Save the Whale- Valley News Column

[whaleBACK]

Making the Whale Go

If Evan Dybvig were raising money to build the Upper Valley's one-zillionth self-storage complex or yet another mega-convenience store along Interstate 89, banks and private investors probably would be lining up.

Suits with deep pockets seem only too happy to bankroll mundane -- that is, safe -- projects. The plan proposed by Dybvig, who grew up in Tunbridge and competed in the 1998 and 2002 Winter Olympics, doesn't fit that mold.

He is trying to save the Whale

When most of us drive past Whaleback Mountain in Enfield we see a small, family-run ski area that has been shuttered since 2001. But Dybvig, with two bum knees and a month shy of his 30th birthday, sees beyond ski trails that are becoming overgrown for lack of use and a base lodge needing a fresh coat of paint. He can see Whaleback's potential as one big park for the X Games set.

He envisions a prime training ground for up-and-coming freestyle skiers, who specialize in snow acrobatics and jumps. Maybe even a home base for future Olympians. Recreational freestyle skiers, alpiners and snowboarders of all ages would also be welcome to take advantage of the mogul run and half-pipe that he would build. And since Whaleback already has lights, the ski area could run day and night.

When it's not ski season (which means most of the year), Dybvig's Whaleback would still hum with activity. There would be summer camps, featuring trampolines and foam pits, for kids wanting to learn how to pull off a misty flip. There would be a downhill mountain bike course and a skateboarding park.

“It can't survive as a traditional ski area,” he said. “It's got to have an identity.”

Dybvig has been looking to channel his entrepreneurial spirit since shortly after his skiing career ended during the 2002 Winter Olympic men's mogul competition in Park City, Utah. He fell on the landing of his second jump, tearing up a right knee that already had a partially torn ACL from a crash three months earlier.

Later, while teaching skiing at Killington, Dybvig pitched the idea of a year-round freestyle training mecca to the resort, but didn't get far. Another Killington employee, Frank Sparrow, who runs a skateboard park in Rutland, urged Dybvig to look at Whaleback.

Tim and Sally Herbert of Etna bought the ski area, which dates back to the late 1950s, in 1993. Too many short winters with too little snow forced them to close four years ago.

With an asking price of $1.2 million for 154 acres, there have been plenty of inquiries from potential buyers, including housing developers. But the Herberts are hoping that it can remain open to skiing. “Evan's plan is perfect for the ski area,” Tim Herbert told me. “He's geared toward kids and a niche market. It’s the only way to make Whaleback go.”

Last December, Dybvig, a two-time national mogul champion, reached an agreement with the Herberts to buy the ski area. Sparrow joined him as a partner while his father, Richard Dybvig, a Tunbridge architect, also became an investor.

After agreeing with the Herberts on a purchase price of less than $1 million, Dybvig started knocking on bank doors. His original business plan called for raising $2 million to upgrade the ski area. But the banks weren't interested in getting behind an “unproven and new” idea for a ski area that has historically struggled. It probably didn't help that Dybvig doesn’t have business experience or a college degree.

“Getting people behind it emotionally is easy, but getting them behind it with their wallets is not,” Tim Herbert said.

After downsizing his plans, Dybvig received a commitment from a bank, contingent on him raising $500,000 from private investors. He's about halfway there.

If Whaleback is going to be running this winter, though, the financing must come together soon. “I know where I'd like Whaleback to go, I just don't know how to get there,” he said.

Dybvig has tried just about everything, even entering the second annual Start-Up New Hampshire Business Plan Competition. The contest, started by former Gov. Craig Benson, awards $250,000 in cash prizes. In a field with more than 300 entries, the Whaleback plan was selected to be among 15 finalists. On Monday, Dybvig and Sparrow went before contest judges in Concord. They finished out of the money, losing to a company that makes gelato -- whatever that is.

I know that this is how the free enterprise system is supposed to work. If Dybvig can't convince banks and private investors that he has a viable plan, he needs to move on.

But Dybvig doesn't give up easily. After crashing at the 2002 Olympics, he was sprawled across the snow, screaming in pain as he clutched his right knee. Emergency medical workers rushed onto the slope.

Dybvig struggled to his feet, skiing the rest of the way down the hill on one leg. He finished his Olympic run. This time all he has to do is climb the mountains.

Jim Kenyon can be reached at Jim.Kenyon@Valley.net.

[Steven S. Dallas]

I think it's a great idea. How's the pitch at at the 'Whale- the frontside looks mebbe a little steep for ideal park condish (sweet for bumping, though). And I don't even know if there's a backside... Doesn't Line want to throw down some cash to get in on this?