History of WVABBTS

A small group of hearty souls came together over eighty years ago with a common bond: skiing. Committed, they climbed Mt. Tecumseh with saws, axes, and shovels to clear narrow ski runs by hand. Anyone familiar with the rugged terrain of New Hampshire’s mountains knows that this was not a task for the timid.

Trees fell. Boulders were pried loose and moved. A ski run slowly began to take form. Then these committed skiers strapped on their boards and the fun began. The trails were narrow and close encounters with trees were not uncommon. By the end of the day, many of these founding skiers would be bruised from head to toe. The Black and Blue Trail Smashers were born.

From its roots in 1934, BBTS has evolved into the Northeast’s premier Snowsports training and competition center. Highlights include transitioning to a full alpine competition program in the 1960s, hosting 11 World Cups, the founding of Waterville Valley Academy (WVA) in 1972, and USSA naming us as “Snowboard Club of the Year”, overall “Club of the Year” in 2006, and “Freeski Club of the Year” in 2019. Over a dozen Olympians and more than 20 National Team skiers have come through WVABBTS, including legendary mogul skier and 2010 U.S. Olympic gold medalist Hannah Kearney, three-time British alpine Olympian Chemmy Alcott and the American brother-sister freestyler powerhouses, Grace and Hunter Henderson.

Our leadership has contributed significantly to the formation of national and international governing organizations – the Federation du Ski (FIS), the U. S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA), and the United States of America Snowboard Association (USASA.)

Please view a video of the BBTS history here.

WVABBTS will be the premier competitive snow sports academy and club, rooted in a passionately engaged community, fielding the most successful competitors at all levels. By instilling core values and providing exceptional athletic and academic experiences WVABBTS will enable our athletes to reach their full potential throughout their lives.