Thom Perkins of Intervale has been given the lifetime achievement award from Ski NH. The award recognized his contributions to Nordic skiing in New Hampshire. The award was presented by Cory Schwartz, the University of New Hampshire Nordic ski team coach, and Ben Wilcox from Cranmore Mountain Resort.
As the Jackson Ski Touring Foundation executive director since 1976, Perkins was instrumental in transforming the village of Jackson into one of the nation’s premier cross-country skiing and snowshoeing venues. Passionate about the sport of Nordic skiing, he developed the trail system from a modest offering of trails to the present far-reaching network of 150 kilometers. Perkins’ retirement goals include increasing the number of great cross-country ski facilities available to the public by using his extensive background to help small and midsized areas develop and grow through facilities design, business management and marketing. He has started a consulting company to do just that.
An active member of the cross-country skiing community, a 2014 nominee to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and the 2010 winner of the Ski NH Al Merrill Award for outstanding contributions to cross-country skiing, Perkins has provided training opportunities for skiers from school children, college teams, Paralympic and Junior National competitors to Olympic level athletes.
During his time at Jackson, Perkins organized competitions ranging from local citizen races to World Championships. His expertise in facilities design and use was drawn on for the 2002 and 2010 Winter Olympic sites to help plan the use of the venues after the completion of their respective Olympic Games.
Cory Schwartz in his introductory remarks at the presentation ceremony spoke about one particularly challenging NCAA National Championship event when rain had washed away the snow from the competition venue, “Within minutes, Thom was developing a plan. Ten hours later we held a national championship (at an alternative site)….something that no one else had accomplished and I am not sure if there are many people who could have.”
Perkins is a founding member and board member emeritus of the international trade association of Nordic ski areas – CCSAA. He was the recipient of the 2011 North American Ski Journalist Association Lifetime Achievement Award and was named one of 25 Nordic Heroes in the United States in a feature article in Cross Country Skier Magazine.
Ski NH is the statewide association representing 33 alpine and Nordic resorts and more than 200 lodging and guest service properties in New Hampshire. Visit www.skinh.com.
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