HISTORY OF THE P.S.O.C. SKI PATROL

The Penn State Ski Club was organized by Max Dercum, a Penn State professor, and others in January 1936. Later that same year ski trails were cut on Bald Knob Mountain near Boalsburg, PA on land owned then by Colonel T. D. Boal and subsequently owned by Claude Aikens. The name of the club was changed to Penns Valley Ski Club in January 1942. In 1953 this club disbanded and most of its members joined the newly organized Penn State Outing Club.

The Penn State Outing Club (PSOC) Ski Patrol was organized in 1958 when several members of the Penns Valley Ski Club journeyed to Laurel Mountain where ‘impresario’ Doc Des Roches administered a test and pronounced Alan R. Simmons, Chiko Haramaki, Carl Young, Chuck Kauffman, Judy Wadleigh and Bob Barlett qualified patrollers.

The Penn State Outing Club Ski Patrol originally handled patrol activities at Bald KnobMountain from 1958 to 1962. With the opening of Skimont the winter of 1962/63, the patrol moved across the pass to the present ski area. During the ‘60’s and ‘70’s the PSOC Ski Patrol serviced Skimont and also provided patrol coverage for the Black Moshannon Ski Area from 1974 to 1983. Today the patrol continues to furnish volunteer services to the Tussey Mountain Ski Resort. The PSOC Patrol Directors over the years are listed below:

Alan R. Simmons	1958-1961
Chiko Haramaki	1961-1970
Jack Winter	1970-1977
Helen Haugh	1977-1983
Jon Eckess	1983-1988
Doug Reddy	1988-1990
Tom Brown	1990-1992
Ted Hovermale	1992-Present