NH Secrets Legends & Lore: February 2024

Ep 101

Tom Gross - Athlete, Media Star and Waterville Valley's Informal Historian

Watch on YouTube : https://youtu.be/8lnZlRdwxL0

What began as a project to tell the story of Waterville Valley as the birthplace of Freestyle skiing quickly morphed into Waterville Valley as a crucible of cultural vision and change. In the coming weeks, we'll take you into the lives of JD Nelson and his friend Jack Sanders who took a young Wayne Wong, Floyd Wilkie and George Askevold under their wings to make sure that they were not taken advantage of as they began their journey to superstardom in the brand new world of Hotdog Skiing - soon to be called "Freestyle".

You'll meet Frank Dubois, the first certified African American ski instructor in America, Jerry Dunfey who intersected with their lives from his perch at the Parker House Hotel in Boston and the slopes of Waterville. as well as John and Donni Hughes, Bernie Weichsel, Executive Director of the first professional Freestyle association The International Freestyle Skiers Association, and others.

Through it all Tom Gross, trusted friend to Olympic superstar and Waterville Valley founder Tom Cochran, was often at the center of the media storm. He was there at the beginning, announced races and competitions all over the country, and hobnobbed with celebrities (He's the only person I know who actually got Bill Russell to autograph something for him.)

Whenever I would engage someone from Waterville Valley the conversation would invariably lead to Tom Gross who has forgotten more about Waterville Valley than the rest of us know.

He's a great storyteller on top of it all.

Tom Gross

http://www.tommygross.com/

President

Legends Productions

Waterville Valley Resort Association

Graduate of New England College: Tom was inducted into the New England College Athletic Hall Of Fame in 1996 for tennis with a combined four year record of 77-2 in singles and doubles, a member of three undefeated seasons, and a three year recipient of the Coach's Award.

Tom Gross Jr. - one of the well-deserved inductees WValley Hall of Fame in 2019.

Tom was hired by the great Rod Laver in 1975

77-2 record as a tennis star for New England College

Tom's versatile career ranges from writing the creative copy 'Equal Only To Itself,' and 'Destiny Beckons,' for the Ferrari Campaign of North America, to announcing World Cup Finals.

As host of one of the most successful 'live' resort cable TV shows in the nation aired twice daily on Waterville Valley's WVTV-6, Tom and WVTV-6 became the first and only Resort Sports Network market to ever win both the morning and evening time slots during the Arbitron's.

For eight years he was the New England Ski Reporter and tennis instructional talent for NBC affiliate WBZ-TV4 in Boston, MA. As a former tennis professional for the Laver-Emerson Tennis Holiday's and National Director of Tennis for the Rod Laver Tennis Holidays, Tom has written extensively for World Tennis Magazine and Tennis Magazine in London, England. He is the owner and President of multiple businesses in Waterville Valley, NH including Legends 1291 Sports Grille, the Olde Waterville Pizza Company, the Flying Burrito's Mexican take-out, the White Mountain Athletic Club and the Waterville Valley Tennis Center which is consistently named one of the 'Top 50' Tennis resorts in America by Tennis Magazine, and one of the Top 50 tennis resorts in the world by Tennis Resorts Online. Tom was inducted into the New England College Athletic Hall Of Fame in 1996 for tennis with a combined four year record of 77-2 in singles and doubles, a member of three undefeated seasons, and a three year recipient of the Coach's Award.

As a photographic design artist for his company Legends Productions, Tom recently designed The Boston Garden It's Magic... It's Memories 1928-1995, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and the 10th Anniversary collage poster of the New Hampshire International Speedway, three posters currently being marketed throughout the country. Currently he is working on the history of the Boston Red Sox and Fenway Park.

Tom has announced over 850 athletic events throughout the country including seven World Cup ski races and the 1991 World Cup Finals.

He has been an announcer, an emcee and a auctioneer at a variety of prestigious events, including the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Golf Tournament in Hyannis Port, MA; George Bush's Cape Arundel Golf Classic in Kennebunkport, ME, Lance Armstrong's Foundation Gala in Austin, TX, Andre Agassi's Grand Slam For Children in Las Vegas NV; Michael Bolton Charitable Gala in Stamford, CT, American Airlines Celebrity Golf event in Newport Beach, CA; Keyshawn Johnson's Celebrity Golf Classic in Dallas, TX, the Academy of Country Music Charitable Foundation in Las Vegas, NV, The Merrill Lynch Celebrity Ski Classic in Deer Valley, Utah, The Fidelity Investment Legends Cup in Telluride, CO, 'Sizzlin' Country in Las Vegas, NV, Shine On Miami in Miami, FL, Country In The Rockies in Crested Butte, CO and the American Airlines Celebrity Ski event in Vail, Colorado.

In 2001 Tom signed with BMI as a songwriter. He has co-written the Celebrity Cruise song 'Fueled By Moonlight Dust,' and currently has 'You Fit Me,' 'Southern Gates of Heaven,' 'Raiders of the Heart,' 'Come On America,' 'We're Already There,' 'The Key's Under the Conch Shell,' 'Build A Wall' and 'Shine On' being pitched in Nashville and throughout the music industry.

For 25 years Tom has donated his time to help raise more than $85 million for organizations involved with human rights, cystic fibrosis, women and children at risk, education, cancer, 9/11, angel flight, birth defects and adoption.

Tom's civic duty in the Town of Waterville Valley, NH includes being Chairman of the Board of Adjustment, Chairman of the Waterville Valley Electric Advisory Committee, Vice President of the Waterville Valley Resort Association, and served 10 years as a volunteer fire fighter.