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Vermont State Winter Sports

Skiing and Snowboarding Adopted: March 8, 2012
Vermont state winter sports
Vermont State Winter Sport: Snowboarding
Photographs, prints, posters

2007-2008 Legislative Session

In 2008 an effort was initiated by fifth and sixth grade Swanton students, with help from their physical education teacher, to name snowboarding Vermont's official state sport.

The state sport shall be snowboarding.

("Senate Bill No. 216")

State Senator Donald "Don" Collins introduced the bill to the Senate.

The students learned quickly that there were a lot of skiers in Vermont. Skiing, it seemed, would have to be considered a strong contender for the title of official state sport.

A solution was found and before Senate Bill No. 216 was approved by the Senate, it was amended:

The state sports shall be snowboarding and skiing.

("Senate Bill No. 216")

With the addition of skiing to the legislation, the bill was passed by the Senate and forwarded to the Vermont House of Representatives.

But that's as far as the bill went in 2008. There would be another day.

2009-2010 Legislative Session

On January 29, 2009, House Bill No. 48 was read for the first time. The bill duplicated the 2008 bill, proposing snowboarding as the official state sport. It looked like a replay of the previous year.

Whatever the strategy, the attempt failed. With five sponsors, House Bill No. 48 stalled in the Committee on General, Housing and Military Affairs. It went no further.

Another attempt was made on February 19, 2009, when House Bill No. 248 was read for the first time. This time the bill offered both skiing and snowboarding as state sports. Like its predecessor two weeks prior, House Bill No. 248 went no further. It too found a permanent home in the Committee on General, Housing and Military Affairs.

But that was then.

2011-2012 Legislative Session

Though thoroughly defeated in the prior legislative session, state sport enthusiasts were back in 2011. As in 2009, a two pronged approach seems to have been taken.

This time with seventeen sponsors, House Bill No. 140 was read for the first time on January 28, 2011. Again, it proposed snowboarding as the state sport. It seems that there were some diehard believers, but again the bill went nowhere. And so....

As had been done in 2009, a second bill, House Bill No. 365 was read for the first time on March 8, 2011. This bill, with 15 sponsors, named skiing and snowboarding the state winter sports.

The bill included both snowboarding and skiing as state sports but reversed the original 2008 order of precedence; "skiing and snowboarding" versus "snowboarding and skiing."

Additionally, the two were declared state "winter" sports.

With the inclusion of skiing and the stipulation that skiing and snowboarding were official state "winter" sports, an idea finally turned into reality.

BILL AS PASSED THE HOUSE AND SENATE

H.365

H.365

Introduced by Representatives Scheuermann of Stowe, Crawford of Burke, Dickinson of St. Albans Town, Eckhardt of Chittenden, Hebert of Vernon, Komline of Dorset, Larocque of Barnet, Lewis of Berlin, Manwaring of Wilmington, Marcotte of Coventry, Myers of Essex, Olsen of Jamaica, Pugh of South Burlington, Wilson of Manchester and Young of Albany

An act relating to designating skiing and snowboarding as the official winter state sports

It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:

Sec. 1. FINDINGS

In recognition of the importance that sports and fitness can play in the personal lives of Vermonters and in the economic well-being of the state, the general assembly finds:

(1) The history of skiing and snowboarding is heavily linked to Vermont.

(2) In 1934, the country’s first ski area opened near Woodstock when the first rope tow ski lift was installed on Clinton Gilbert’s farm. This was followed by many other historical Vermont firsts in the ski industry, including the nation’s first ski race which was held on Mount Mansfield in 1934, the nation’s first J-bar lift which was installed at Bromley Ski Area in 1936, the nation’s first ski patrol which was established at Stowe Ski Area in 1936, the nation’s first T-bar lift which was installed at Pico Peak Ski Area in 1940, and the nation’s first major chair lift which was installed at the Stowe Ski Area in 1940.

