Class of 2008

2008 Hall of Fame Program

Bill Cummings

     Olympic jumper Norm Cummings always credits his brother Bill as the one who inspired and taught him to be a world class ski jumper. He was a successful skier at Edward Little and New Hampton Academy, and as a jumper and alpine skier he led the University of Maine to top results and a rating among the top collegiate teams in the Eastern US and Canada. Ted Curtis, who coached the Maine ski team for 30 years called Cummings one of the top five skiers during his tenure.

King Cummings

     Some get a lot done while avoiding the spotlight and King Cummings was one of those. He was among the founders of Sugarloaf and was recognized by other board members as the key strategy guy. He played a significant role in the Dick Bell Chapel and was the founder of CVA, but his most critical role was in the seventies and eighties when he lead the expansion of the area into resort status and when hard times came he stepped in with both financing and leadership to guide the company back to health..

Hans Jenni

     Hans Jenni became a great ski champion in his native Davos, Switzerland, coming to the United States to teach at Cannon Mountain in 1956. In 1958 he moved to Maine to direct the ski school at Pleasant Mountain, one of the first European ski instructors in the state. He led the ski school until 1968 at a time when baby boomers were learning to ski. His polished reverse shoulder technique along with wedeln style had a great influence on a generation of skiers.

Tim LaVallee

     Tim LaVallee skied four years for his Winthrop High ski team, serving as captain his senior year and went on ski for four years at Plymouth State College.   On graduation he entered coaching and has coached successfully at every level from high school to college and the US Ski Team. From 1984 to 1987 LaVallee was a development coach, technical director and executive director of USSCA for the US Ski Team. He recently retired from Gould Academy where he served as Athletic Director and director of the Gould Academy/Sunday River competition program where he was also head alpine coach.  

Pat Miller

     Pat Miller came out of the Chisolm Ski Club to compete successfully in high school and Eastern XC racing and for four years on the Fort Lewis College ski team where he earned All America honors in Nordic Combined. He was a member of the US Nordic Ski Team from 1968 to 1974 and an alternate for the 1972 Olympics. Following his retirement from a successful competitive career, Miller achieved his greatest accomplishments as a coach. His Utah teams won eight National titles for both men and women.

Dan Simoneau

   Dan Simoneau worked his way from junior XC racing to the US XC ski team from 1976 to 1988, on the FIS team in 1982, 85 and 87, and the Olympics, 1980, 84 and 88. He won the US Championships 30 K in 1987 and 88, finished 7^th overall in the initial World Cup season, finished second behind Bill Koch in the only 1-2 finish ever recorded by US cross country skiers and was on a winning relay team.

Julie Parisien

     After an outstanding junior racing career, Julie Parisien had a break through year in 1991 when she won FIS, Nor Am and Europa Cup races all across the US and in Europe. She capped the season with the first World Cup win in four years, taking the gold in GS at the World Cup finals at Waterville Valley. She went on to win 3 times on the World Cup circuit, win a World Championship silver medal, and represent her country three times in the Olympics.

Bob Kendall

     Bob Kendall was the highest achiever of a family of high achieving skiers. At Edward Little he led two state championship teams, after which he skied for four years at the University of Colorado. This led to three years on the US ski team during which he participated in the 1972 Olympics in Nordic Combined. Following his competitive career he coached Colorado’s Nordic Skiers when they won two national championships.

Leslie Bancroft

     Leslie Bancroft’s promise showed early as she won ski meister honors by winning all three events, SL, GS and XC two years running at Oxford Hills. She finished 8^th in the inaugural World Cup XC race in 1978 and went on to five years on the US Nordic team and an appearance in the 1980 Olympics. She retire in 1983 to attend the University of Vermont after which she returned to competition earning another Olympic berth in 1980. Bancroft won a pair of US championships, 10 K in 1987 and 30 K in 1986.