Burke Mountain Academy

Burke Mountain Academy
Front building in summer 2023
Address
60 Alpine Lane East Burke, Vermont, U.S.
Information
Founded	1970; 55 years ago (1970)
Founders	Martha Coughlin and Warren Witherell
Head of school	Willy Booker
Grades	7–12, PG
Enrollment	66
Website	http://burkemtnacademy.org/

Burke Mountain Academy is a full-year private college-preparatory school in the northeastern United States, located in East Burke, Vermont. It educates and trains alpine ski racing athletes on the slopes of adjacent Burke Mountain Ski Area.^[1][2][3]

Overview

Burke Mountain Academy (BMA), located in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont in Caledonia County, is a full-year private college-preparatory school that educates and trains alpine ski racing athletes on the slopes of nearby Burke Mountain Ski Area.^[3]

The school was founded in 1970 when “Martha Coughlin approached coach Warren Witherell seeking year-round training to help her achieve her dream of being named to the U.S. Ski Team.”^[4] It was the first ski academy in North America.^[5] In 2020, there are numerous ski academies in the U.S. and Canada.^[6] BMA has, in addition to alpine ski racers, trained Nordic skiers throughout the school’s 50 year history. As of 2020, the Nordic ski program is on hold.^[7]

Alumni

East 
Burke

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Location in Vermont

Notables

• Diann Roffe '85
• Shane McConkey ‘88
• Fábio Igel '89
• Julie Parisien '89
• Thomas Grandi '90
• Erik Schlopy '90
• Chip Knight '93
• Liz Stephen '05
• Ida Sargent '06
• Nolan Kasper '07
• Thomas Biesemeyer '08
• Warren Cummings Smith '10
• Mikaela Shiffrin '13^[8]
• Nina O'Brien '14

References

1. Witherell, Warren (1988). How the Racers Ski. Norton. ISBN 978-0-393-30344-5.
2. Clarey, Christopher (February 13, 2019). "At Shiffrin's Alma Mater, Future Ski Champions for $58,000 a Year" – via NYTimes.com.
3. Casale, Lucy M. (February 15, 2018). "Behind Burke Mountain's rise to become the top U.S. Olympic ski racing school". Boston Globe. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
4. "History | Burke Mountain Academy". Retrieved February 17, 2020.
5. Looney, Douglas S. "IT'S ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE". Vault. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
6. "USSA's Tom Kelly inspires Vail Ski & Snowboard Academy student-athletes". Ski Racing Media. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
7. "Over Before It Really Began: Burke and Sweetser Part Ways". FasterSkier.com.
8. Jon M. Fishman (September 1, 2014). Mikaela Shiffrin. Lerner Publications. p. 29. ISBN 978-1-4677-5782-9.

External links

• Official website

44.593°N 71.906°W / 44.593; -71.906