed to provide donors with a means of supporting highly impactful regional and national projects that benefit athletes.
The Mittersill training site at Cannon Mountain will be available for USSA regional development projects and is expected to be a site for major USSA events in the future. The partnership calls for 20 days of on-snow training and race projects, and will act as host to the 2017 NCAA Championships giant slalom and slalom events.