History of Schenectady Ski School

After graduating from Smith College in 1942, where she had been acting as a “student instructor” with the winter physical education ski classes, Frederica Anderson knew she wanted to continue teaching skiing. She obtained her first training and teaching certification in 1946 with what was then the U.S. Eastern Amateur Ski Association. Her next certification was in 1948 with the newly formed New York State Professional Ski Instructors Association, which was the first professional ski organization in the U.S., modeled after European organizations. As professional skiing organizations continued to grow, Freddie’s participation expanded; she became one of the original board members of PSIA-E.

In 1950 she started teaching friends and their children how to ski on the Municipal Golf Course in Schenectady. The next year she had so many requests for lessons that she recruited several of her best skiing buddies and instructed them in the correct teaching method.

Soon the abilities of the students outgrew the golf course, so she graduated the “advanced” classes to a rope tow area in Pattersonville. Occasionally she arranged bus trips for the ladies’ day classes and men’s night classes to nearby “real” ski areas where she conducted the lessons.

In 1967 the Mulyca family on Mariaville Road in Rotterdam built 2 rope tows on their farming land, added a modest lodge, and called it Maple Ski Ridge. Freddie made contact and asked if they would like to have ski lessons taught. From this modest beginning the area has evolved into a real ski area with 2 chair lifts, a spacious and rustic lodge with snack bar, 2 rope tows, and elaborate snow making and grooming. With over 60 instructors, the ski school now teaches more than 2,000 lessons weekly and is believed to be the oldest one in the country operating under the same director -- currently 58 years-- and is now teaching great-grandchildren of the original students.