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Draft 5 (08FEB16)
FROM THE SCHOOLHOUSE
Excelling on Snow Several of my favorite Herb Waters’ drawings of Holderness School life feature skiers in the s, ’s, and ’s. Whether he captured alpine skiers behind the Chapel, or crosscountry skiers on the Quad, or an old woody station wagon loaded with skis, Waters revealed how deeply ingrained snow sports were in the life of Holderness. Of course snow sports today look much different than in the early years, but both eras possess a passion for snow and the outdoors. This issue of Holderness School Today is focused on snow sports. For the feature, Rick Carey began by researching the history of snow sports and wrote about the richness of its traditions as well as the pivotal leaders who played a role in its evolution. It was no accident that snow sports became central to the school’s programs in the s and that they still matter now. And while the founders of the competitive program—Don Henderson, Don Hagerman, and others—deserve much of the credit for establishing a firm foundation for the program, there were countless others along the way who helped the program grow. In our Catching Up piece, we reconnect with Jim Page, who taught and coached at Holderness from – before going on to coach at the top levels of Nordic skiing. It is because of Jim and the dedication of countless other coaches that the Holderness Snow Sports Program continues to thrive. How that culture manifests itself today is evident through several of the articles about campus life today and the profiles of present alumni who are excelling on the snow. Each of their stories demonstrates how Holderness nurtures a life-long love of skiing and snowboarding in many of its current students and graduates. Finally, we want to share with you the future of snow sports at Holderness. Holderness—working with the Franconia Ski Club, Cannon Mountain, and the US Ski Team—has created a world-class speed training venue at the revitalized Mittersill Ski Area. Mittersill will not only provide our athletes
l Today magazine. Finished size is 11.0 inches tall by 9.0 inches wide.
At the opening of the new Fiore Rink at Alfond Arena, Phil celebrates another one of Holderness School’s favorite winter sports (more on the hockey rink in the next issue!).
with the best training venue in the East, it will also support junior racing development in New England. In addition, the snowboarding and freestyle skiing programs are on the move. With phenomenal coaches—many of whom have coached at the national and international level—and outstanding facilities—including a new trampoline in Gallop—we are committed to providing one of the most exciting high school snow sports programs possible. The Holderness Snow Sports Program is symbolic of what our school is about, not just because we strive to have programs that make us unique in the independent school world, but also because snow sports capture the spirit of the Holderness community: a community that embraces our spectacular environment in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, especially in winter; a community that isn’t afraid of taking risks to achieve excellence; and most
importantly, a community that finds joy and pleasure in life and in facing challenges.
Phil Peck Head of School
WINTER 2016 | HOLDERNESS SCHOOL TODAY
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