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Waterville
Colby Ski Area
Data | History | Links | Map | Comments
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Ski jump:
| K-Point: | 32 m |
| Further jumps: | no |
| Plastic matting: | no |
| Year of construction: | 1950 |
| Conversions: | 1964 |
| Operating until: | 1979 |
| Status: | destroyed |
| Coordinates: | 44.580683, -69.654743 ✔ 
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History:
The ski jump in Waterville, Maine, located on the grounds of the former Colby Ski Area, represents an important chapter in the history of collegiate and local skiing in New England. Its origins date back to the 1930s, when in the northern part of the city—an area known as Mountain Farm or Dunham’s Mountain—some of the earliest ski facilities in the country equipped with a rope tow were established. As early as the winter of 1937/38, a 1,700-foot rope tow and a toboggan run were put into operation. The area served not only Colby College students but also the local community, hosting winter carnivals that for several years became a key part of campus life. During World War II, these events were suspended, but recreational activity resumed after 1945.
The ski jump as a specific sports structure was not built until the 1950/51 season, and its reconstruction was completed in 1964, when the worn wooden jump was replaced by a new earth-built hill with a K-point of 32 meters. This was part of a broader initiative to expand the Colby Ski Area, which officially opened on January 10, 1964. The investment was made possible in part by a donation from Mildred Vigue, who contributed part of the land in honor of her brother, a Colby graduate of 1920. The complex featured a T-bar lift, a beginner’s rope tow, an artificial snowmaking system, and lighting for night skiing.
Although the new ski jump met contemporary standards and was primarily used for training sessions and collegiate or regional competitions, its operational period was relatively short. By 1979, Colby College announced the closure of the entire ski area due to the rising maintenance costs of the infrastructure—including lifts and the snowmaking system. From that point on, the jump ceased to be used for sporting purposes, and the site gradually became overgrown.
A new chapter in the area’s history began in 2007, when the local community initiated a project to revitalize the former ski grounds as Quarry Road Trails, a multi-season recreation center. The City of Waterville purchased 100 acres of land from the college. Around 2012, the Harold Alfond Foundation supported the project with a $285,000 grant, enabling the expansion of cross-country ski trails and the installation of a new snowmaking system. In the following years, including 2021, thanks to support from Friends of Quarry Road and the Bill & Joan Alfond Foundation, a new portable rope tow was installed on the slope—partially overlapping with the former ski jump site.
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