THE HOWL - FACT 15 of 50

Author: Nicole Dyhrman

THE HOWL – FACT 15 of 50

Over the years, the creative GMVS community has developed many traditions. One well-known tradition familiar to alumni in the 70s and 80s is The Howl. Originated by Ashley Cadwell, one of the school’s founders and GMVS Headmaster from 1978 to 1984, The Howl is brought out during special occasions. “[Ashley] would start it kinda low and mellow and then we would all start to join in and it would grow and grow in energy and volume until it was craziness. It would go for about 30 seconds. We all just felt better after!” remembers Doug Lewis ‘82. 

Ashley Cadwell recalls that “The dubious inspiration came from a desire to encapsulate in a graduation speech what it takes to be a ski racer/open minded/whole person…to theatrically portray the uninhibited joy of expressing yourself among friends, in community. It could have been that somewhere in my Humanities course that we read Allen Ginsberg’s ‘Howl’. I suspect, though, a more likely source was Ken Kesey or Gary Snyder. I always love instigating The Howl, as much for the aghast looks of the inhibited as for the unabashed full throated exhalations of the uninhibited (in the latter group I could always recognize the best racers, actors, creative thinkers, of which in the Mad Acad/GMVS crew there were many). When I instigated it at graduation I knew all you kiddos knew what was up…the parents and friends were invited into the inner sanctum…if they joined in.”

“My first memory of The Howl is when we lost Heidi Burk [in 1984],”shares Sally Utter ‘87. “I remember we had an all school community meeting trying to process our grief, and Ash was talking us through life’s terrible moments, and somehow in the healing process we were all howling at the moon. From then on, the group Howl was brought out when we needed collective solace, or everyone needed to simply take a deep breath from the stress of school/skiing or life in general.” 

Founder Jane Hobart remembers fondly the spirit of the act. She says, “Ashley loved doing it and always had a mischievous look in his eye when he had a chance to instigate a Howl. It became representative of Ash’s joyous connection to the kids.”

Will Ashley bring out The Howl during the 50th celebration in June? There’s only one way to find out – we hope to see you there! 

 

THE GMVS SKI CLUB – FACT 14 of 50

Now known as one of the best junior programs in the country, GMVS took over operations of the weekend race program from Sugarbush in the late ’70s, not long after Sugarbush bought Glen Ellen (then, Sugarbush North). While certainly not the oldest club in the state, the GMVS Ski Club has a storied history and has seen plenty of success.

The weekend race program used the upper north end of the Mount Ellen base lodge as a home base and trained on the Inverness trail. Prior to that Sugarbush, Glen Ellen, and Mad River Glen all had their own junior race programs. The top racers from those programs throughout the entire Mad River Valley would come together for training as the Valley Junior Race Team, which later became Mad River Valley School (“Mad Acad”) and eventually Green Mountain Valley School.

The GMVS Ski Club operated out of the base lodge until the early-’90s when several club families and the school spearheaded an initiative to build its own facility at the base of the Inverness Trail at Mount Ellen, which was completed in 1993. Today, over 120 kids descend upon the Ski Club every winter weekend to participate in the Club program which provides junior racers an opportunity to realize their potential while learning the fundamentals of an exciting sport they can enjoy for the rest of their lives.

THE KELLY BRUSH RACE ARENA — FACT 13 of 50

Located just seven minutes from the GMVS campus, Inverness and Brambles have been home to GMVS training since 1979. With bottom to top access via a quad chair and varied rolling terrain, the Inverness trail has always offered the perfect canvas for young athletes taking their first turns in a course to those on National teams training for an upcoming World Cup race.

Since the early 70’s, the Inverness trail has been transformed into the Kelly Brush Race Arena – a showcase for ski racing safety that was established in 2012 in honor of Kelly Brush ‘04 who sustained a spinal cord injury while racing for Middlebury College. It was at that time GMVS doubled down on its commitment to venue safety, installed 150+ rolls of safety b-net, widened the neighboring Brambles trail and installed a new T-bar on the skier’s right lower section of Inverness. 

