We are extremely saddened by the news of the passing of long-time WVBBTS board member, Anna McIntyre. Anna was a stalwart supporter and constant presence at WVBBTS for many years. Joining the club during the early years of Waterville Valley she served as president of the WVBBTS board for 8 years. Anna was a transformational figure in the ski racing and snowsports community.
In 1980, Anna was the first woman ever designated Chief of Race for an alpine World Cup race by FIS. For almost a decade she was the only woman who regularly oversaw international ski competition including acting as Chief of Race for nine subsequent World Cup races at Waterville Valley through 1991, when she was Chief of Race for the World Cup Finals. In all, she was present for all 11 of the World Cup races at Waterville, beginning in 1969. These events required recruiting, motivating and organizing hundreds of volunteers. These volunteers from all over the country became known as 'Anna's Army', and many returned year after year.
Anna was also instrumental in the acceptance of snowboarding by USSA and FIS as a sanctioned sport. In 1991 she presented a petition to USSA asking that snowboarding be added as a competition discipline, and the Eastern division of the organization was allowed a trial year of snowboarding. Anna wrote the snowboarding rule book, and the next year the new sport became official in all USSA divisions, with Anna as chair of the Snowboard Committee. In 1994, prodded by USSA and its leader Howard Peterson, FIS approved snowboarding as a competitive sport at its Congress in Rio de Janeiro.
A member of the Waterville Valley, WVBBTS, and US Ski & Snowboard Halls of Fame, Anna was a true legend of the snowsports world and pioneer for women in the industry. Anna will leave behind a lasting legacy.
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