Brewster Academy Athletics

Harry and Martha Baxter dedicated their lives to the advancement of alpine skiing as teachers, administrators, and mentors. They both were born and grew up in the Wolfeboro area, at first skiing and winning races at Abenaki before going on to ski for Brewster Academy. After serving in Korea, Harry returned to the Granite State and enjoyed success as a ski racer and an up-and-coming ski instructor for the famous Hannes Schneider Ski School in North Conway, N.H. In 1959 he was named Ski School Director and eventual mountain manager of Whittier Ski Area in Ossipee, N.H. Together with Martha, who was also a certified instructor, they managed and mentored a team of good area skiers into a very successful ski school. Their success at Whittier led to a promotion to run the ski school at Sugarloaf (Maine) in 1964–Harry as Director and Martha as Assistant Director. Their run at Sugarloaf through 1974 was a huge success at the then-fledgling resort. Their emphasis was making the sport fun and accessible to all. Along with creating new engaging events for the public, Harry was one of the first to successfully teach a blind person to ski. He and Martha went on to establish a very successful handicap skiing program for soldier amputees.
 
Harry’s work at marketing and promoting Sugarloaf led to an offer to be the marketing director at the up-and-coming Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming. Harry focused his efforts on ski area marketing while Martha once again took over running and managing the ski school desk, working with Olympic Champion Pepi Stigler, who was the ski school director. The Baxters helped bring a World Cup Ski Racing event to Jackson Hole and started many fun and inclusive programs for the public. Martha worked tirelessly to help manage a large and growing ski school and after many years tackled a newly created guest services department. Over a 21-year span, Harry and Martha turned Jackson Hole Mountain Resort into a world class ski resort. For his work, Harry has been inducted into the Maine, Jackson Hole, and Intermountain Ski Halls of Fame. Martha was inducted into the Maine Ski Hall of Fame in 2023. Harry received the U.S. Recreation Ski and Sport Pioneer Award and was a very successful Masters Ski Racer earning national podiums many times well into his mid-80s. Harry skied until 92 while Martha retired from the sport at age 87. Harry passed on January 28, 2025, but will always be remembered as the man, the myth, the legend. Job well done to this legendary couple who instilled their passion for the sport of skiing in others worldwide, bringing joy to generations of skiers.