Establishing the KBRA in 2012 was just the beginning of a larger effort to improve and expand the training and race venue GMVS. For years GMVS dreamt of more varied and challenging terrain, more training lanes, more consistent training surfaces and an ability to host higher level and championship races. In 2018, a generous grant from the Killington World Cup committee set the stage for a more comprehensive KBRA improvement project and GMVS set forth to continue transforming the Arena into a world-class training and race venue.

In November 2019, ‘The Connector” was completed between Inverness and Brambles, transforming the KBRA into one of the most unique, flexible and challenging race venues in the east. It simultaneously doubled the training space and enabled GMVS to host races while also facilitating meaningful training. 

In the fall of 2019, GMVS received approval from the State of Vermont to begin construction of a new, full-length T-bar on Inverness to replace the 62-year old Poma. T-bar construction began in the spring of 2020 and the new lift took its first riders up in the winter of 2021. With a speed of 700 feet-per-minute and a total ride time of five-and-a-half minutes, the new T-bar enabled GMVS to increase overall uphill capacity and training volume on full-length giant slalom and super-G courses. In addition, the newly-added mid-station feature allows coaches and racers greater flexibility and the ability to use the KBRA’s expansive space and terrain in innovative and creative ways. At full operation, the KBRA can now accommodate 4 GS training courses at once or up to 5 training lanes including a full length SG.

Alpine Program Director Steve Utter notes, “There is simply no better alpine training venue than Inverness and Brambles, especially as an environment for a constraints-led approach to learning ski skills. In addition, the speed of the new T-bar provides our athletes all the gate training volume they need while freeing time to focus on other athletic priorities.”

Today, Inverness and Brambles are two of the most highly coveted trails on Mt. Ellen, and are almost always closed to the general public and used almost exclusively for GMVS training or racing. Private lift access to two dedicated U.S. Ski & Snowboard and FIS homologated training trails (Inverness and Brambles) provides athletes with innumerable training permutations — from full length GS to slalom drill courses on either steeps or flats. With its challenging terrain and extensive snowmaking capacity, KBRA often hosts U.S. Ski & Snowboard regional projects and several top NCAA collegiate teams.

CELEBRATING GMVS ON THE WORLD CUP CIRCUIT — FACT 12 OF 50

GMVS has a long history of alumni racing at the highest levels, with familiar household names such as Doug Lewis ’82, AJ Kitt ’86 and Daron Rahlves ’91.

This year, we’re thrilled to cheer for these GMVS athletes at World Cup races:

  • Ali Nullmeyer ’16 (Canadian National Team) *SL photo above
  • Ben Ritchie ’19 (U.S. Ski Team) *top SL photo to left
  • AJ Ginnis ’11 (GRE Ski) *bottom SL photo to left
  • Charlie Raposo ’14 (GB Alpine) *GS photo to left

In addition to the four athletes above, Brian McLaughin ’12 with Team Global Racing and Jimmy Krupka ’16 who trains and competes with the U.S. Ski Team’s NorAm Team, have eyes on earning a World Cup start this season.

While you’re in the crowd at this year’s races, grab a bell and make some noise to support these athletes who have dedicated themselves to ski racing and continue to make us proud.

EXPERIENCING ACADEMY LIFE AS A SEVENTH GRADER – FACT 11 of 50

The G7 Program is specifically designed for alpine and Nordic racers who are eager to experience ski academy life. The program started in the fall of 2005 under the leadership of Megan Travis (then GMVS Ski Club Assistant Director / now mom of Harper ’25) with the goal of helping bridge club-level athletes to the academy on a part-time/ trial basis.

Since the beginning, G7 students have immersed themselves in the life of the school from the start of the ski season in early November, through the end of the racing season in March. The first “7th Grade Program” participants were all alpine skiers and came to us through their affiliation with the GMVS Ski Club or its counterpart at Mad River Glen. From its inception, the G7 program allowed students to explore life at GMVS during the winter term, while still living at home, and then return to their local schools in the spring.

