22 Winter 2015 LOCALadk Magazine
LOCALadk
By Kristie Helmer Lawrence
with photos courtesy of The Polar Bear Club
Since its establishment in 1939, the Polar Bear Ski Club has had an active involvement in promoting skiing and skiing events in Old Forge. During
its formative years, the club began as an active social program with planned "outings" held within a radius of fifteen miles. A ski patrol was also
formed in order to assist with accidents and lost parties during the outings. Working in conjunction with Old Forge's first ski instructor, Max Bolli,
also a club member, the group started a series of race events on a larger scale by sponsoring the first annual Polar Bear Ski Club Derby in 1942.
Ski races and social activities expanded over the next several years. The club, realizing the value of ski competition for children, created a program
for junior skiing and fund drives to support this program. One of the first annual events for kids and fundraising was the Snowflake Derby in 1954.
To replenish the junior skiing resources yearly, the members and townspeople held an annual winter carnival. A Junior Ski Fund was established to
assist any athlete selected for a competition or training for an event anywhere in the U.S. and even internationally.
The Polar Bear Club
