Ski Resort Changing Name Over Mental Health Concerns
Ski Resort Changing Name Over Mental Health Concerns
Published : 29-Jun-2022 07:24
One of America's longest established ski areas has announced it is to change its name, with a new name decided but not yet announced.
Vermont's Suicide Six ski area says it will be "retiring" its current name this summer.
"Our resort team embraces the increasing awareness surrounding mental health and shares the growing concerns about the insensitive nature of the historical name. The feelings that the word "suicide" evokes can have a significant impact on many in our community," a resort statement explains, going on to say a new name has been chosen and will be announced later this summer.
"The Suicide Six Ski Area has an enduring legacy spanning nearly nine decades, and it is vital that the name better represents and celebrates what makes it a beloved and vibrant part of this community. Though some may find the change difficult, we stand by our conviction that this evolution is warranted for an iconic treasure and, more importantly, necessary to continue its rich history of inclusion and accessibility."
Suicide Six is not internationally well known but was where the first rope town in North America was installed in 1934.
The name change is the latest for US ski areas with the resort formerly known as Squaw Valley in California changing its name to The Palisades Tahoe having determined that the word "squaw" is a racial slur.
There is also a similar move to rename the small Big Squaw Mountain ski area in Maine to Big Moose Mountain.
The name of the physical mountain was changed in 2000 and the volunteers running the surviving ski lift seem to refer to it as just 'The Mountain' although some legacy factors like the website address continue to have the word "squaw" in them.
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