Wooden Ski Classic draws skiers in retro attire

On a cloudy Saturday morning the snow-covered dirt path just off Route 125 opened up to an odd scene: a small group of people of all ages dressed to the nines in antique ski wear and equipment. They were all ready to race in the Wooden Ski Classic at the Blueberry Hill Inn. This just-for-fun race encouraged skiing enthusiasts to break out their best vintage gear and come out to cross-country ski in a celebration of Vermont’s rich skiing history.

The rules were simple: the contestants needed wooden skis and vintage clothes, points were deducted for any equipment or clothing made after the mid-1970s and anyone could participate, as long as they had the right gear.

Around noon the contestants lined up at the start and at the signal they were off. They sped around the track just twice.  As the last stragglers made their way across the finish line, the contestants jokingly argued about who had the most points deducted, whose clothes were more modern or skis more vintage.

“Well, of course, nobody won,” said Tony Clark, Goshen resident and Blueberry Hill innkeeper for the past three decades.

Clark arguably had the most varied and vintage gear for the race. One of the clogs attached to his antique skis came undone during the race, but he still made his way around the rest of the track on one ski. He showed off his vintage gear: a bamboo and leather pole, Swedish skis and a Norwegian sweater. He explained how people used to ski with only one pole, and he wanted to go for authenticity.

Another contestant, Warren Foster, joined in to explain his attire, which happened to be lederhosen — somewhat appropriate for that unusually balmy February afternoon. Clark explained that this is not the usual equipment they would use, as much of it was falling apart mid-race. But the unreliability of the equipment only adds to the excitement, explained Foster.

“You never know what’s going to happen,” said Foster.

Other contestants had different reasons for participating.

“He made me,” said 13-year-old Allison Hatch, jokingly pointing at her father, who also raced. By all accounts this race was not one based on competition, but was instead a good excuse to get people together for outdoor fun.

After the race, everyone retreated to the lodge for steaming bowls of vegetable soup. Clark chatted over chocolate chip cookies about the College and its relationship to the town, and he encouraged more students to come up to the inn as a retreat from the rigors of school life. He mentioned that the Ski Classic is not the only form of wacky winter fun at the inn — Blueberry Hill Ski Center offers events like the Classic every weekend, keeping the long winter lively in true Vermont fashion.