(3) In 1938, C. Minot Dole founded the National Ski Patrol in Vermont. Dole later used the National Ski Patrol model to convince the U.S. Army to activate a division of American mountain soldiers on skis, known as the 10th Mountain Division. Approximately 240 Vermonters served in the famed winter warfare division during World War II, with a dozen killed in action in the battle against the Germans in the Italian Alps.

(4) In 1952, Rutland’s Andrea Mead-Lawrence, whose parents ran Pico Mountain, became the first American woman to win two Olympic gold medals in skiing. Stowe’s Billy Kidd won the silver medal at the 1964 Innsbruck Olympics and the gold and bronze medals at the 1970 World Championships. The skiing Cochrans—Barbara Ann, Lindy, Marilyn, and Bobby—from Richmond dominated the world racing scene in the 1960s and 1970s, with Barbara Ann winning the gold medal at the 1972 winter Olympics. Nordic skier Bill Koch, from Brattleboro, skied in four Olympics—1976, 1980, 1984, and 1992. Koch won the 1976 silver medal, a first for an American Nordic skier, a bronze medal in the 1982 Federation Internationale de Ski Nordic World Championships, and a bronze medal in the 1982 World Cup Championships. Most recently, at the 2010 Winter Olympics, Hannah Kearney of Norwich won the gold medal in the women’s freestyle skiing event.

(5) Vermont is home to many public schools, academies, and colleges that are world-class training grounds for skiing and snowboarding.

(6) In 1982, the Suicide Six Resort in Pomfret was the first resort in the United States to allow snowboarding.

(7) In the 1980s, Vermont was the first state in the country to host what is now known as a snowboard park at the Sonnenberg Ski Area in Barnard.

(8) The U.S. Open for Snowboarding is held in Vermont. This event is the renowned first competition for snowboarding and offers an exciting opportunity to watch the world’s best snowboarders exhibiting their skills.

(9) At the 2002 Winter Olympics, Ross Powers of Stratton and Kelly Clark of Dover won the men’s and women’s gold medal respectively in the snowboarding halfpipe event.

(10) The United States Olympic Committee named Hannah Teeter of Belmont, the 2006 Winter Olympics women’s halfpipe gold medalist, as the 2006 Sportswoman of the Year, the top honor that the committee confers. She returned to the Winter Olympics in 2010 to win a silver medal in the women’s halfpipe while Kelly Clark followed immediately behind her in the competition, capturing the bronze medal.

(11) The United States Olympic Committee named former United States Halfpipe Head Coach Bud Keene of Stowe the 2006 National Coach of the Year.

(12) In 1977, Vermonter Jake Burton Carpenter founded a snowboard company in his barn and perfected the technology to build snowboards. Today, this Burlington-based company is the worldwide leader in the manufacture and sale of snowboards. Jake and Donna Burton Carpenter were inducted into the United States National Ski and Snowboarding Hall of Fame in 2007.

(13) Increasingly, there is an alarmingly high number of obese children in the United States. Both skiing and snowboarding promote healthy outdoor exercise for children, their parents, and people of all ages.

(14) Vermont historically ranks as the third largest ski and snowboard state, with over four million snowboarder and skier visits per year, and both sports are a critical part of our state’s economy, heritage, and way of life.

(15) Designating skiing and snowboarding as the Vermont state sports will encourage individuals to travel to Vermont to ski and snowboard where they will patronize local hotels and restaurants and purchase Vermont goods and services.

Sec. 2. 1 V.S.A. § 516 is added to read:

§ 516. STATE SPORTS

The state winter sports shall be skiing and snowboarding.

Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE

This bill shall take effect on passage.

Skiing and snowboarding became Vermont's official state winter sports when Governor Peter Shumlin signed House Bill No. 395 on March 8, 2012, one year after it was read for the first time in the House Committee on General, Housing and Military Affairs.

Many of the elementary, now high school, students who came up with the idea in 2008 were on hand to watch Governor Shumlin sign the legislation at the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum in Stowe.

Jake Burton, founder of Burton Snowboards, who also was on hand, says he's proud of the state, proud of the sport and of the kids in particular.

(The Republic)

Sources...


