MOUNTAIN LIFESTYLE
STOWE’S SKIING FAMILY Gale Shaw Jr. connected Stowe’s skiing past to its future
THE SKI LIFE W } ]w { i~w ` D w w y { D i~w w z ~ |{B c`B w wz { { { ~ ~{ ~ {{ z B w | ~ x{yw { y~w { D
When Gale Shaw Jr. died in December 2015, it WAS THE DEATH OF ONE OF 3TOWE S MOST FAMOUS SKIERS AND THE DEATH OF A SALESMAN ONE OF THE BEST AROUND "UT IT WASN T THE END OF AN ERA 3HAW S FAMILY TREE HAS LONG ROOTS THAT INTERTWINE WITH 3TOWE HISTORY STRETCHING BACK MORE THAN A CENTURY EVEN AS HIS PROGENY CARRY ON THE FAMILY LEGACY TWO GENERATIONS BEYOND HIM 4HE LIFE STORY / j ]w z { OF 'ALE 3HAW *R WAS THE MIDPOINT OF A STORIED 3TOWE FAMILY )T S DIFFICULT FOR A TRADITIONAL OBITUARY TO DO HIM JUSTICE h) THINK WE MAY HAVE MADE HIM A LITTLE LARGER THAN LIFE v SAID -* 3HAW HIS WIFE OF MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY h"UT IT WAS REALLY FUN BEING PART OF A FAMILY WITH SUCH A RICH HISTORY v 3KIING HAS BEEN A KEY COMPONENT OF THE 3HAW FAMILY S $.! 'ALE WAS AN ELITE SKIER IN NEARLY EVERY DISCIPLINE DOWNHILL CROSS COUNTRY SLALOM AND SKI JUMPING (IS MOTHER 4HERESA 3HAW WAS DUBBED 6ERMONT S 3NOW 1UEEN IN THE S AND TAUGHT 'ALE AND HIS THREE SISTERS WHEN THEY WERE KIDS %VEN BEFORE THAT THE 3HAWS WERE CLIMBING UP THE 4OLL 2OAD AND SKIING BACK DOWN ON A NEAR DAILY BASIS h4HEY WERE THE SKIING FAMILY OF 6ERMONT MY DAD AND HIS THREE SISTERS SKINNING UP -ANSFIELD AND COMING DOWN SKINNING UP AGAIN HAVING LUNCH AND COMING DOWN AGAIN !ND THAT WAS THEIR DAY v !NDREW h"EACHv 3HAW THE YOUNGEST OF 'ALE AND -* S THREE CHILDREN SAID AFTER HIS FATHER S DEATH 'ALE AND HIS SISTERS -ARILYN "ARBARA AND !NN SOON OUTPACED THEIR MOTHER AND HAD TO FIND OTHER TUTELAGE ,UCKILY ONE OF THE BEST WAS RIGHT THERE ON THE MOUNTAIN 3EPP 2USCHP THE LEGENDARY !USTRIAN BORN INSTRUCTOR WHO CREATED THE FIRST SKI SCHOOL ON -OUNT -ANSFIELD 2USCHP REPORTEDLY ONCE SAID ABOUT THE 3HAW KIDS h&IRST TIME ) SEE THAT FAMILY ) KNOW THEY ARE REMARKABLE v !ND IT ALL STARTED WITH 4HERESA 3HAW WHOSE INFLUENCE EXTENDED WELL PAST HER YOUNG CHILDREN S EARLY SKIING LESSONS ACCORDING TO GRANDSON "EACH (E SAID THAT WHEN THE RESORT BECAME A PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANY 4HERESA BOUGHT EACH OF HER GRAND KIDS ONE SHARE IN THE COMPANY !FTER THE MOUNTAIN WENT BACK TO BEING PRIVATELY OWNED EVERYONE WHO HAD A SHARE WAS GIVEN A LIFETIME SEASON S PASS TO THE RESORT BENEFITS WHICH ARE PASSED DOWN TO THE NEXT GENERATION h7HAT A GREAT GRANDMA RIGHT v "EACH SAID The family hasn’t stopped skiing since the 1930s, AND AN ASTOUNDING NUMBER OF 3HAWS SKIED AT THE UPPERMOST ECHELONS OF THEIR SPORT -ARILYN 3HAW WAS TAPPED TO SKI FOR THE 5 3 IN THE AND /LYMPICS BUT THEY WERE CAN CELED BECAUSE OF 7ORLD 7AR )) 'ALE h4IGERv 3HAW ))) DID COMPETE IN THE /LYMPICS IN