The Chummy Broomhall Award is given out every year to a volunteer who embodies the ethos of Chummy who was the Chisholm Ski Club leader for 70 plus years, a 2 time Olympian, and builder of the Olympic race courses for Palisades Tahoe, Lake Placid, and Black Mountain. He embodied the spirit of being a volunteer generously giving his time and energy to generations of skiers. It is in this spirit that this award be in his honor for the unsung heroes of ski racing. We are excited to share that Caroline Mathes of the Quarry Road Ski Club is the winner of the 2025 Chummy Broomhall Award.
Coaching the Youth Ski League at Quarry Road since 2007, Caroline has been instrumental in building Waterville’s thriving ski community. She previously helped coach the junior ski program in Farmington, and is a three time chair of the New England Bill Koch Festival.
Caroline is dedicated to introducing as many young people as possible to skiing. Every year the youth program she spearheads, along with a group of dedicated volunteers, introduces over 50 children to cross country skiing by leading skiers on a wide variety of adventures all focused on having fun on the snow.
Jeff Tucker, Quarry Road’s Program Director, shared, “I’m impressed by Caroline’s ability to juggle meeting the needs of all skiers in the program; she’s equally attentive to the struggling beginner as the energetic skiers that are gliding away from their instructors.”
Jeff also shared the following memory, “One of my favorite days on skis this winter at Quarry Road Trails, I subbed in to help coach the intermediate ski group. I was amazed when I asked the group where they wanted to ski, that they all wanted to go on the most technical and hilliest trails we have! They were having a blast lapping Hero’s Hill, riding over snow rollers, and finding side jumps to hit. It was one of the easiest coaching sessions I’ve ever done at a practice, because they had grown their ski skills in a system where they were competent to push their own boundaries without me pushing them, and were having fun doing it. This positive introduction to the sport is not by accident. Caroline pays meticulous attention to where she is placing volunteer instructors and skiers so that the entire group is a good fit.”
In addition to coaching and managing the youth program, Caroline also oversees a ski lease fleet that can outfit every participant in the program with affordable and skill-appropriate equipment, significantly reducing one of the sport’s main barriers to entry.
Fellow Quarry Road Ski Coach and former NENSA Executive Director, Pat Cote, shared, “Caroline has sacrificed so many winter afternoons to chase down a pair of boots or a set of poles for a kid who might have forgotten them at home or might not have shown up for the ‘required’ ski lease handout times. She always prioritizes making the new kids and new families feel comfortable and welcome in a sport that can feel incredibly exclusive and challenging for outsiders.”
Caroline’s commitment to creating an accessible and welcoming program for young people to push their limits in a safe environment, grow their skills, and develop a deep love for skiing is fundamental to fostering skiers for life with a foundation to compete at the highest level of the sport.
“Caroline is incredibly deserving of this award, and has been for a long time. She embodies community, fun, and a lifelong love of the sport that has made our ski area and club into the thriving group it is today,” reflected Jeff.
Pat shared similar sentiments saying, “Caroline’s enthusiasm for skiing has been a foundation of Quarry Road Ski Club from its very beginnings as co-founder of Central Maine Ski Club which practiced on the North Street soccer fields before Quarry Road even existed. We can’t even begin to measure the impact Caroline has had on our community and would not even try to count the hours!”
Congratulations, Caroline, and thank you for your deep and longstanding commitment to the young skiers of Waterville and the greater New England ski community!