Initially, the program was limited to ten students and the original curriculum consisted of math, science, English, Vermont history, and languages, and mirrored daily life at GMVS with on-snow training in the morning and afternoon classes. Because the groups were small, early cohorts of G7 students were immersed in hands-on learning and visited sites like the Vermont state capital and the Vermont Ski History Museum in Stowe. A stop at Ben & Jerry’s for ice cream was part of these early academic expeditions. The winter term was capped off by a reception for families and the showcasing of each student’s portfolio of coursework. These portfolios were then shared with each of the student’s sending school teachers to assure them that the time away was well spent!

As the program grew, most students continued to be locally based. Through its strong relationship with the local Harwood Union Unified School District, students would leave their public school curriculum, and GMVS teachers would work closely to complement and cover much of the same curriculum that was ongoing at Harwood and/or Crossett Brook Middle Schools during the same time period. Classes were taught by our dedicated G7 staff, and students would learn the art of balancing their academic course load with the demands of intensive ski training.

Today, under the leadership of Grif Edwards,  the program continues to attract local student-athletes as well as those from further afield who are looking to experience a taste of academy life. The G7s are fully immersed in the GMVS community, including working directly with older students who act as peer tutors or mentors during student life programming. The curriculum is now different in all subjects and includes a 6-8 week STEM course taught by Eddie Merma of Sculpture School.  The G7 program now culminates with a community-based STEM project and a GMVS version of TED Talks which keep students focused on an end goal outside of qualifying for championship ski events in March.

THE FAMOUS AND FAVORITE BERG UND THAL – FACT 10 OF 50

Did you know that the “Berg und Thal” (translates to “Mountain and Valley” in German) originated at GMVS? 

When Doug Lewis ‘82 arrived on campus in 1978, the Berg und Thal was already in use as a way to work on power, strength, agility and capacity. It was a great way to ignite competition to see who was the fastest! 

At some point in the 90s, GMVS did away with the Berg und Thal. Doug was on campus for ELITEAM when he found it in the dumpster. He rescued it and has used it at ELITEAM ever since. He loves the Berg und Thal so much, he even built a second one ten years ago. As far as he knows, these are the only two such pieces of equipment in existence.

Every ELITEAMer since 1991 (including US Ski Teamers Mikaela Shiffrin, Alice Merryweather, Lauren Macuga, Grace Henderson and Jimmy Krupka) have tested themselves on it and the fastest time for twice around is 9.32 seconds!

AN ALL-OUT EFFORT FOR PHYSICAL TESTING – FACT 9 of 50

In the late 70’s and early 80’s physical testing had no technology to rely on. It was basic measurements of raw strength and endurance – exercises like sit-ups, pull-ups, push-ups, lateral jumps, timed held tucks and the infamous 2-mile run. Athletes trained all summer with these tests in mind and the competition was fierce. Former coach Kirk Dwyer oversaw testing and he (and most of the coaches) were as fit, or more fit than any of the kids with whom they tested. 

The run was brutal. The standard for boys was 12 minutes and it became even harder when Kirk moved it from the flats to an almost pure uphill on Number 9 road to the Putnam’s house. Over the years, the run was completed on a two-mile stretch on North Road in Moretown and a 1.5 mile on the Harwood track. Some were given the option to sprint the App Gap. 

Sit-up and pull-up numbers were a total point of pride, but it could get out of hand. Once kids started going into the multiple hundreds of situps, Kirk would remind folks that the standard was measured by how many you can do in one minute.  But, pull-ups were a daily test, as most evenings the kids converged on the pull-up bar in Kirk’s apartment in Poundcake seeking to best the previous day’s tally. 

In the early days, Kevin “Kaz” Zanella ‘79 was the King of the Tuck Test. In the words of Jamie Preston ‘80, “We all started in our tucks and held them until you ‘timed out’ – the standard was around three minutes, but many went well beyond that. Kaz’s strength was unlike any other.  He would hold his tuck until the rest of the school had dropped out, he would then smile, stand up and walk away as if nothing had happened.” 

Despite the competition, the community support was incredible. One year we did a timed hike/run up Mount Ellen. Mark “Spider” King was our aerobic machine and easily won the day, but he (and each successive finisher) yelled encouragement at the top of their lungs until the later finishers were met with a Gauntlet of athletes, willing them faster to the top. First or last, the community embraced you if you worked hard – no pressure plates or beep tests needed!