Rathke, Lisa. "Shumlin makes skiing, riding new state sports." Burlington Free Press. Burlinton Free Press, 08 Mar 2012. Web. 9 Mar 2012.
Rathke, Lisa. "Vermont makes skiing, riding new state sports thanks to efforts from students." The Republic. The Republic, 08 Mar 2012. Web. 8 Mar 2012.
Gavelda, Ben. "Snowboarding The Official Sport Of Vermont?." TransWorld.net. Transworld Snowboarding, 03 Apr 2009. Web. 9 Mar 2012.
The State of Vermont. Vermont State Legislature. House Bill No. 365. Montpelier: The State of Vermont, 2012.
The State of Vermont. Vermont State Legislature. Senate Bill No. 216. Montpelier: The State of Vermont, 2008. Web.
The State of Vermont. Vermont State Legislature. Vermont Statutes Online. Montpelier: The State of Vermont, 2012. Web.

Additional Information

Vermont state winter sports
Vermont State Winter Sport: Skiing
Photographs, prints, posters

Snowboarding: Wikipedia.com, the free encyclopedia.

The History of Vermont Skiing: One Hundred Years of Growth: Article by Jeremy Davis, founder of the New England Lost Ski Areas Project (NELSAP).

Vermont Ski Area History: New England Ski History (www.newenglandskihistory.com).

Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum: Official website.

State sports: Complete list of official state sports from NETSTATE.COM

More symbols & emblems: Complete list of official Vermont state symbols from NETSTATE.COM.

The Illustrated Guide To Snowboarding
The Illustrated Guide
To Snowboarding
Kevin Ryan

The Illustrated Guide To Snowboarding, by Kevin Ryan. 336 pages. McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (June 11, 1998) "Never in my thirty-three years of pioneering, shaping and defining the sport of snowboarding was there ever access to material explaining the technical aspects of riding in such an easy to understand manner. . . . This 'encyclopedia' of snowboarding how-to belongs on the shelf of every ski area, snowboard park and bookstore in the snowbelt."

-- Paul Graves

The Art of Snowboarding: Kickers, Carving, Half-Pipe, and More
The Art of
Snowboarding
Jim Smith

The Art of Snowboarding: Kickers, Carving, Half-Pipe, and More, by Jim Smith. 192 pages. Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press; 1 edition (August 29, 2006) In The Art of Snowboarding, USSA-certified club coach Jim Smith introduces you to the most popular tricks and stunts, including kickers (jumps) and other freestyle and half-pipe techniques, and stunts on rails and wood. He gives special emphasis to proper stance and turning techniques as the basis for more advanced moves. Time-lapse photographs demonstrate every step of every trick and technique, and dozens of additional photos show you the form of some of the country’s best riders.

Skiing and Snowboarding Magazines at Amazon: A variety of winter weather magazines. Cross Country Skier: The Journal of Nordic Skiing
Cross Country Skier

Cross Country Skier: The Journal of Nordic Skiing, Cross Country Skier magazine is the Journal of Nordic Skiing.

Published three times during the ski season (November, December and a January/February issue), each issue includes feature articles, destinations, helpful information from a variety of columnists, training and technique tips, ski club and event features, and racing the more competitive members of our audience..

The All-Mountain Skier: The Way to Expert Skiing
The All-Mountain Skier
R. Mark Elling

The All-Mountain Skier: The Way to Expert Skiing, R. Mark Elling. 240 pages. Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press; 2nd edition (September 26, 2002) The All-Mountain Skier helps skiers advance their skills with a foolproof, self-instructional program for mastering advanced techniques in even the most challenging conditions. Drawing from his extensive experience as a ski professional, instructor Mark Elling delivers essential advice and information­­including tips from other expert skiers­­to help readers perform like pros.

SKI Magazine, 1 year subscription (7 issues).

SKI is the original, largest and most recognized ski publication in the world.

Passionately committed to helping readers decide where to ski, what to ski and how to ski, SKI is also the authority on resorts, equipment and instruction.

Each issue will bring you the places, gear and trends to help you better enjoy the experiences found in the mountains and on the slopes.