Joseph Peter Wilson

Joseph Peter "Joe Pete" Wilson (May 22, 1935 – September 13, 2019) was an American Olympic cross-country skier, who skied for the U.S. in cross-country at the 1960 Winter Olympics and later became a well-known skiing administrator in the United States.

Wilson also in collaboration authored several books on cross-country skiing, all co-written by William J. Lederer.

Wilson set up the cross-country ski area at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont – the lodge established by the Trapp family of The Sound of Music fame.

As skiing started to grow in popularity in the U.S. in the 1940s and 1950s, colleges began including ski racing in their athletic programs.

Since the sport was so new, college coaches had to use the four best skiers they had in order to qualify as a team.

Each of the four did the best he could in his specialty of either cross country, jumping, downhill or slalom.

A four event skier was the rare athlete that could place high in all four disciplines.

Thus was born the Ski Meister Skier.

After leaving the U.S. Team, Wilson returned to Lake Placid and the family business.

He volunteered coaching high school kids throughout the Adirondacks.

He was eager to get coaches and skiers tuned into a great way of life.

He was also analyzing potential locations in the Lake Placid area to establish a U.S., Oslo style "Holmenkol".

But the time was not right.

He predicted at the time it would be at least ten years before there would be enough interest in the U.S. to support such an idea!

Consequently, he was more than mildly surprised when he was contacted by the head of the New York State.

Forest Rangers, Mr. William Petty, to research the Mount Van Hoevenberg area, with the idea in mind of creating cross country trails in a park type atmosphere.

Since the bobsled run was already there, they had substantial land holdings there.

Wilson had developed a reputation in his late teens for his knowledge of the woods, his logging abilities, road building capabilities, and knowledge of heavy equipment.

He eagerly took to the job.

He spent two months tramping, judging, and recording his notes.

His only concern at the time was if there would be adequate elevation change to comply with international rules.

Subsequent land purchases solved that problem.

In 1953 he graduated from Lake Placid High School where he was a Ski Meister Skier for four years.

In 1954 he attended Vermont Academy under Warren Chivers.

In 1958 he graduated from St. Lawrence University where he competed in cross country, Nordic combined, and Ski Meister under Otto Scheibs.

He was used for team Alpine scoring only when necessary.

He was elected Captain of the team for two years.

From 1959 to 1963, Wilson was a lieutenant in the United States Army.

He was assigned to the U.S. Biathlon Team Training at Fort Richardson, in Anchorage, Alaska.

He spent his entire four-year service career competing in cross-country and in Biathlon for the U.S. in Europe and with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Team.

Upon arrival at Fort Richardson, Wilson was shocked to discover there were absolutely no training facilities available for Biathlon.

No trails, and most importantly, no shooting range.

There were few people who knew what biathlon entailed.

In 1973, Wilson organized a meeting of 25 ski areas and established the National Ski Touring Operators' Association.

Wilson was named as its first President from 1973-1977.

After several name changes it is now called the Cross Country Ski Areas Association (CCSAA).

CCSAA is an international association of U.S. and Canadian cross-country ski areas.

Wilson is also known for having set up an inn in Keene, New York, the Bark Eater Inn, and developing the ski trails around the inn.

Born in Lake Placid, New York to Gordon H. Wilson and Anna L. Wilson, Joe Pete spent his summers on his family farm in Keene, New York.

As a result of the efforts required to hold the 1980 Olympics it became next to Holmenkollen, the premier cross country ski center in the world.