Chasing Ponytails: VT's Blitzkrieg Blondie

Words and Interview by Allison Brew Kozar l STE Contributing Editor

Welcome back to the continuing adventure that is Chasing Ponytails; a journey across the East to find worthy industry girls. The quest continues with Sarah Neith, Ski Vermont’s Director of Public Affairs.  This girl isn’t all sugar and spice and all that bull. She is a charging skier and captain of the Green Mountain Derby Dames, a nationally ranked A-team in the roller derby league. Her alter-ego with these Grade A Fancies is Blitzkrieg Blondie.

Sarah says roller derby is great cross training because it uses similar muscles and boosts confidence; “my fear factor has dropped because I hit people on skates.” But don’t go thinking Derby is like some fluffy Ellen Page movie; there are rules and it can be a pretty strict sport.

 

Nonetheless, all of Sarah’s injuries have come from skating, not skiing. In late 2010, she broke her ankle on the brink of the ski season; last February she was out with a concussion for a few weeks; “someone landed on my head," said Neith without much concern.

Sarah grew up skiing in the Poconos and in 1994 became a junior patroller at Camelback Ski Resort. Patrolling took her out of teen world and helped her build confidence as an adult. In 1999, she got schooled at UVM, moved to Burlington, and started patrolling at Bolton Valley.

After earning an art degree, she turned down a retail management job to patrol full time at Sugarbush in 2005. Watching the sunrise and getting first tracks on deserted trails “are the moments that make the job awesome.” After spending four years with Ashgate Publishing and building her marketing skills she joined ISIS in 2010, before the company left Burlington.

Sarah applied to Ski Vermont in early 2012; “I saw the ad and was like ‘I got to do that. I want to work with those people. Those are my people.’” She is a qualified die-hard skier with a royal flush of connections in the Vermont ski industry, exactly what the organization was looking for.

 

“Just like any profession, working in the ski industry is about being in it and knowing the people on the hill. If you don’t put yourself out there and you’re just waiting around for the perfect job it’s not going to happen.”

Before being accepted on the Ski Vermont crew Sarah was asked an important question by Ski Vermont Marketing Director Jason Gibbs: “Do you like to have fun?” An important characteristic for working at Ski Vermont.; but she insists it’s not all fun and games. Sarah spends a lot of hours in front of the computer or on the phone - especially in the off season. Excited for her first winter season with Ski Vermont she has one other goal in mind - ski every resort in the Green Mountain State.

During our interview Sarah told me she was in the middle of planning her wedding and is getting married in early October (just a couple days ago). I'd like to wish her and her husband, Chris, the best. Also urge him to stay in line and remember, Blitzkrieg Blondie can take you.