Dick & Mary Kendell

Dick and Mary Kendall contributed eight children to Maine skiing and four of them became national champions. For most parents raising eight skiers and working with them would leave little time for other activities, but the Kendalls gave to a lot more than their own children.

As President of the Auburn Ski Association during his four years Dick established the first Used Equipment Sale Program with the Auburn Recreation Department. He also served as president of the Maine Alpine Racing Association, and as a member of the first Board of Directors helped get Saddleback Mountain started.

As a ski instructor Dick was the firstdirector of the Lost Valley Ski School where he taught for nine years and established the Jr. Racing Program there coaching winning teams. He served as an official at many races with the highlights the Nordic events at the 1980 and 2002 Winter Olympics. At the 2002 Games he was awarded the contract for Nordic skiing and directed a crew of 158 volunteers. He was also a timing official at numerous Junior, Senior and Collegiate National Championships.

Dick's wife Mary joined him as an instructor at Lost Valley for nine years where she created the children's ski instruction program for the Auburn Recreation Department. She was a delegate to the Conference on Promotion of the Development Team for the USSA Olympic Ski Team. Her resume as an official includes timing at Junior, Senior and Collegiate national championships and officiating Nordic events at the 1980 and 2002 Olympics.

While working with countless junior skiers the Kendalls were also training their own children who followed their example by staying involved in skiing well beyond their competitive days. All ten family members have held at least two or more of the following ski official positions: Ski racing coach, ski instructor, ski school director, Olympic timing official, president of local ski association, president of state organization, officer of national ski association, certified jumping judge, certified cross country instructor.

All eight siblings were selected to Maine teams that competed in New England competition and seven skied for college teams that qualified to compete for the national championship. Among the eight children they won 32 team championships and 33 state, New England and U.S. National individual awards.

The Kendalls are the only Maine family to have four siblings coaching teams competing for the National Championships and two of them actually won those championships.

The individual achievements of this skiing family could cover several pages. They include races won, skimeister at events from high school to college, ski instruction and coaching and time as volunteers. Dick and Mary Kendall started it all by working with their own and other children developing skiers and contributing to the sport at all levels. A lifetime of devotion that has played a major role in Maine skiing has earned Dick and Mary Kendall a place in the Maine Ski Hall of Fame.