Sugarbush has a rich history since Damon and Sarah Gadd started spinning lifts at Lincoln Peak back on Christmas Day in 1958. Since our 60th anniversary in 2018 we’ve been honoring the folks who’ve really helped make Sugarbush what it is today with our Wall of Fame in the Gate House Lodge. Normally we’d be holding an in-person ceremony towards the end of the season to honor the season’s new inductees, but like pretty much everything this year in a Covid world, plans change.
Instead of crowding into the Gate House Lodge to celebrate and honor this season’s Wall of Fame inductees, crack open your favorite beverage and join us virtually from home on Saturday, December 12th for an evening of camaraderie and festivity. We’ll be inducting three new members to the Wall of Fame: Henri Borel, Sigi Grottendorfer, and Guy Ludwig Laudisi, all of whom have made their own unique contributions to Sugarbush’s culture and history over their time here in the Mad River Valley. Win Smith and John Hammond will be hosting the event.
Our virtual celebration kicks off at 5pm on Zoom, with lots of history and stories of some of Sugarbush’s best memories from years past sure to be told. Mark your calendar, save the link, and be sure to join us on the 12th!
If you’ve ever walked through Historic Sugarbush Village, you’ve walked right by Chez Henri, a French Bistro with fondue second to none and some of the wildest nightlife to happen around the mountain. If it isn’t enough having a spot to get some incredible French cuisine right here in the Valley for nearly six decades that rivals anywhere in Paris, Chez Henri’s founder, Henri Borel, can still be found out on the mountain ripping down Racer’s Edge with the Sugarbush Race Team.
Sugarbush’s acclaimed Ski & Ride School can trace many of its roots back to Sigi Grottendorfer, who served as its director for three decades. Sigi’s legacy has earned him a second honorary spot on the mountain by joining the Wall of Fame, after the legendary double diamond trail under Heaven’s Gate, Sigi’s Ripcord, was renamed after him in 2008. Sigi’s passion for skiing never waned even into the summer, as he would often lead trips for Sugarbush instructors to South America to further their professional teaching skills during our warmer months.
Last but not least, Guy Ludwig Laudisi’s roots that stretched between the Mad River Valley and New York City introduced countless numbers of skiers and riders to Sugarbush over the span of nearly four decades. Guy’s trips between the Valley and his media career in the Big Apple culminated in bringing a piece of the city up north, when NBC’s Today Show broadcast live from the Lincoln Peak Courtyard in February 2008.