Craftsbury Outdoor Center Reorganizes as Non-Profit

Editor's Note: The Craftsbury Outdoor Center is located in Craftsbury, Vermont, and is one of the best places to ski in the country. This change opens the door to realizing the immense potential of the Center and is a great thing for the ski community as a whole.

The Craftsbury Outdoor Center is excited to announce that we have recently been purchased by a local non-profit foundation and reorganized as a non-profit entity. This change is exciting for lots of reasons, not the least of which is a revitalized vision:

1) The promotion of lifelong sports for everyone from Masters to BKL, introductory to elite. Non-profit status will allow us to explore new areas that we haven’t been able to serve as readily in the past — at all ages and ability levels.

2) Using and teaching sustainable practices throughout the organization. While we’re already a Green Hotel, there’s always room for improvement. For instance, we’re studying ways to incorporate more local, organic food in our menus, and reduce our environmental footprint.

3) Protecting and managing the surrounding lake, land and trails. The trail network will be even more secure under the new arrangement than in the past. Already the non-profit has purchased the key Elinor’s Hill property, ensuring continued access to several trail intersections and the wide sweeping view across the Black River Valley — plus more k’s of skiing.

The current staff of the Center is working with the management of the non-profit to detail all the changes. In general, we want our work to expand skiing both at the grassroots and elite levels — in all the Nordic disciplines, supporting all ages and abilities in having fun on snow.

One immediate change for Winter ‘08-‘09 is the unification of the national caliber Craftsbury Nordic Ski Club (CNSC) and the Center. The Center has served as a training base for CNSC in the past, but the two entities have maintained themselves as distinct entities.

“We hope that a broader section of the local community can take advantage of this resource,” Craftsbury Manager Russ Spring said. “Hopefully this winter will also see the expansion of our already successful school ski programs, as well as adding days of free skiing throughout the winter for more local communities as well.”

While much work lies ahead, it’s hard not to feel optimistic about the Center’s future.

“The foundation has expressed its commitment to preserving the character of the Center and surrounding area.” Spring continued: “For our part, we’re very excited about the new management’s energy and expertise. We are all looking forward to a bright future for the new Craftsbury Outdoor Center.”

It's an exhilarating time to be involved with the Craftsbury Center, with more change to come. Why not join us this winter? Season memberships have been priced very affordably in an effort to expand skiing — and no blackout dates. You've always known Craftsbury as having great skiing – now join us to support so much more. Check us out at www.craftsbury.com