Making Ski-History for 100 Years and Beyond

The Lebanon Outing Club at Storrs Hill celebrated its 100th season in 2023. To commemorate the event, a centennial celebration weekend was organized, featuring good food, guest speakers, and of course, skiing.

Over the course of its history, The Lebanon Outing Club (LOC) has provided a local hub for winter activities at Storrs Hill, with opportunities for skiers, snowboarders, and competitive training such as alpine ski racing and ski jumping. Other special community events, like the “full moon fiesta” and family fun nights, provide an opportunity for local families to gather and celebrate the joy of the winter season in Lebanon.

The Lebanon Outing Club was originally founded as a student club at Lebanon High School in 1923 by Erling Heistad, a Mechanical Arts teacher, Winter Sports and Track coach. Heistad’s goal was to make a ski jump within walking distance for every child in Lebanon. Since then, LOC has more than accomplished that goal, having taken countless measures over the years to improve skiing opportunities for Lebanon and the Upper Valley.

In 1925, the Club installed its first ski jump at Storrs Hill and nicknamed it the “Scrape”, because ski jumpers would often scrape their bellies when they landed. The first alpine ski trail at Storrs Hill was installed in 1931; a second ski jump and lighting for night skiing were added in 1939. Various other improvements and additions were made over the years – including new ski jumps, expanded slopes, and a second lodge – and by 1973, LOC embarked on a modernization project led by Storrs Hill Ski School founder and developer of Snow Crest ski area (later known as Whaleback), Ernest Dion. LOC reorganized and officially became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 1986, and the Club assumed responsibility for ski area operations from the City of Lebanon.

More recently, Storrs Hill and the Lebanon Outing Club have continued to improve their operations and provide joy to many skiers and residents of the Upper Valley. The Olympic torch made an appearance at Storrs Hill in 2002, where it passed through the “ring of fire” off of the 35-foot ski jump. Many Olympians have skied at Storrs Hill at some point, like ski jumper Nick Alexander (Lebanon native) and alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin. LOC also continues to improve its slopes and jumps over time: recently, the Club purchased a winch cat groomer to improve the slopes and installed stainless steel tracks on the ski jumps. In 2016, they refurbished the ski lifts, and in 2020, replaced the lift’s platter poles. The Club has also improved its lighting with LED lights provided by the City of Lebanon.

In January, LOC received a grant from the Killington World Cup Foundation (KWCF), which has allowed them to make lift improvements after recent weather events and electrical shortages. “The damage caused by the weather caused a lot of headaches and hardships,” says Lebanon Outing Club president Cory Grant. “A lot of thanks goes to that organization (KWCF) for helping us out with that grant.”

During the pandemic, the Lebanon Outing Club – like many other local organizations – had to navigate the changing times, adjusting to abide by new community guidelines while continuing to provide a place to ski for Upper Valley residents. To do so, the Club expanded its lodge, adding an outdoor canopy to ensure that enough people could fit in the lodge while also keeping that infamous 6-foot distance from each other.

Today, the Lebanon Outing Club and Storrs Hill continue in their dedication to providing the community with a great place to ski and celebrate winter. Multiple local high schools use Storrs Hill to practice and race, and LOC provides lessons for all ages and experiences, from first-time skiers to competitive racers. Storrs Hill also hosts U12 and U14 ski races, and Ski Jumping Junior National Qualifier competitions also happen on the hill.

Some short-term future plans for continued improvements include adding a tubing and sledding area to Storrs Hill. Another goal is to introduce a freestyle team – a place where skiers and snowboarders can safely practice freestyle skiing and snowboarding, says Cory Grant. To accomplish these goals and other future plans, more committees and volunteer work are essential. The Lebanon Outing Club is a nonprofit organization, and many of the things that they offer the community can only be accomplished through the help of generous donors and volunteers. As the Club continues to grow, Grant says that committees and volunteers will become more and more important. “Come learn more about what we’re doing,” Grant says. “Help us build a greater future for the Upper Valley.”

