Warren Hellman and Donald Tarinelli founded the school for their children to train and compete in high-level alpine skiing without interrupting their high school education. They recruited elite coaches and excellent teachers to join in the new program, and parents provided the housing.
As the idea caught on, SMS purchased an old ski lodge at the bottom of the ski area. The school continued to grow in its reputation and in the number of students that attended. In 1999, the school moved to its present location, a new campus on ten beautiful acres just off the base of Stratton Mountain. SMS constructed new faculty housing, additional dorm space, and state-of-the-art athletic facility in 2005 and built the Patti Kaltsas Education, Arts & Student Center, and the Air Awareness Center in 2014.
Today, SMS compares to New England’s most excellent independent schools as it provides learning, living, and training opportunities second to none. From the beginning, SMS graduates have attended the country’s finest colleges. Many join NCAA teams such as Dartmouth, Middlebury, Williams, Colby, Boston College, Bates, Bowdoin, UVM, and Colorado. More than 100 of our alumni have been named to National Teams, and more than 46 have participated in Olympics Games. Our Olympians include three gold medalists, one silver medalist, two bronze medalists, and several top-10 placements. Due to the energy, dedication, and talent of that pioneering group in 1972, SMS is now a fully accredited institution of 125-135 student-athletes in alpine, nordic, freeskiing, freestyle, and snowboard programs.