Ski and Snowboard Museum to honor world-record skier
January 3, 2026 | By Waterbury Roundabout 
Long-distance skier Noah Dines is to be honored at the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum on Jan. 16. Courtesy photo
The Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum will honor Stowe skier Noah Dines as its 2025 First Tracks Award recipient during a special program on Jan. 16.
The award recognizes a Vermonter under the age of 35 who has made a significant accomplishment in skiing or snowboarding and has enriched Vermont’s snow sports heritage.
The museum notes that Dines exemplifies this spirit through a record-setting year that redefined what is possible in human-powered skiing.
In 2024, at age 30, Dines set a new world record for the most human-powered vertical feet skied in a single calendar year, accumulating an astonishing 3,590,097 vertical feet between Jan. 1 and Dec. 30, an effort equivalent to climbing Mount Everest more than 120 times. Beginning and ending his quest in Stowe, Dines surpassed the previous record in early September, reached his personal goal of 3 million vertical feet by late October, and continued skiing through year’s end.
His journey took him across Vermont and around the world, including the Alps, the Pacific Northwest, and South America, as he chased winter conditions and averaged more than 9,800 vertical feet per day. Along the way, Dines says he found motivation through the people and communities he encountered.
Established in 2017, the First Tracks Award is given in memory of Ian Graddock, a former Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum board member, passionate lifelong skier, and dedicated volunteer. Graddock shared his love of alpine skiing through his work with the Mt. Mansfield Ski Club and the museum. The museum invites nominations for future First Tracks Award recipients. Requirements are posted on the museum’s website.
This year’s award will be presented to Dines during a special Red Bench Speaker Series program at the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum on Jan. 16. It will include the premiere of a short film produced by the museum in honor of Dines’ accomplishment, followed by a conversation with David Goodman, ski journalist and author. The discussion will cover the physical, mental, and logistical challenges of living much of the year out of a truck, taking only a handful of rest days, and what lies ahead for Dines.
The Jan. 16 event will be held at the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum, 1 South Main Street, Stowe. Doors open at 5:45 p.m.; the award ceremony begins at 6:30 p.m. Beverages and light appetizers will be served. Admission is $25 in advance and capacity is limited. More information and a link to purchase tickets is on the museum’s website here.