John Morgan’s philosophy when building the VIC lodge was simple: If you build it, they will come.No matter how far-fetched it seemed, Paul Smith’s College was on its way to building a skiing dynasty less than three years ago. Now in 2023, Paul Smith’s College has a national championship from its first season and will be sending four athletes and a coach to Lake Placid for the 2023 FISU World University Games. So how did a school of fewer than 1,000 students become a skiing juggernaut in less than three years?”Build it, they will come,” said Olympic broadcasting legend John Morgan. “And anyone who has been on these trails knows these are world-class trails.”Along with the only Biathlon range on an American college campus, the VIC has 25 miles of skiable terrain for athletes to train on.Bobcats Junior Aidan Ripp was ready to quit skiing entirely after high school until he heard what Paul Smith’s was doing to throw themselves into the world of collegiate skiing. “I was kind of done just racing competitively,” said Ripp. “One of the USA nordic coaches and organizers emailed me one time and he said you should just throw an application in now. I realized during that decision time that I really love to ski and that’s what it came down to for me.”Three years after almost quitting the sport for good, Ripp is a national champion in combined nordic and is one of the two members of Paul Smith’s nordic team to represent the USA in Lake Placid.The Bobcats will also have representation on the Biathlon range, with two members representing the United States. An experience Paul Smith’s junior Dolcie Tanguy is still trying to wrap her head around. “I don’t know, it’s pretty special to be doing this,” said Tanguy. “I didn’t know these games existed, and now that we’re hosting them in the U.S. is pretty special.”
John Morgan’s philosophy when building the VIC lodge was simple: If you build it, they will come.
No matter how far-fetched it seemed, Paul Smith’s College was on its way to building a skiing dynasty less than three years ago. Now in 2023, Paul Smith’s College has a national championship from its first season and will be sending four athletes and a coach to Lake Placid for the 2023 FISU World University Games.
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So how did a school of fewer than 1,000 students become a skiing juggernaut in less than three years?
“Build it, they will come,” said Olympic broadcasting legend John Morgan. “And anyone who has been on these trails [at the VIC] knows these are world-class trails.”
Along with the only Biathlon range on an American college campus, the VIC has 25 miles of skiable terrain for athletes to train on.
Bobcats Junior Aidan Ripp was ready to quit skiing entirely after high school until he heard what Paul Smith’s was doing to throw themselves into the world of collegiate skiing.
“I was kind of done just racing competitively,” said Ripp. “One of the USA nordic coaches and organizers emailed me one time and he said you should just throw an application in now. I realized during that decision time that I really love to ski and that’s what it came down to for me.”
Three years after almost quitting the sport for good, Ripp is a national champion in combined nordic and is one of the two members of Paul Smith’s nordic team to represent the USA in Lake Placid.
The Bobcats will also have representation on the Biathlon range, with two members representing the United States. An experience Paul Smith’s junior Dolcie Tanguy is still trying to wrap her head around.
“I don’t know, it’s pretty special to be doing this,” said Tanguy. “I didn’t know these games existed, and now that we’re hosting them in the U.S. is pretty special.”
