Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship
RICHMOND — Dozens of skiers and snowboarders lined up in four inches of fresh snow at the Cochran’s Ski Area rope tow on Friday, March 20. The powder was a bonus, but they were really there to give back to the ski community through the Rope-a-Thon fundraiser.
The goal: For participants to ski 4 million vertical feet on the rope tow over the weekend at the nonprofit ski area and raise $175,000.
Kids, parents and ski racers held on tight to the rope as it whizzed up the 250-vertical foot hill. Some kids were aiming for as many as 300 laps up and down over the weekend, said Chester Page, who works as the ski area kitchen coordinator. Their “arms and most of their body is going to be Jell-O,” he predicted.
Freddie Hall, a longtime volunteer ski patroller, said he prefers the T-bar to the rope tow and is impressed by the determination of anyone who can get in more than 10 laps. His recommendation for Rope-a-Thon success: Pace it “slow and steady” and “bring a few pairs of gloves.”
Riding the rope tow is a true testament of grip and forearm strength. With no rest, laps can be completed in two minutes, a feat that many young athletes accomplished that snowy day.
The energy was palpable among skiers and their families. Participants included some of the more than 225 kids involved with the Cochran’s ski racing team, as well as others who discovered the area through after-school programs or weekly lessons. Some were already pros riding the rope, while others were newbies.
Before this season, Drew Streip and his three kids had never skied. Beginning in December, they took to the Cochran’s T-bar and learned how to ski alongside each other. They’ve been returning week after week as their love for the sport has grown. Streip’s 7-year-old son, Wiley, signed up for the Rope-a-Thon and fundraised through his parents’ social media pages. Friday night, Wiley rode the rope tow for the first time.
For the challenge, Cochran’s counted the trip up the rope tow and down the slope toward the vertical goal, with each lap counting as 500 vertical feet. To get to 4 million required 8,000 trips up and around on the rope tow. Participants started fundraising in February, many of them gathering pledges from friends and family to keep the ski area operating and help keep the sport alive.
“We’re still having firsts every week here. It’s amazing,” Streip said.
The ski area started in 1961 when Mickey and Ginny Cochran built the small facility up the hill from their house. All four of their children became Olympic skiers, with Barbara Ann Cochran winning a gold medal in 1972. Continuing the tradition, Barbara Ann Cochran’s son Ryan Cochran-Siegel brought home a silver medal from the Olympics in February. He also took silver at the 2022 games.
Cochran’s eventually became a nonprofit and has remained fueled by a passionate and committed ski community. More than half of its budget comes from donations, which helps keep prices affordable despite the costs of insurance, labor, electricity and snowmaking, according to Jim Cochran, the ski area’s general manager and a past Olympic competitor.
The mission of Cochran’s is that no child will be denied the opportunity to ski or ride.
“We’re going to give passes and tickets to people that need them,” Jim Cochran said, “and our hope is that the generosity comes back this time of year.”
The Rope-a-Thon is the time when the community gives back, but in terms of getting people active in winter, “that’s every weekend,” he added.
Cochran’s Ski Area serves as an “incredible learner mountain and community hub,” according to Bryan Rivard, director of communications for Ski Vermont, a trade association that promotes Vermont as a top destination for winter sports.
He argues that the sheer volume of instruction and school programs at Cochran’s supports the structure of the ski industry as a whole. Skiers learn and get comfortable skiing and riding at small hills like Cochran’s before investing in the larger resorts.
“A lot of the larger ski areas have come to notice that as well,” Rivard said.
Although Cochran’s isn’t exactly a tourist destination, it is still part of the backbone of skiing in Vermont. The area is “very much devoted to continuing the ski culture in the state,” Rivard said.
As of Monday morning, the total from the Rope-a-Thon fundraiser was $152,650. Check out cochranskiarea.com for more information on tickets, donations, lessons and more.