Fireside Chats
The Ski Museum of Maine's principal outreach program is a series of Fireside Chats, narrated digital slideshows that illustrate the history of skiing in Maine. Since 2008, approximately 2,300 people have seen at least one of the four programs currently available.
Andrew "Bud" Titcomb shows his form, ca 1942 (Courtesy Farmington Ski Club)
Fireside Chats are presented through ski clubs, ski resorts, civic organizations and historical societies all over Maine. To date they have been given in three dozen communties the length and breadth of Maine, from Kittery to Fort Kent and Madawaska, from the New Hampshire state line to the New Brunswick international boundary.
Each Fireside Chat is a fascinating and entertaining experience that is based on 100-plus vintage photographs collected from the Museum's own archives plus several dozen participating clubs, organizations and private individuals. Fireside Chats are created and presented by Scott Andrews, a museum director and longtime snowsports journalist. Each program lasts about 50 minutes. Questions are encouraged and attendees are urged to share personal experiences.
Four different Fireside Chats are currently available. Each is an independent, stand-alone journey through Maine's rich skiing heritage.
1. "Down-Mountain and Cross-Country: 140 Years of Skiing in Maine." This slideshow is an overview that covers all facets of skiing over the entire time period, from the arrival of Scandinavian immigrants in 1870 to the present. It represents the broadest possible approach, with each topic covered at an elementary level.
2. "An Avalanche of Interest: The First 75 Years of Skiing in Maine." This presentation is more narrowly focused on the earliest period, from 1870 through World War II, and includes more detailed coverage of different Scandinavian nationalities, winter carnivals and the visionaries of the early 20th century.
3. "Schuss-Boom and Schuss-Bust: Fast-Paced Growth and Face-Plants in Maine Skiing 1946-1980s." This program focuses on the boom times following World War II and ends with setbacks in the 1970s and 1980s. For most viewers under 80 years old, this period covers their personal experiences. A real trip down Memory Lane!
4. "Made in Maine: 100-Plus Years of Craftsmanship in Skiing." This Fireside Chat looks at skis, boots and other skiing products that were made in Maine from the late 1800s to the present. Maine was once an important manufacturer of skis, boots and other gear, but no longer. Maine engineers were also prominent in developing ski resorts in the Northeastern U.S.
To book a Fireside Chat, call Scott Andrews at 207-773-9609 or email him at schussme@yahoo.com.
The lead sponsors of the Fireside Chats are the Ski Maine Association and the Sugarloaf Mountain Ski Club. Additional support has been generously provided by Maine Winter Sports Center, Hussey Manufacturing Company and the Bass Family.
