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PRESS RELEASE
Glass Graphics and decades donate trophies to Friends of Tuckerman
John Gorman (left) and Tom Eastman (right) present the first-annual Friends of Tuckerman Ravine Steve Eastman Volunteer of the Year Award to fellow longtime FOTR board member Ted Sutton. (Wendy Abcunas Photo)
Sutton honored with Steve Eastman volunteer award
By Tom Eastman
Conway Daily Sun
PINKHAM NOTCH Longtime ski race official Ted Sutton, 71, of Lincoln at the Tuckerman Inferno awards ceremony April 18 was named recipient of Friends of Tuckerman Ravine's first-ever Steve Eastman Volunteer of the Year Award.
The award is presented by Friends of Tuckerman Ravine in honor of late Mountain Ear co-founder Steve Eastman of Kearsarge, who died last April at age 58 from brain cancer.
The Eastman award is to be given every year to a volunteer who shows the team spirit, integrity and love for the mountain exemplified by the late World Mud Bowl co-founder and publisher in his years in the Mount Washington Valley.
The award shows a 1978 shot of the ravine taken by Eastman from Boott Spur. It also shows a photograph of Eastman taken by Sarah Eastman on Black Cap Mountain in 1982 when they were first dating.
Commenting on the award, Sutton said, In all my years of ski racing, I have received many awards but this means the most to me. I am truly honored.
Sutton is the incoming chairman of Friends of Tuckerman, a new post being created under which he will serve as the group's liaison to the U.S. Forest Service.
Sutton founded the Buddy Werner Ski League in Massachusetts and has been a longtime FIS (International Ski Federation) technical delegate who has worked at many Olympics as well as at races throughout the country, mostly in New England. In addition to serving as race drector for the Tuckerman Inferno, he also has served as race director for the New England Ski Museum's annual Hannes Schneider Meister Cup.
He is a former Loon Mountain director of public relations and environmental affairs and a past town manager for Lincoln.
I first saw Ted ski over the headwall at one of our first races, carrying a bunch of gates. He handled the Lip like it was a cake walk, said Friends of Tuckerman Ravine executive director Al Risch.
Says Sutton of his love for the ravine and Mount Washington, Although I do not belong to any organized religion, Mount Washington is my church, and Tuckerman Ravine is my altar.
The award was presented by Eastman's widow, Sarah W. Eastman, his brothers, David L. Eastman and Friends of Tuckerman board member Tom Eastman, all of mount Washington Valley; sister and FOTR board member Jeanie Eastman Ryan of Rye, and longtime friend and FOTR board member/World Mud Bowl volunteer John Gorman of Boston, Mass.
Friends of Tuckerman Ravine is a non-profit, member-supported organization which seeks to preserve and protect the unique alpine and sub-alpine eastern slopes of Mount Washington and work in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service to sustain the traditional uses of this distinctive area.
For further information, go to www.friendsoftuckerman.org or call Risch at 367-4417.
Top TuckerWomen receive trophies from Glass Graphics, Decades
By Tom Eastman
Conway Daily Sun
INTERVALE Trophies were recently presented to the Top TuckerWoman of Friends of Tuckerman Ravine's ninth annual Inferno Pentathlon, held April 18.
Placing first in the two-women was Leanne Bernier (right) of Franconia, who was also the champion last year in the female solo class. Placing second was fellow Cannon Mountain skier and triathlete Kat Fiske (left) of Landauf, who also was second last year.
She's my training partner, said Fiske, a massage therapist, of Bernier, who works winters at Cannon. Being Cannon skiers, they both joked that handling the day's tough and icy not to mention foggy conditions down Left Gully was not that demanding, as they said, We're used to it!
Like their three male counterparts, the two top women received trophies created by Glass Graphics of Conway and sponsored by Decades Restaurant of North Conway.Tops in the 29-man TuckerMen class were Pete Ostroski of Intervale, four-time champion David Lamb of Jackson, who was second, and defending champion Chad Denning of New London was third.
As the Conway Daily Sun reported April 25, the two TuckerWomen had registered for the race after the entry deadline, hence their trophies had not been ordered by organizers in advance. Two trophies were ordered after the race, and were presented to the two female athletes this week.
The Inferno Pentathlon was open to both team and solo classes, as well as a dynamic duo class. The event consisted of a run from Story Land over Glen Ledge to Attitash's Thorne Pond, followed by a kayak/canoe leg down the Saco River to Humphrey's Ledge. Next was a bicycle ride over Glen Ledge to the Appalachian Mountain Club's Pinkham Notch Visitor Center, followed by a hike up the Tuckerman Trail to Tuckerman Ravine, where the final event was a ski run down Left Gully.
Also featured was the all-new, more recreationally-minded Wildcat Wildfire Inferno, which followed a somewhat easier course the same day but which ended at Wildcat Mountain Ski Area.
The events help raise funds for Friends of Tuckerman, a non-profit member-supported organization which aids the U.S. Forest Service and promotes the wise back country use and preservation of Tuckerman Ravine, the glacial cirque located on Mount Washington's eastern flank.
For further information about membership and events, call executive director Al Risch of Madison at 367-4417 or go to www.friendsoftuckerman.org.
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