This year, Whaleback Mountain is celebrating 10 years as a non-profit organization. Over the past decade, Whaleback Mountain has continued to provide the Upper Valley with an affordable and accessible winter sports experience for all members of the community.

While many ski resorts have become overcrowded and expensive, Whaleback has remained dedicated to sustaining the soul of snow sports. The mountain offers opportunities for all age groups and all backgrounds to not only develop and hone skills but also to instill a lifetime appreciation for winter sports surrounded by members of our community who share the same passion.

Throughout the winter season, Whaleback offers a variety of opportunities for the community to get involved. Upper Valley elementary and middle school students can participate in an after-school program that is tailored to their experience level. Currently, over 600 students from the Upper Valley participate in the program with participation rates continuing to grow. On Thursday nights, adults can join a ski race league, competing for weekly prizes. In addition, the mountain just recently launched a new uphill program for racers or casual groups to skin up the mountain and then ski down.

Whaleback has also expanded its experiences beyond the snowy season. During the summer, the mountain offers a summer camp for kids ages 5-12. “We saw an opportunity to step in and provide an affordable summer daycare option for our community,” said Whaleback’s executive director, Jonathan Hunt. “We are excited to see this program grow and get more kids outside!”

Camp counselors and staff guide the kids through daily summer camp adventures such as nature walks, beach volleyball, arts and crafts, and more. Here, kids can escape into nature on the very same slopes that they navigated in the snow just a few months earlier.

During the fall, Whaleback hosts a “Flannel Fest”, which consists of live music, delicious food and drinks, and a silent auction in support of the Upper Valley Snowsports Foundation at Whaleback Mountain.

Thanks to the generosity of local donors and several philanthropic organizations, Whaleback offers scholarships for both the summer children’s camp and winter ski lessons. To date, Whaleback has awarded nearly 100 percent of requests from children and families seeking financial aid, regardless of their ability to pay.

Whether you are learning how to ski, racing down the slopes under the lights, or throwing on a flannel, Whaleback not only offers an escape into nature but also a place grounded in community. Nurturing a sense of connection and belonging has become increasingly important in our society as technology advances and we face a faster-paced life. Whaleback is the ultimate breath of fresh air. It is more than just a mountain –it is a positive force that brings people together to connect on a deeper level through unique experiences.

The past 10 years at Whaleback Mountain would not have been possible without the continuous support of the community. This support is a key component to the sustainability of the mountain and its mission. “On behalf of the Board of Directors and the staff at Whaleback Mountain thank you, we are so excited about the future and it doesn’t happen without our community,” Hunt said.

Learn more, join the Whaleback family, and sign up for our weekly email newsletter, Tales From the Whale, at www.whaleback.com.

Living in the north as we do, where winters are long and, shall we say, a tad frosty, a body needs a compelling reason to get outside and recreate. When the temperature dips into the low 20s for days on end, Storrs Hill Ski Area in Lebanon becomes a winter sports lover’s paradise.

Occupying a place of honor in the middle of the city since the early 1930s, Storrs Hill is one of a handful of small ski areas in the East run almost entirely by volunteers.

“You could sum it up as only one paid employee, that’s our hill manager, from November through April. We give a few small stipends to some of our program directors, but other than that it’s all volunteer,” explained Todd Caruso, the treasurer of the Lebanon Outing Club (LOC) which operates the hill.

The inspiration for Storrs Hill Ski Area was Norwegian transplant Erling Heistad, Sr., who had a vision that every child in Lebanon should be within walking distance of a ski jump. His vision resulted in more than a dozen ski jumps of all sizes scattered throughout New England, many of them in Lebanon. Heistad coached the Lebanon High School ski team, which won nine consecutive state championships, and was a ski jumping judge for the 1960 Winter Olympics. After a lifetime of promoting outdoor activity and winter sports, Heistad was inducted into the U.S. Ski Hall of Fame in 1966.