Today’s athletes participate in a similar, yet standardized, series of physical tests drafted by U.S. Ski and Snowboard titled SkillsQuest, and while the tests have evolved over the years, the same all-out effort to dig deep and leave nothing behind while supporting those around you remains the same.

HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS OF SOCCER AT GMVS — FACT 8 of 50

GMVS is known as a premier ski academy in the East, with some student-athletes arriving eager to participate in the fall soccer program and others who step on the field for the first time to be a part of the team. As we wrap up the 2022 fall soccer season and our athletes prepare for ski camps out West, we find ourselves reminiscing about teams of the past. 

Since 1973, GMVS has fielded a boys’ team and a few years later, a girls’ team was also formed. While soccer isn’t the primary reason student-athletes choose GMVS, it is one of the offerings that brings together a community of mixed-age athletes in the pursuit of one common goal – to win. Over the years, both boys and girls have fielded incredibly powerful teams and each has even gone on to win division state championship titles.

In 1987, under the leadership of coach Jared Cadwell, the GMVS girls’ team won its first Division III State Championship 2-1 over Hazen. In the words of Jared Cadwell the year the girls won the title, “What a great season it was for this wild and crazy crew! The GMVS women came back with a vengeance from a season spent on the sidelines. The women’s regular season record was 6-2-1 with additional wins over Black River (semifinals), and Hazen (finals) in the playoffs.” Jared continues with highlights from the season and final thoughts on the Championship win, “What I’m left with though is the memory of that inexpressible joy that I felt as the seconds ticked away at Archie Post Field on that day in October. We did it sistahs!!”

The girls have since gone on to win the Division VI State Championship in 1992 under the leadership of coach Sarah Despres who continues to lead our girls’ team to date.

It was only four years after the girls’ first championship win that the boys’ team won their first Division IV State Championship under the leadership of coach Jamie Hutchins in 1991. 

In 1998 the boys landed another state championship title against Mill River under the leadership of coach Deejae Johnson. Newspaper headlines captured the excitement; “GMVS works overtime, downs Mill River” and “Minutemen Falls Short Against GMVS in Final.” 

Championship wins are not an annual occurrence, but our teams have proven that it’s possible. Some GMVS athletes have gone on to play in college, others have stepped in as coaches, and many carry fond memories of time on the pitch with teammates.

ATHLETES TAKE THE STAGE — FACT 7 OF 50

Did you know that GMVS has been running an annual theater production since 1978?

It was in 1978 when the school moved to its current location on Bragg Hill and GMVS students prepared for their roles in Godspell, the first of a series of annual musicals to be directed by Headmaster Dave Gavett. At the time they probably didn’t realize they were paving the way for one of the school’s most cherished and long-standing traditions. Dave’s vision to create the theater program was met with the full support of GMVS founder Al Hobart and has been an integral part of the GMVS experience ever since his arrival.

The first production of Godspell was performed in the Dining Hall. Following performances moved off campus to larger locations in town. Odd Fellows Hall was home to Man of La Mancha, Pippin, Grease, King of Hearts, and Godspell, and in 1984 the production of Cabaret was performed at Edison’s Studio.

In 1985 the cast and crew moved the production back on campus to the Doug Parker Center (DPC) and has been performing there ever since. At the time the DPC was the school’s gym for athlete workouts and training, but in the week leading up to the opening night, the interior was transformed into a theater – large rolls of flooring were laid, the stage was built from the ground up, and folding chairs were lined up for audience seating. Just as quickly as the theater was built each year, when the show was over the auditorium was dismantled and returned to its original state.

In 2014 when the Racing Performance Center (RPC) was constructed, the DPC was transformed into a permanent theater, complete with stadium seating and a stage that remains up throughout the year.

