Wall of Fame

For over 25 years, Barbara King and her late husband John have been sharing their love and enthusiasm for the resort as Sugarbush Ambassadors. They have been among the longest serving Ambassadors in the program, making routine treks to Vermont each winter and eventually moving to the Mad River Valley. Barbara continues to serve as an Ambassador, always ready to help guests and acting as a crucial resource during last year’s pandemic season.

Rhoady was an integral part of Sugarbush’s ski patrol community dating back to the 1970s. He became Ski Patrol Director at Mt. Ellen, then Sugarbush North, around 1980 and was later promoted to Mt. Ellen’s Mountain Manager. He remained in that role until America Skiing Company took over in 1995. Rhoady remained on the ski patrol as a volunteer, surpassing the 50-year lifetime achievement service aware pin.

M.A. first joined Sugarbush’s ski school under fellow WOF inductee Sigi Grottendorfer in 1979. Her experience with children led her to become Children’s Supervisor before moving to teaching primarily private lessons. M.A. has been involved with the Centered Skiing movement as well as Sugarbush’s women’s programs. In 2001, M.A. was named as one of the Top 100 Instructors in New England by Ski Magazine.

The brother of longtime Ski School Director and Sugarbush WOF inductee, Peter Estin, Hans was essential in helping Jack Murphy, Damon Gadd, and Peter Estin start Sugarbush. Hans contributed to Sugarbush’s “Mascara Mountain” label by bringing the stars and celebrities of New York up to the resort, including fellow WOF inductee Henri Borel alongside his wife Rosie. Hans helped run the ski school and founded Ski Club 10, which he ran for many years, invoking a great feeling of family and celebration at the club.

Henri Borel is the founder and co-owner of Chez Henri Restaurant, the Parisian-style bistrot that has operated in historic Sugarbush Village since Christmas of 1964. Chez Henri has been a cornerstone of the Sugarbush experience, serving fondue, escargot, and other French fare to guests from Olympian Stein Eriksen to Yoko Ono and Jean Claude Killy. Chez Henri earned a reputation for night life, hosting wild parties in the famed Back Room in the early days of disco. The Back Room still lights up for the occasional birthday party or Ski Club Ten celebration, the private club Henri managed prior to opening the restaurant. Perhaps more than anything, Henri is recognized for his positive and welcoming spirit, as well as his infectious love of skiing.

Guy Ludwig “Luddy” Laudisi is credited with introducing countless friends to Sugarbush over the past forty years. Laudisi began coming to Sugarbush in the 1970s, traveling from New York City on weekends and eventually purchasing a home here in the 1980s. Laudisi fell in love with Sugarbush, and devoted his weekends to sharing that love with his large circle of friends, teaching them how to ski, and introducing them to the Valley. Laudisi was able to share his love for Sugarbush in his work as Executive Producer for NBC’s Today Show, playing an integral part in the live broadcast of the Today Show at Sugarbush in February of 2008.

Sigi Grottendorfer served as the Director of Sugarbush Ski School for thirty years, taking the helm from Olympian Stein Eriksen. Grottendorfer cut a wide swath through the ski school, earning the admiration of fellow instructors and guests alike. Grottendorfer is credited with founding the Centered Skiing movement with Denise McCluggage, a fellow instructor and nationally-recognized sports writer. For many years, Grottendorfer led a large group of Sugarbush instructors down to Portillo in the summer months to continue their professional instruction.

Boyle attended Green Mountain Valley School and went on to become a World Champion in Skiercross and pioneer in women’s free skiing. Though she’s traveled the world for the highest level of skiing competitions, she always returns to her home mountain of Sugarbush, where her family has been coming for decades. In addition to being a frequent presence on the mountain for various marketing initiatives, Boyle is a lead coach in the Sugarbush Ski & Ride School’s Bush Pilot program.

McCue, known by many as “The Mailman” because of his day job back in Massachusetts, has been skiing at Sugarbush since 1974. He’s also earned the moniker “Mr. Castlerock” because he’s the only person to have skied in every Castlerock Extreme at Sugarbush since its inception in 1997. His best finishes are second and third place and he has been featured on the covers of The Valley Reporter, Vermont Ski + Ride, and the travel section of USA Today. McCue’s dedication to skiing at Sugarbush has made an indelible and meaningful impression on his family.

Gould joined the Sugarbush Ski & Ride School in 2000. Over the years he coached in the Blazer Program and the Black Diamond Club, and was one of the most sought-after private instructors. Gould was a ski school trainer, and filled several supervisory roles. He also worked at the Sugarbush Resort Golf Club. Gould pursued a life of happiness in the outdoors with his wife Sandra, and his many friends. He passed away this past January from cancer.

Tardy joined the Sugarbush Day School in 1975. This winter marks her 44th consecutive winter at the mountain. During her time at the center, Tardy has cared for thousands of employee, guest, and local children in the Mad River Valley. In some cases, she has cared for three generations of a single family. To watch Tardy in action in the nursery room is a humbling experience for most, especially new parents. Her contribution to the many families of the Mad River Valley has been immense.

Damon and Sara Gadd founded Sugarbush in 1958 after moving to the Mad River Valley four years earlier. The Gadds were initially Mad River Glen skiers, but set out to create a different type of resort. The Gadds and their small team took an innovative look at ski resort development: they installed an enclosed Italian-built gondola—the first of its kind in the United States; opened one of the first on-mountain après-ski bars, the Wünderbar; and founded an international ski school. The Gadds’ Sugarbush earned a reputation for attracting the New York glitterati to a remote area of Vermont.

Fortna, a Czechoslovakian-born lawyer, was Sugarbush’s office manager. She was the “right hand” to Murphy and Gadd—selling tickets, answering phones, doing the books, and counting the money—and served in that capacity until 1982. She and her husband Trodd raised two children, one of whom was an Olympic skier, and owned and operated the Golden Horse Lodge on Sugarbush Access Rd. After Sugarbush, Fortna went on to serve in the Vermont House of Representatives.

Murphy founded Sugarbush alongside the Gadds, acting as General Manager after serving in the same capacity at Mad River Glen. Murphy helped create the original master plan for the resort, installed lifts, designed and constructed trails, and ushered in revolutionary snowmaking, grooming, and safety procedures. His tenure lasted until 1982 when he passed away from cancer.

Estin was Sugarbush’s first Ski School Director and was one of the original founders of Ski Club Ten. Also Czechoslovakian-born, Estin graduated from Dartmouth College, where he was a leading member of the ski team, and went on the win the Harriman Cup in Sun Valley, a precursor to the World Cup. Estin was instrumental in creating a ski school of international instructors which attracted the East Coast “jet set” to Sugarbush.

Roth used his land surveyor skills to help develop both Sugarbush and Sugarbush Village with the Gadds and Murphy. He was instrumental in designing the ski trails, the home sites, and the roads leading into Sugarbush Village. With his wife Ginny, Roth founded Roth Real Estate in 1961, and was involved in much of the development of Sugarbush and the Mad River Valley.