Heistad’s legacy and vision has been carried on by volunteers of the Lebanon Outing Club, producing several Olympic ski jumpers and thousands of new skiers and snowboarders, most recently Lebanon’s own Nick Alexander, a two-time Olympic ski jumper.

Fast forward to the early ’80s when the hill was operated by the City of Lebanon Recreation Department on a shoestring budget of $14,000 and a handful of volunteers. When a request to increase the budget was declined by the City Council, the future of the hill was in jeopardy. Jon Farnham, current hill manager and head ski jumping coach, recalls, “When the city announced it was going to end funding and close the hill in 1986, the Lebanon Outing Club took over.”

But the City has remained positively involved over the years, providing annual funding support and low-interest loans for a snowmaking system and a new lodge. The club has funded other improvements, including a rehab of the 50-meter ski jump and judges stand, new lights for night skiing, and lift repairs.

Volunteers are involved in every aspect of the operation, from highly technical snow groomer, diesel engine, and snow making equipment repair to redesigning the concession menu to offer healthy choices. “We try to stretch the volunteer hours,” says Caruso.

With the philosophy ‘skiing doesn’t have to be expensive,’ Storrs Hill is now a seven-day-a-week operation with a $90,000 budget and more than 70 volunteers, according to Farnham. The hill is also supported by the Carter Witherell Fund, ticket sales, and a concession stand.

“More young people are coming to use the hill and volunteer,” says Farnham. “We’re seeing a resurgence in volunteers, and some third- and fourth-generation skiers. Folks who grew up here are coming back.”

Current LOC President Cory Grant is one example of someone who learned to ski at Storrs Hill and is now giving back in a leadership role.

Longstanding traditions at Storrs Hill give the community a fun way to get involved as well. The annual Mud Meet crowns the “Skimeister of Lebanon and the World” with awards in ski jumping, Nordic skiing, and downhill racing. The hill will again host the Lebanon Recreation Department’s Half Moon Valentine’s Fiesta in 2015, with food from area vendors on the deck and snowshoe hikes to a hot chocolate station at the signature lighted star on the top of the hill. For the recent Halloween holiday, the club offered “Haunted Hill,” a tour through the lodge featuring Halloween creatures and treats. Future plans involve games and craft activities at the lodge.

But it’s the hill’s ski jumping legacy that has put Storrs Hill on the map nationally and internationally. When ski jumps around the country began falling apart from lack of use, Storrs Hill, neighboring Dartmouth College Outing Club, a few prep schools, and the State of New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association hung on. In 1981, when the NCAA dropped ski jumping as a college sport, athletes who wanted to become ski jumpers went directly into international competition, without the benefit of college and high school experience, except in New Hampshire.

New Hampshire is currently the only state in the country that still offers ski jumping as a high school sport. Local and regional athletes can learn to jump at a reasonable cost before having to pay their way to compete internationally. While Dartmouth’s jump was torn down in 1993, the Storrs Hill jumping program has continued with its 5, 25, and 50 meter jumps.

The zenith of the hill’s accolades came in 2006, when Storrs Hill hosted the Junior Olympic Ski Jumping competition. At the time, the jumps were open for year-round use with plastic covering salvaged from the Olympic jumps in Lake Placid, but recent flooding has caused too much damage to the material. Plans are underway for fundraising to restore the year-round jumping operation.

If recreational skiing is your preference, the public skiing experience is alive and well at Storrs Hill. Operating Friday nighst and Saturday and Sunday afternoons, Storrs Hill is the kind of place you can go with your family and keep an eye on young skiers while they explore their independence in a family-style atmosphere. From lift and lodge attendants to ski patrollers, the caring and competent staff wants everyone to have a positive winter sports experience on the hill.

So when mid-January arrives in Lebanon and the chill is on, check out Storrs Hill. You can still get a free season pass if you volunteer one shift a week, either indoors or out. With a ticket price that tops out at $7 for youth and $10 for adults, it’s pretty much the best deal around if you want to learn to ski, jump, snowboard, telemark, or just get some fun runs in with your friends and family on a cool winter’s night.