New England Ski Museum Honors McLane, Macomber Families with “Spirit of Skiing” Award
George Macomber – Photo courtesy of the New England Ski Museum
Franconia/North Conway, NH- The New England Ski Museum’s 2025 Spirit of Skiing Award will be presented to the combined McLane and Macomber families on Nov. 22, 2025, at the Omni Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods. The award was inspired by the late Otto Schniebs who famously said, “Skiing is not just a sport, it’s a way of life”.
The late Malcolm McLane and George Macomber were ski racing friends and patriarchs of prominent skiing families. They teamed up together with fellow ski racers Mack Beal and Brooks Dodge to create Wildcat Ski Area in Pinkham Notch which opened in 1957. The area would offer the first gondola type ski lift in North America. Still today, Wildcat offers one of the highest elevations, greatest vertical drop and deepest snowpack in all of New England.
Beyond Wildcat, they went on to support ski racing across the region in many ways over the years including leadership with the US Eastern Amateur Ski Association and the US Ski Team Foundation. Their children and grandchildren have gone on to continue the rich tradition and have supported skiing and ski racing in numerous ways, and they too will be honored in November.
Awarded since 2006, past “Spirit of Skiing” honorees have included Waterville Valley founder Tom Corcoran, Norwegian Olympic gold medalist Stein Eriksen, and Olympic silver medalist Penny Pitou of Gilford. Each of these honorees has embodied the true spirit of skiing, of “flight without wings.”
Malcolm McLane -Photo courtesy of the New England Ski Museum
This year’s festive event includes a reception with delicious hors d’oeuvres, followed by a buffet dinner in the Hotel’s famous grand ballroom.
Tickets for the event are $125 per person and can be purchased online at skimuseum.org/sosa. Or make a reservation by mailing a check to New England Ski Museum, 135 Tramway Drive, Franconia, NH 03580-4403, or pay with a credit card over the phone at (603) 823-7177. Those interested in attending should RSVP before Nov. 7.
All proceeds support the nonprofit New England Ski Museum whose mission is to collect, preserve and exhibit elements of ski history for research, education and inspiration. For more information about the event or the New England Ski Museum, visit SkiMuseum.org.
The New England Ski Museum is a member-supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the history of skiing and the 10th Mountain Division. Its mission is to collect, preserve, and exhibit equipment, art, and artifacts of ski history for research, education, and inspiration.
Its two museum branches in Franconia and North Conway, NH host over 25,000 visitors annually; admission is always free. Its collection includes one of the largest and most comprehensive ski- and snowsport-related archives outside of Europe. For more information about the New England Ski Museum or to become a member, visit SkiMuseum.org.
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