A BRIEF HISTORY OF COCHRAN’S SKI AREA
Cochran’s Ski Area was established in 1961 when Mickey and Ginny Cochran purchased an old hillside farm along the Winooski River in Richmond, Vermont. Transforming the land with the family’s hard work and Mickey’s gifts as a mechanical engineer, the ski area consisted of a couple of backyard trails and a short rope tow installed so their children and neighbors could enjoy skiing and race training.
In the next decade, the ski area helped put all four of the “Skiing Cochrans” on the road to Olympic and World Cup success as members of the United States Ski Team, which Mickey coached during the 1973/74 ski season. Not long after Barbara Ann captured the Olympic gold medal in slalom in 1972, the facility grew to four lifts and eight slopes attracting a loyal contingent of children and families from around Vermont.
Over the years, the Cochran family developed a wide array of innovative educational and recreational programs to help bring the community together on our slopes. Today many successful high school, college and World Cup racers still fondly recall their start at Cochran’s. But most importantly, legions of Vermonters proudly proclaim, “I learned to ski the Cochran way.”
After Mickey’s death in 1998, the nation’s first non-profit 501 (c)(3) ski area was established to continue this legacy of providing access to healthy winter recreation for local children and families. Since that time, our unique organization has been an overwhelming success in bringing together community resources to serve over 500 area school children each year as well as delivering outdoor educational programming to groups ranging from the Abenaki of Vermont to underprivileged children visiting from New York City.
In the future, plans call for installation of a state-of-the-art snowmaking system, upgrades to the lodge & lifts, and increased programming to serve the year round needs of our community. A successful capital campaign will put Cochran’s on solid ground while maintaining the affordable prices, critical open space, and unique character of this little ski area so many have come to love.
Timeline:
A COCHRAN’S TIMELINE
1961 - Cochran’s Ski Area founded; Ginny Cochran offers first after-school program at
the request of the Richmond P.T.O. 1965 - Adjacent 140-acre parcel purchased for future ski area expansion 1966 - New trails and rope tow installed on present Cochran’s Ski Area site 1967 - Marilyn & Barbara Ann Cochran named to the U.S. Ski Team 1968 - Bobby Cochran named to the U.S. Ski Team 1969 - Marilyn Cochran wins the World Cup in Giant Slalom 1970 - Lindy Cochran joins her siblings on the U.S. Ski Team; Barbara Ann wins a silver medal in slalom and Marilyn wins a bronze medal in the combined at the World Championships 1972 - Barbara Ann Cochran wins the Olympic gold medal in slalom in Sapporo, Japan 1973 - Bob Cochran wins the prestigious Hannenkahm Combined in Kitzbuhel, Austria 1974 - Mickey Cochran serves as Alpine Director of the U.S. Ski Team; Cochran’s Ski Club founded 1976 - Lindy Cochran is top American in both slalom and GS at the Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria . 1979 - T-bar installed at Cochran’s Ski Area 1984 - New lodge built at Cochran’s Ski Area 1985 - Innovative “Ski-Tots Program” introduced at Cochran’s by Lindy (Cochran) Kelley as the Cochran family continues to coach and teach the next generation of Cochran’s skiers 1995 - Jessica Kelley wins Vermont JIV State Championships in slalom and GS 1998 - Mickey Cochran dies at the age of 74; Cochran’s Ski Area become nations first IRS 501 (c)(3) non-profit ski area 2002 - Dartmouth star and former Cochran’s racer, Roger Brown, wins NCAA Slalom Championship; Jessica Kelley wins silver medal in GS at World Junior Championships in Ravascletto, Italy 2003 - Jim Cochran joins his cousin, Jessica Kelley, on the U.S. Ski Team 2004 - Jim Cochran wins U.S. National GS and SL events; Jessica Kelley takes 3rd in GS Cochran Family inducted into the Vermont Ski Hall of Fame 2005 – Cochran’s mourns the loss of founder and friend, Ginny Cochran. Roger Brown & Tim Kelley join Jim & Jessica on the U.S. Ski Team, putting four “Cochrans” once again on the national team. 2006 – Jim Cochran is top American, 12th overall, in Olympic slalom in Torino, Italy |