Vermont Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame
Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum will host the Vermont Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Reception on Saturday, May 30, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the K-1 Lodge at Killington Resort.
This year’s event marks a rare and meaningful occasion, bringing together the combined Classes of 2025 and 2026 following last year’s postponement.
The Hall of Fame will induct five individuals whose contributions have shaped Vermont’s winter sports legacy:
Ned Hamilton, ski industry retail entrepreneur
Harry “Rebel” Ryan, alpine ski racer and industry advocate
Hannah Teter, Olympic snowboarder and philanthropist
Win Smith, ski resort leader and industry executive
John Tidd, Nordic skiing innovator and instructional pioneer
Additional honors will be presented to Gary Black (Paul Robbins Journalism Award), Noah Dines (First Tracks Award), and Craftsbury Outdoor Center (Bill McCollom Community Award).
The evening will feature the premiere of short documentary films created for each inductee, followed by acceptance remarks. Guests will enjoy a festive reception with hearty appetizers and hors d’oeuvres. Vermont beer and signature cocktails will be available at a cash bar.
Since 2002, the Vermont Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame has recognized more than 80 athletes, pioneers, and contributors who have helped define the state’s ski and snowboard heritage.
The Museum welcomes the entire ski and snowboard community, along with friends, families, and winter sports enthusiasts, to take part in this celebration. Bringing together two Hall of Fame classes in one evening offers a unique opportunity to experience the stories, people, and legacy of Vermont skiing in a single event.
Capacity is limited, and demand is expected to increase as the event approaches.
Tickets are $160 through May 7 and will increase to $170 on May 8. Guests are encouraged to reserve early to secure the lowest ticket rate.
The event is supported by premier sponsor Casella, and additional support from Vermont Orthopaedic Clinic, Union Bank, Burton, Killington Resort, The Stowe Group at Morgan Stanley, and Rob Center & Kay Henry.
For tickets and more information, visit www.vtssm.org.
Ned Hamilton
A lifelong Vermonter, Ned Hamilton has shaped the ski retail landscape in Vermont and beyond for more than six decades. In 1958, he launched a ski department in Montpelier that grew into the first Peter Glenn Ski Shop, expanding into ski towns across Vermont including Stowe, Waitsfield, Bolton Valley, Burke, and beyond. Later renamed Peter Glenn of Vermont, the business brought Vermont’s ski culture to a national audience. Hamilton also founded the Consolidated Buying Group, helping independent ski retailers compete nationwide. In 1998, he preserved a beloved Vermont ski area by purchasing Bolton Valley out of bankruptcy. A National Sporting Goods Association Hall of Fame member and Snowsports Industries America Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Hamilton’s entrepreneurial vision strengthened Vermont’s ski economy and protected its independent spirit.
Harry “Rebel” Ryan
Harry “Rebel” Ryan rose to prominence in 1964 after winning three events at the Junior Eastern Championships and stunning the ski world with a second-place giant slalom finish behind Olympic medalist Billy Kidd in Stowe. A member of the U.S. Ski Team and the 1968 U.S. Olympic Team (sidelined by injury), Ryan competed internationally before earning his law degree and building a distinguished legal career focused on ski industry representation and civil litigation. He co-founded the Pico Ski Education Foundation and Killington Mountain Foundation and has served for more than 30 years as a trustee of Killington Mountain School. Inducted into the VARA Hall of Fame in 2013, Ryan’s legacy lives on through the programs and athletes he continues to support.
Hannah Teter
Belmont, Vermont native Hannah Teter is an Olympic gold and silver medalist, world champion snowboarder, and philanthropist. After training at Okemo Mountain and Okemo Mountain School, she became the youngest member of the U.S. Snowboarding Team and won Olympic gold in 2006 and silver in 2010, along with seven X Games medals and multiple World Cup victories. Deeply rooted in Vermont, Teter founded Hannah’s Gold, raising funds through the sale of her family’s Vermont maple syrup to support clean water and education initiatives in Kenya, and later launched Sweet Cheeks to benefit children in extreme poverty. A longtime Special Olympics ambassador, she has used her platform to promote inclusion in sport while remaining proudly connected to her Vermont roots.
Win Smith
Win Smith is widely recognized for revitalizing Sugarbush Resort and restoring it to prominence as a premier Vermont ski destination. Through strategic investment and steady leadership, he balanced respect for the mountain’s history with forward-thinking improvements that strengthened its future. As Chairman of the National Ski Areas Association, Smith helped shape national policy, sustainability efforts, and best practices across the industry. A 2022 NSAA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, his leadership has strengthened both Vermont skiing and the broader ski community nationwide.
John Tidd
For more than five decades, John Tidd has been a transformative force in Nordic skiing. Owner of Mountain Meadows Cross Country Ski Area in Killington, he helped found the National Ski Touring Operators Association and later served in national leadership roles within PSIA, advancing certification standards and formal recognition for Nordic and telemark skiing. His invention of the “Tidd Tech Trail Tenderizer” revolutionized grooming for smaller Nordic areas, raising trail quality and accessibility across the U.S. and Canada. Through instruction, innovation, and leadership, Tidd elevated Nordic skiing in Vermont and beyond.
Gary Black Jr. – Paul Robbins Journalism Award
Gary Black Jr. (1941-2017) transformed Ski Racing Magazine from his base in Waitsfield, Vermont, into the definitive voice of international alpine competition. Under his leadership, the publication evolved into a leading digital outlet covering World Cup racing and rising talent, while his influential “Black Diamonds” column shaped industry dialogue. A longtime member of FIS media and Alpine committees and trustee of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Foundation, Black helped shape ski racing’s global narrative from Vermont. He was posthumously inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in 2023.
Noah Dines – First Tracks Award
Stowe skier Noah Dines set a world record in 2024 for the most human-powered vertical feet skied in a single year, climbing 3,590,097 vertical feet, the equivalent of ascending Mount Everest more than 120 times. Beginning and ending his quest in Vermont, Dines traveled globally to chase winter conditions, averaging nearly 10,000 vertical feet per day. His achievement redefined the limits of uphill skiing and inspired the broader ski community with its endurance, discipline, and passion.
Craftsbury Outdoor Center – Bill McCollom Community Award
The Craftsbury Outdoor Center, based in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, is a nonprofit leader in Nordic skiing, youth development, and sustainable outdoor recreation. Since becoming a nonprofit in 2008 under Olympians Judy Geer and Dick Dreissigacker, Craftsbury has provided free skiing and programming for local schoolchildren, supported elite athlete development, and modeled environmental stewardship through net-zero energy operations and renewable-powered snowmaking. Its commitment to accessibility, excellence, and sustainability continues to shape Vermont’s Nordic culture.
About VTSSM - Since 1988, the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum has been dedicated to collecting, preserving, and celebrating the rich history of skiing and riding in Vermont. The museum is a 501c3 non-profit that survives on the support from the ski and snowboard community.
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