Passion for Skiing is the product of a research and writing effort by hundreds of interested skiers and historians. Some are Dartmouth connected and many are not. The book shows how a passion for skiing has expressed itself in the lives of Dartmouth-connected folks. All the stories are fascinating, some are close to unreal, and many show the continuing impact of past generations as the green thread of Dartmouth winds through our lives and our contemporary activities, often in ways people do not yet fully understand.

The book highlights the activities of individuals who have created what is now the biggest ski jump in New England; helped develop the first rope tow, overhead cable lift and chair lift; organized the first slalom, giant slalom and downhill race; started many of the ski resorts and designed most of the ski mountain layouts in the United States; initiated modern extreme skiing; led skiing activities in the Olympics; created many innovative ski movies; been leaders of skiing in foreign countries; promoted the design of wheelchairs for snow conditions; been lifelong ski instructors and initiated many ski instruction routines; innovated new forms of sliding over snow such as freestyle skiing and snowboarding; been leaders in adaptive and Paralympic skiing; become national ski racing champions; and much, much more. It shows why Dartmouth has many more members of the National Ski Hall of Fame, National ski racing champions, and Winter Olympians than any other institution....

Dartmouth's famed alumnus, Daniel Webster of the Class of 1801, spoke immortal words before the Supreme Court of the United States in 1818 to defend the college from an undesired take-over by the State of New Hampshire: "It is sir, as I have said, a small college. And, yet there are those who love it!" This led to a remarkable legal decision that established the principal of private institutions having property rights that states could not take away which is still the law of the land today. A similar comment could be said about Dartmouth skiers and the development of their sport. It is a small college with a limited number of skiers and winter sports advocates, but yet their love for, and contributions to, skiing and other winter themes have been truly remarkable, and this has lasted from the 19th century to this day!