CCSAA was born of an idea by Joe Pete Wilson in 1973 when he called a meeting of 25 ski areas to meet in Woodstock, VT and suggested banding together as a professional network. By 1977 a regional association formed under the name Northeast Ski Touring Operators Association. It became a national/North American organization in 1977 under the name National Ski Touring Operators’ Association.

16 ski touring centers and their representatives are indicated as founding members (Stan Allaben of Viking Ski Touring Center, VT, Janice Fleetwood Bean of NY, Angus Black of Wild Wings, VT, Tony Clark of Blueberry Hill, VT, Dundonald “Don” Cochrane of Mountain Top Inn, VT, Drew Dawson of Cummington Farm, MA, John Frado of Northfield Mountain, MA, Kelly Kahler of the White House, VT, Rick Mansfield, CT, Thomas Perkins of Jackson Ski Touring Foundation, NH, Howard Peterson of Bretton Woods, NH, John Tidd of Mountain Meadows, VT, Jonathan Wiesel of Royal Gorge, CA, John Wiggin of Woodstock Inn & Cross Country Center, VT, Steve Wight of Sunday River Inn & Cross Country Center, ME, Joe-Pete Wilson of Trapp Family Lodge, VT & BarkEater Inn, NY)

Over the years the organization’s name has been changed by consensus of the members to Cross Country Ski Areas of America (1983) and in recognition of its Canadian members to Cross Country Ski Areas Association (1988).

Founder’s Award

The CCSAA Founder’s Award was created in 2014 and is presented to a recipient for one or all of the following criteria:

  • in recognition of their leadership within the cross country ski industry
  • in recognition of their implementation of an operational practice to be emulated by others in the cross country ski industry
  • in recognition of their vision in driving forward the Cross Country Ski Areas Association
  • in recognition of their promotion of recreational cross country skiing

Recipients

  • Joe Pete Wilson….2014
  • Peter Ashley….2015
  • Chris Frado….2016
  • Peter Hale…2017
  • Howard Petersen…2018
  • John Tidd…2019
  • John Morton…2020
  • John Frado…2021

Chairmen/Presidents* of CCSAA

  • 1973-1977 Joe-Pete Wilson (BarkEater Inn, NY)
  • 1977-1978 Tony Clark & Howard Peterson, co-chairmen (Blueberry Hill, VT & Bretton Woods, NH)
  • 1978-1979 Howard Peterson (Bretton Woods, NH)
  • 1979-1981 Stan Allaben (Viking Cross Country, VT)
  • 1981-1983 Thomas Perkins (Jackson Ski Touring Foundation, NH)
  • 1983-1985 Drew Dawson (Cummington Farm, MA)
  • 1985-1986 John Fisher (The Home Ranch, CO)1986-1988 Bob Schaap (Lone Mountain Ranch, MT)
  • 1988-1990 Don Cochrane (Mountain Top Inn, VT)
  • 1990-1991 Jerry Scofield (Bear Mountain Ranch, WA)
  • 1991-1993 Dave Tuttle (Bearskin Lodge, MN)
  • 1993-1995 Dave Viney (Hardwood Hills, ON)
  • 1995-1997 Charlie Yerrick (Trapp Family Lodge, VT)
  • 1997-1999 Steve Wight (Sunday River Inn, ME)
  • 1999-2001 Larry Vielleux (Izaak Walton Inn, MT)
  • 2001-2002 Linda Swain (Cypress Mountain, BC)
  • 2002-2003 Janet Gates (Hardwood Hills, ON)
  • 2003-2005 Gene Foley (Ole’s, VT)
  • 2005-2006 Rob Bernhardt (Sovereign Lake, BC)
  • 2006-2008 Scotty McGee (Jackson Hole Nordic, WY)
  • 2008-2017 JoJo Toeppner (Royal Gorge, CA)
  • 2018 – Present Richard Hodges (10 Week Winter)

* CCSAA used the term president for the elected ski area representative to lead the Board of Directors and the association until the 1990’s when the Board substituted the term “Chairman” and named its executive director, Chris Frado, as CCSAA President, making her an officer of the association who can legally bind the association.

CCSAA Annual Conferences

  • 1987 Lone Mountain Ranch, MT
  • 1988 Sun Valley, ID
  • 1989 Mt. Bachelor, OR
  • 1990 Park City, UT
  • 1991 Jasper Park Lodge, AB
  • 1992 Grouse Mountain Lodge, MT
  • 1993 Sunday River, ME
  • 1994 Sun Mountain Lodge, WA
  • 1995 Bear Valley, CA
  • 1996 Silver Star, BC
  • 1997 S. Padre Island, TX
  • 1998 Sun Valley, ID
  • 1999 W. Yellowstone, MT
  • 2000 Granlibaaken, CA
  • 2001 Homestead/Sundance/Soldier Hollow/White Pine, UT
  • 2002 St. Regis Hotel (Aspen, CO) Ashcroft, Aspen/Snowmass
  • 2003 Silver Star & Sovereign Lake, BC
  • 2004 Sun Mountain Lodge, WA
  • 2005 Breckenridge, CO
  • 2006 Grand Targhee, WY
  • 2007 Bear Valley, CA
  • 2008 Devil’s Thumb Ranch, CO
  • 2009 Whistler Olympic Park, BC
  • 2010 Mt. Bachelor (Seventh Mountain Resort), OR
  • 2011 Northstar-at-Tahoe, CA
  • 2012 no convention
  • 2013 NSAA Convention in Palm Springs, CA
  • 2014 Lone Mountain Ranch, MT
  • 2015 Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC
  • 2016 Snow Mountain Ranch, CO
  • 2017 Silver Star Resort, BC
  • 2018 Snow Mountain Ranch, CO
  • 2019 Lake Placid, NY