BLANDFORD, Massachusetts — Life-long member of the Springfield Ski Club, Jay Pagluica, has retired after 16 years serving on the club’s Board of Directors. During that time he has held the positions of webmaster, junior program & marketing directors, vice president and president.

After first learning to ski with his dad at the town ski slope in Manchester, Connecticut, Pagluica first skied Blandford in the mid-60’s and was hooked. The friendly little area that he, his brother and two sisters traveled to every winter weekend had captured his young imagination. “There were 7 rope tows on the hill with the longest haul being Broadway,” said Pagluica. “You had to get off half way up and then take another to the top” of the long dog-leg shaped trail. Just a small ski area by today’s standards, there was certainly enough to explore as a kid. “We found little ‘sneaky trails’ through the woods and used to hike to what is now the top of Put’s Peril and Corliss Wright of Way. We did get into a bit of trouble for our explorations once in a while. The ski patrol wasn’t always happy with our adventures” remembers Pagluica. The club’s web site at www.skiblandford.org has a page showing what the ski area looked like in 1965.

During his tenure on the Board, Pagluica saw a lot of growth. The development of the club’s website, improved snowmaking and grooming, and a family focus in the ski area’s snow sports education center & racing programs have all contributed to the Club’s continued success. The most incredible part is that most of this growth happened thanks to volunteers and donations to the club. “We’ve been blessed with an incredible amount of dedicated talent. There’s no one person that has made this club what it is over the years. Generations of families and friends have worked together to make this ski area special like no other. It’s been an honor to serve this club” says Pagluica.

The Springfield Ski Club’s Blandford Ski Area, located ?? hour west of Springfield, Massachusetts, is the oldest club-owned ski area in North America. They’ll be celebrating their 75th anniversary in 2010. For more information visit the club website at www.skiblandford.org or call the club office at 413.848.2860