Wendell BROOMHALL

Wendell “Chummy” Broomhall had a long career in skiing, both as a competitor, soldier, and administrator of the sport. He competed in the 1948 and 1952 Winter Olympics, but also helped organize the 1951 FIS World Nordic Championships, held in Rumford, Maine. At the 1960 Squaw Valley Olympics he was Chief of Events for the cross-country competitions, where he introduced machine grooming to the cross-country courses. He worked after the war as a milkman for the Hood Company, but when the company would not grant him a leave of absence to work at the 1960 Winter Olympics, Broomhall started a logging business with his brother Cy and ran the logging business himself until he retired over 35 years ago. During World War II, Broomhall served in the 10th Mountain Division.

Broomhall coached numerous local skiers in Maine, including several Olympians, notably Bob Pidacks. He later donated 300 acres of his own land in the Maine wilderness to Black Mountain of Maine, and the Chisholm Ski Club has used this to develop ski trails. Broomhall was inducted into the US Ski Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Maine Ski Hall of Fame in 2003.