Kenmore West High School
Class Of 1964
Brian Fairbank
Brian Fairbank .png)
Brian has recently been inducted into the 2020 class of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. From his early career days teaching on the slopes in Western New York, Brian has been recognized as a pioneer in green energy and sustainability. He was one of the first ski industry leaders to install a wind turbine at his slopes at Jiminy Peak. His innovative thinking later resulted in the addition of a solar facility making his resort the first in America powered by 100% local renewable energy. He was one of the first to install a lake at the top of his ski area making it possible to produce snow for a fraction of the price. Gravity did the majority of the work.
Brian is also the holder of a number of patents for snow making equipment and for the materials and means of applying the air/water mix to produce snow. His equipment is able to produce snow at temperatures well above freezing. This results in a longer season.
When Brian first got involved with the operations of his resort and became general manager, he and his wife opened a 200 room Inn to make the ski area more of a destination. This brought skiers from Boston, New York City and Albany who previously thought the slopes too far for a day trip. What was 45,000 trips a year blossomed to 200,000.
Today, Brian’s company, The Fairbank Group, operates Bromley in Vermont, Cranmore in New Hampshire, and Jiminy Peak in Hancock, Massachusetts. Obviously, there is a lot more to Brian’s story. Much of it is summarized in the Berkshire Eagle which can be found in this link:
Congratulations, Brian. You make us proud. Oh, and here’s Brian today.
.png)
(with special thanks to Fred Ego)