I climbed the steepest section of the burden trail, mindful to stay clear of the gates and along the b-netting that marked the boundary of the race course. It was a perfect bluebird day in late February, with temperatures hovering in the low 30s. From the top of the hill, the views were spectacular – the Blackwater Valley spread out below, with the Proctor Woodlands and the distinctive knobby summits of Ragged Mountain in the distance. The silence of the ascent gave way to the hum of excitement ahead. A crowd had gathered between the top of the T-Bar and the Start House – a convergence of Varsity Alpine athletes and FIS women skiers preparing for inspection before their second run in the NHARA Tecnica State Championship Slalom hosted at the Proctor Ski Area.
Out of the corner of my eye, movement caught my attention. Two figures flashed into view and then disappeared down the hill in a blur, hurtling down Blackwater Trail. They carved parallel giant slalom lines, racing each other all the way to the bottom. I realized they were Varsity Alpine Ski Racing coaches Josh Norris '92 and Chris Farrell. Minutes later, Josh and Chris returned to the top of the T-Bar with broad grins on their faces. FIS U19 Men's Head Coach Justin Sperry couldn't resist joining in on the fun, taking a break from his FIS duties to challenge Josh to a race. The coaches' enthusiasm was contagious as Proctor Varsity Alpine team members, unable to resist the pull of great conditions – and some friendly competition – followed suit and barreled down the mountain. These spontaneous races were a perfect example of the culture that defines this program: fierce competition and the desire to improve, balanced with the joy of skiing.
After the day's training session concluded with the ritual of naming the "skier of the day" and the signing of a ceremonial ski, Chris and Josh encouraged the Varsity Alpine athletes to continue free skiing. The line between practice and play had dissolved, revealing one of the most important goals of high school athletics – mastering a skill alongside others who share your passion and having fun in the process.
With impressive performances at the Lakes Region Championship and NEPSAC Championships at Cannon Mountain, where the girls team won the overall NEPSAC Class B title, the 2024-2025 Varsity Alpine squad continues to demonstrate their ability to compete at the highest levels while maintaining a culture that balances individual achievement with support of teammates and team success. I had a chance to check in with Team Captains Henry ’25 and Alice ’26, along with team member Abbey ’26, despite their busy end-of-term schedules, to learn more about the Varsity Alpine program.
After strong team performances at NEPSAC and Lake Regions Championships and impressive individual finishes, what do these achievements mean to the team?
Henry ’25: This year has been amazing for our team. We have been really competitive, and it’s been really fun to watch everybody have so much success. It’s super cool at the end of the season to see such great results and progression from everyone.
Alice ’26: I think it just shows the amount of work our team has put in and the amount of talent we have on our team. To be honest, we were definitely overjoyed to win as a team, and I was definitely impressed with a lot of our individual results, but, at the same time, it was not a huge deal. Our coaches are constantly pushing that our results are the least important part of the team. That doesn’t mean we don’t want to win or we are not proud and excited when we do. It just means that winning NEPSACS or Lakes Regions is not the end all be all for our team. Most of our team appears to be more excited that we are wearing pajamas for our final race than they were when we won NEPSACS and Lakes Regions. That’s really who we are as a team and it always has been that way.
In alpine skiing, you face the challenge of performing individually while contributing to overall team standings. How do you balance pursuing your personal goals with supporting team success? What is the importance of being a part of a team in what some may view as an individual sport?
Abbey ’26: For me, this is different because I used to be an Eastern Skier. I never in my life have raced for a team; it has always been an individual sport. This year I have really enjoyed racing and knowing that even If I did not reach my personal goals, finishing was helping the team reach its goal. The varsity team has a vast range of experience in ski racing, from never racing before to racing since 5 years old. I have truly loved that part of the team because instead of always competing to win you are competing to have fun.
Alice ’26: Every day, our coaches push us to compete against ourselves and our personal times, not our teammates. Since my first day on the team I have been told that my overall result does not matter at all to my coaches. What matters to them is that I had fun, that I tried my best, and that I am proud of my result. I think that is what allows us to be so successful as a team. There is no fear of repercussions from our coaches if we do not perform to a certain standard. The only standard set by our coaches is to put in effort. When the goal of a race is to do your best and have fun, it takes away a lot of the stress that comes with competing. So the balancing of individual vs team is made easier since our coaches sort of do it for us by creating a strong team environment.
Can you tell me about a specific moment or moments this season that really exemplified this team's character/culture?
Alice ’26: I can’t think of one specific moment, however, after practice every day, we (as the captains) give “the ski of the day” to a student who tried really hard or had a really positive attitude, or fell repeatedly and just kept getting back up again. We announce their achievements to the team, explain what they did to get the award, and then they sign the ski. We will hang the ski in the OC at the end of the year. By giving this award, we are recognizing that you can be a major contributor to our team without being an amazing skier and having a top ten time. We have done this every practice pretty much all year but the team continues to celebrate every student no matter how cold it is or how tired they are. I think this shows that while our sport may be individual, we are still a team.
Henry ’25: There was one time at one of our earlier races when our whole team was at the top before a run, and we started just cheering for everyone. Usually, we do cheer, but this time it was another level, everyone yelling at the top of their lungs for every racer, teammate or not. It was really cool to see.
Does Proctor Alpine have unique advantages by training at the Proctor Ski Area?
Henry ’25: Absolutely. The amount of training time that we get over at Blackwater is really amazing. We are so lucky to have that resource, as many teams don’t have the opportunity to go and train every afternoon. I think that it is one of the greatest advantages that we have as a team. The snow has been perfect pretty much all season, so we’re super lucky to have that too!
Looking back on the season, how do you feel about what you accomplished as a team?
Alice ’26: I feel so incredibly proud! I love this team so much and I am grateful for the season we had this year. Not just because of our results or the trophies; as a team for the whole season we have remained positive and supportive through some terrible conditions. We have consistently celebrated everyone’s results regardless of their overall placement. While the team's accomplishments at Lakes Regions and at NEPSACS are something I am proud of, I think I am more proud of and grateful for the energy and the way we are as a team.
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