Connecticut
Connecticut Ski Area Likely Closed For Good After Sale
Woodbury, Connecticut — Woodbury’s life as a ski area appears to be over.
The Republican American reports that the former Woodbury Ski Area has been sold to a local couple. Seymour Blackwood and Simone Pyne have purchased the property for $675,000 and intend to convert the base lodge into a home. They could run the lifts, as they are operational, but it’s unclear whether the new homeowners are skiers or riders. This move to make the base lodge a home likely means the end of public skiing and riding at the Woodbury ski area.
Woodbury opened in the early 1960s and was initially known as the Tapawingo Ski Area. In 1972, former U.S. Ski Team member Rod Taylor bought the ski hill and renamed it Woodbury Ski and Racquet Club. In the 2000s, they were the first ski area in New England to open for the season several times, beating out the heavyweights Killington and Sunday River. However, since Connecticut’s winters are underwhelming compared to its New England counterparts, they focused on adding many summer attractions.
The longtime owner of Woodbury, Olympian Rod Taylor, passed away in 2014, and the last year it operated for skiing was in 2016. The mountain did not open during the 2016-2017 season and was placed on the market in 2017. Numerous owners followed without any success in reopening the mountain. One proposal came from Art Powers, who wanted to turn the hill into a venue with various summer attractions. Before a deal could be finalized, Art died in a skiing accident at Stowe in February of 2021.
In 2021, it appeared like Woodbury would be revived. Eric Anderson, the owner of Quassy Amusement Park, bought the property and aimed to reopen the tubing park and the ski area. However, he was too preoccupied with running the amusement park and decided to put the properties back on the market in 2022. For more information about the life and times of Woodbury, check out New England Ski History.
Image Credits: Woodbury Ski Area, Skimap.org