Productions through the years:

1978 -Godspell

1979 – Man of LaMancha

1980 -Pippin

1981 -Grease

1982 -King of Hearts

1983 -Godspell

1984 – Caberet

1985 – Oliver

1986 – Camelot

1987 – L’il Abner

1988 – Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

1989 – Leader of the Pack

1990 – Godspell

1991 – Annie

1992 – Oklahoma

1993 -Man of LaMancha

1994 – Anything Goes

1995 – Guys and Dolls

1996 – Sweet Charity

1997 – 42nd Street

1998 – Little Shop of Horrors

1999 – The King of Hearts

2000 – The WIZ

2001 – Fiddler on the Roof

2002 – Les Miserables

2003 – City Of Angels

2004 – Seussical The Musical

2005 – Beauty and the Beast

2006 – Urinetown

2007 – Little Women

2008 – Footloose

2009 – Grease

2010 – Anything Goes

2011 – Cats

2012 – Godspell

2013 – Shrek

2014 – Beauty and the Beast

2015 – Les Miserables

2016 – Legally Blonde

2017 – Chicago

2018 – Footloose

2019 – Grease

2020 – Godspell (Cancelled)

2021 – Mama Mia!

2022 – Newsies

IGNITING A PASSION FOR MOUNTAIN BIKING – FACT 6 of 50

If you ask any Vermont outdoor enthusiast they’re bound to agree that mountain biking is one of the most popular outdoor sports the state has to offer residents and visitors alike. The ever-expanding network of trails is suited for beginners who are just learning the sport, experts who are seeking the most technical routes and biggest drops, and riders of all levels in between. Trail maps are easily accessible, trails are generally well marked, and locally in the Mad River Valley, there is a wide selection of trails to choose from. This wasn’t always the case.

As we look back on the history of mountain biking at GMVS, the tales told of exploring Valley trails are reflective of how far the sport has come in a handful of years. In the early 1990s bike technology was far from what it is today and the selection of trails in the Valley was limited to three primary routes: Chain Gang just up the hill from the GMVS campus, Dana Hill / Cyclone behind American Flatbread, and Denny-Land in what is now the Wu Ledge Town Forest area. Even into the early 2000s mountain biking was an evolving sport. Alum Sandy Vietze ‘11 recounts his experience riding while at GMVS, “For better or worse, biking was pretty gnarly in the Valley and while a lot of kids were turned off, I found it was a great challenge.”

Sandy’s memory of ‘gnarly’ terrain is a common thread in the stories told by alumni who explored the trails in the early years of mountain biking at GMVS, as are the unexpected adventures and mishaps. GMVS alum Andrew McNealus ‘08 shared a vivid memory of riding when he was a GMVS athlete out with his coach, Adam Julius, “We were out for a ride and got lost, we were late for dinner, and it was getting dark when we finally popped out on this rock on the Mad River across from Lareau Park by Flatbread. The only way home, without turning around, was to cross the numbing river water flowing from the snow melting in the mountains.” The experience remains fresh for Andrew as he continues, “It was always an adventure with Adam leading. He always said that he knew the trail and then never really seemed to actually know the route.”

Since 1993, Adam Julius has been passionate about getting GMVS athletes on bikes and riding trails. “Today, the trails are exponentially better than the early days of riding and offer a greater variety to choose from, which gives GMVS coaches an opportunity to teach kids and build confidence on easier terrain before moving onto more technical trails,” notes Adam.

GMVS has inspired many athletes to try the sport, and in some cases even line up on the starting line at local races. Interest in racing ebbs and flows, but 2018 was a big year when 12 GMVS riders entered the A Vermont Youth Cycling Series at Cochran’s Ski Area and the team won first place in Division 2. The team was composed of the following student-athletes: Lydia Riddell, Trey Jones, Alejandro Miquel, Elena Gober, Ava Pavlik, Sebastian Segre, Tomas Barata, Gavin Dewey, Luke Keating, Dillon Rowles, Gavin Wirth, and Will Patton. (Results)

While ski racing is the primary focus at GMVS, mountain biking has been integral to training throughout recent years. A few were less enthused about the ‘gnarly’ terrain and haven’t returned to the sport, but for many, GMVS ignited a passion for mountain biking that has remained strong. Today, GMVS alumni are racing with college cycling teams, working for bike companies, and many are sharing their passion with friends and family as it becomes part of their lifestyle.