THE PENNSYLVANIA SKI AND WINTER SPORTS MUSEUM
By
Ted Heck
Camelback
Ski Area is the home of the museum, which was founded a dozen years
ago by a small group from the Stroudsburg area who were interested in
preserving the state’s winter sports heritage.
In the base lodge are several exhibits devoted to the
history and growth of skiing, skating and sledding. Vintage skis,
boots, clothing, posters and photographs are on view to skiers and
snowboarders in winter and to patrons in summer of Camelbeach, the
resort’s popular water park,
A special
section contains biographies of 41 men and women who have been
inducted in the museum’s Hall of Fame. The hall is dedicated to those
who have made significant contributions to the development of winter
sports in the state, but it also includes native Pennsylvanians whose
accomplishments were national or international in scope.
One example
of this latter group is Howard Head, the visionary engineer who
revolutionized skiing with the invention of the first successful metal
ski.
Among
others in the hall are pioneers in founding ski resorts, such as
Martin Wilburger of Elk Mountain, James Moore of Camelback, Irvin
Naylor of Roundtop, and the Dupre family (Adolph, Helen and Herman) of
Seven Springs. In the equipment category there is S.L. Adams, who
created the Flexible Flyer sled more than a century ago.
Current president of the museum Albert
Dowden and past president William van Ingen were elected to the Hall
of Fame two years ago, along with six other veterans of the famed 10th
Mountain Division, elite ski troops of World War II. Many 10th
veterans came home to play prominent roles in the ski industry.
Many former instructors and National Ski
Patrol volunteers are in the hall. One of them is Tyler Davis, who
served on the patrol for 50 years. Other categories represented are
ski retailers, competitors and racing officials.
For more information on the museum and the Hall of Fame
visit these websites:
www.paskimuseum.org and
www.easternPaskicouncil.org.
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