Legends of the Thunderbolt

Many have left tracks on the Thunderbolt, but few are remembered today. These few are truly legends.

Alex Bright

  • Founder and member of Ski Club Hochgebirge in Boston, MA (1930).
  • Member of 1936 Olympic Downhill Ski Team. 
  • 1940 Mass. State Downhill Champion at age 42.*
  • Initiated and promoted the first ever ski area gondola on Cannon Mountain in 1938.
  • Raced for 30 years after World War II.
  • Worked as a broker in Boston.

Bob Livermore

  • Founder and member of Ski Club Hochgebirge in Boston, MA (1930).
  • Member of the 1936 Olympic Team.
  • 1940 Eastern Amateur Downhill Champion.*
  • Graduate of Harvard University.

Dick Durrance

  • Member of the Dartmouth College Outing Club.
  • Member of the 1936 Olympic Downhill Ski Team.
  • 1935 Mass. State Downhill Champion.*
  • 5th place in the 1938 Eastern Amateur Downhill Championship.*
  • Winner of 17 national titles.
  • Known as "the man on the medal" due to his image gracing the National Downhill Championship Medal.
  • Moved to Garmisch, Germany and raced as a child before returning to the United States to attend Dartmouth.
  • Played a key role in the development of the ski resorts at Alta, Aspen and Sun Valley.
  • Was a film-maker later in life.

Ted Hunter

  • Member of the Dartmouth College Outing Club.
  • Member of the 1936 and 1940 Olympic Downhill Ski Teams (due to World War II the 1940 Olympics were cancelled).
  • 3rd place in the 1935 Mass. State Downhill Championship.*
  • 2nd place in the 1938 Eastern Amateur Downhill Championship.*
  • 1939 Mass. State Downhill Champion.*
  • 6th place in the 1940 Eastern Amateur Downhill Championship.*

Jarvis Schauffler

  • Member of the Amherst College Outing Club.
  • Member of the 1936 Olympic Downhill Ski Team.
  • 9th place in the 1935 Mass. State Downhill Championship.*
  • 1936 Mass. State Downhill Champion.*
  • 2nd place in the 1940 Mass. State Downhill Championship.*
  • 13th place in the 1940 Eastern Amateur Downhill Championship.*

Sandy Schauffler

  • Member of the Amherst College Outing Club.
  • Member of the 1940 Olympic Downhill Ski Team (due to World War II the 1940 Olympics were cancelled).
  • 6th place in the 1935 Mass. State Downhill Championship.*
  • 2nd place in the 1936 Mass. State Downhill Championship.*
  • 4th place in the 1938 Mass. State Downhill Championship.*
  • 19th place in the 1940 Eastern Championship race.*

Per Klippgen

  • Member of the Norwegian Olympic Downhill Ski Team.
  • 1948 Eastern Amateur Downhill Champion.*
  • Set the current Thunderbolt record at 2 minutes 8.6 seconds in the 1948 Eastern Amateur Downhill Championship.

Toni Matt
  • Member of the Eastern States Ski Club (F.I.S.).
  • 1939 United States Downhill Champion.
  • 1st in the 1939 and 1940 Mt. Greylock Trophy Races.*
  • 10th Mountain Division veteran of World War II.
  • Schussed the headwall of Tuckerman’s Ravine in the 1939 American Inferno Race on Mt. Washington.
  • Family friends with the Konieczny’s from Adams.  Stayed at the Konieczny farm when he skied on Mt. Greylock.

Rudy Konieczny
  • Originally a member of the Thunderbolt Ski Club but then formed the Ski Runners of Adams with Greeny Guertin circa 1938.
  • 16th in the 1938 Eastern Amateur Downhill Championship.*
  • 2nd place in 1938 Mass. State Downhill Championship race on the Thunderbolt.*
  • Competed in the 1938 National Championship race on Mt. Mansfield’s Nose Dive trail.
  • 1st place in the 1938 Thunderbolt Time Trial Race.*
  • 8th place in the 1939 Mass. State Downhill Championship.*
  • 2nd place in the 1939 Mt. Greylock Trophy Race.*
  • 2nd place in the 1939 Giant Slalom.*
  • 8th place in the 1940 Eastern Amateur Downhill Championship.*
  • Member of the Ski Runners of Adams team that won the 1st Place Team. Trophy in the 1939 and 1940 Mass. State Downhill Championship race.*
  • Invited to try out for the FIS (Olympic) team in 1939 but broke his leg before try-outs.
  • 10th Mountain Division veteran of World War II.  KIA April 17th, 1945 in Italy.

Maurice "Greeny" Guertin
  • Originally a member of the Thunderbolt Ski Club but then formed the Ski Runners of Adams with Rudy Konieczny circa 1938.
  • Captain of the Ski Runners of Adams.
  • 26th place in the 1938 Eastern Amateur Downhill Championship.*
  • 6th place in the 1938 Mass. State Downhill Championship.*
  • 12th place in the 1939 Mass. State Downhill Championship.*
  • 1st place in the 1939 Thunderbolt Time Trial.*
  • 3rd place in the 1939 Mt. Greylock Trophy Race.*
  • 4th place in the 1939 Giant Slalom.*
  • 36th in the 1940 Eastern Amateur Downhill Championship.*
  • 11th place in the 1940 Greylock Trophy Race.*
  • 13th place in the 1940 Mass. State Downhill Championship.*
  • Member of the Ski Runners of Adams team that won the 1st Place Team Trophy in the 1939 and 1940 Mass. State Downhill Championship races.*

Bill Linscott

  • Member of the Thunderbolt Ski Club.
  • 1942 Mass. State Downhill Champion.*
  • Raced the 1939 Thunderbolt Time Trial at the age of 13.
  • 10th Mountain Division veteran of World War II.
  • Member of Mt. Greylock Advisory Council after the war.
  • Prime mover in the 1999 restoration of the Thunderbolt Ski Shelter.
  • Member of the 10th Mountain Division Association.
Items marked with a * were held on the Thunderbolt.
Mass. State Champions
1935 – Dick Durrance – Dartmouth Outing Club
1936 – Jarvis Schauffler – Amherst Outing Club
1937 – No state championship race due to lack of snow, races moved to Mt. Mansfield.
1938 – Peter Garret – Yale Outing Club
1939 – Ted Hunter – Dartmouth Outing Club
1940 – Alex Bright – Ski Club Hochgebirge
1941 – Charles McLane – Dartmouth Outing Club
1942 – Bill Linscott – Thunderbolt Ski Club
1946 – Victor Constant – West Point Outing Club
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