The Stowe Derby is one of the oldest and most unique ski races in North America. It started in 1945 as a personal bet between two amazing skiers: Sepp Ruschp, an Austrian, and the head of Stowe’s new ski school, and Erling Strom, a world-famous mountaineer from Norway.
The Long Course requires participants to ski approximately 20 km of challenging terrain, racing down Mt. Mansfield’s Toll Road and along the Stowe Rec Path before reaching the finish in Stowe Village. The course has a total vertical drop of almost 2,700 feet.
Visit https://www.mmsca.org/events/stowe-derby for an updated schedule.
-Courtesy photo: Mount Mansfield Academy