The state of New Hampshire has a strong skiing tradition to brag about,
and in the 1930s, it led the United States in ski activity. The early
prominence of Dartmouth College's Outing Club and winter carnival was a
major forerunner in the development of the sport and readied the state
to receive the alpine impetus coming from Europe in the 1930s. Germans
and particularly Austrians-some fleeing Nazi persecution-brought with
them the expert downhill schuss and found the White Mountains suitable
terrain. Rail excursions from Boston, well-plowed roads, help from the
Civilian Conservation Corps, and entrepreneurial activity helped skiing
take off, and many ski centers boasting rope tows opened.
New Hampshire on Skis follows this development and the rise in
popularity of skiing in the state. Such innovations as the Cannon Tram,
operating from 1938, marked a high point of state-supported ski
promotion. After World War II ended, development of ski areas began in
earnest. In the late twentieth century and today, ski areas have
combined their ski sport activity with other snow sports-snowboarding in
particular. New Hampshire on Skis documents the growth of the ski
industry in New Hampshire from its European beginnings to what is now
one of the most popular winter destinations on the East Coast.