The origins of Winter Carnival traditions are rooted in outdoor events and drama.
During early carnivals, there was drama in the performances of College theatrical groups as well as in the on-campus sporting events -- the suspense of whether enough snow would accumulate to allow the events to take place.
Along with the disappearance of the Carnival traditions of skating exhibitions and ski jumps, the advancement of artificial snow-making technology has eliminated much of the drama of whether it will snow this weekend.
But in the past, snow on Winter Carnival Weekend could mean the difference between 1,000 spectators watching ski jump festivities at the golf course, or a markedly smaller number of dedicated fans making the 40-mile trek to the nearest mountain with sufficient snow to hold skiing events.
From the first field day...
According to College mythology, Fred Harris '11, who owned the only set of skis in Hanover in 1909, conceived the idea for Winter Carnival while staring out his dorm window at the snow.
His idea for what would become Winter Carnival was tied to his notion of a "ski and snowshoe club" that eventually became the Dartmouth Outing Club.
Harris wrote a letter to The Dartmouth in late 1909 suggesting his idea for a new club "to stimulate interest in out of door winter sports."
He suggested a "field day" in February -- which was in between semesters at the time -- that was partially modeled on Montreal's winter sports carnival.
Harris said he felt Dartmouth students were not taking advantage of the opportunities for winter sports that the College's location provided.
Thus the first field day took place in 1910 at the golf course and near Occom Pond, including events like ski and snowshoe races. One contestant won the ski jump by flying 45 feet.
Director of Outdoor Programs Earl Jette said it was one of the first events to demonstrate that winter could be fun.
It was not until the next year, 1911, that the events were dubbed a "carnival."
The second year of events also marked the introduction of drama productions coinciding with the Winter Carnival events. A production of "David Garrick" accompanied the outdoor festivities.
Winter Carnival started to grow beyond the bounds of the College in 1915, when other schools from the eastern United States and Canada were invited to participate.
Motion picture cameramen were also present that year to film footage to use in newsreels around the world.
But as the spectacle of Winter Carnival grew, problems of staging developed as well. Wet snow in 1915 hindered many events and the spectators were often unable to see the contestants in the races.
Jette said the early programming was aimed at the entire community rather than just the students.
Snow business like show business
In 1916, the motion picture men returned, and joining them were several representatives from New York City newspapers.
In addition to the intercollegiate competitions, many outdoor events were open to all Dartmouth students, including a new feature: the ski-joring contest on Wheelock Street, where a mass of competitors were pulled on skis behind five horses.
Students were allowed to enter any events by simply submitting their names, although ski-jumping hopefuls had to first pass an elimination round.
That year, over 2,000 spectators turned out to watch the events at Occom Pond and the golf course. But the winter weather that made the Carnival possible also helped derail it briefly when a late afternoon snowstorm prevented skating races from taking place and slowed potential ski-jumpers.
The Winter Carnival festivities continued to grow. The outdoor sporting events and play were soon joined by grander festivities along the lines of ice skating exhibitions, parades and fireworks.
By the 1930s, Winter Carnival was a national media event. The snow sculptures, added in 1923, and the prominence of women dates at a time before coeducation helped make the Carnival a huge Dartmouth event, but sporting events remained at its heart.
Jette said one reason Winter Carnival at Dartmouth became such a big event is that "there were not many other schools that were doing carnivals."
By the 1950s, former Ice Capades stars were performing in shows at Memorial Stadium and the ski team was battling with Denver University for possession of the Carnival Cup.
Elaborate sets for the ice show in 1952 included a mountain scene with a castle, a skating ramp for ice skating star Red McCarthy, who held both the forward and backward jumping records, and a tunnel underneath the ramp.
Shifting focus
Jette said the DOC once organized all of Winter Carnival festivities. But when it was realized that much of Carnival was no longer related to outdoor events, the responsibilities shifted away from the DOC.
Improved transportation slowly decreased the isolation of Hanover, thus making special days for women and out-of-towners to visit the area unnecessary. In addition, coeducation and the ensuing abandonment of the Queen of the Snows contest also detracted from the spectacle of Winter Carnival.
But though the drama of Winter Carnival's pageantry may have faded, the drama involved in outdoor sports remained. In 1969, The Dartmouth referred to Winter Carnival as the "Rose Bowl of collegiate ski competition."
In 1974, Ted Aft Tuck '75 planned a skydive onto the golf course to coincide with the ski jump.
In 1980, the drama came from the weather -- a lack of snow almost forced a cancellation of events, but technology saved the skiing: through clever snow-making, thin trails of snow sliced the grassy mountain and hillsides enough to allow limited skiing.
Ski jumping at the golf course disappeared in the 1980s when the NCAA stopped including the sport in its activities and interest in ski jumping decreased.
Winter sports continued throughout the decade though with the addition of keg jumping to the other sports.
"I think the college competitions are as strong as ever," Jette said.
Director of Athletics Dick Jaeger said it has become more difficult to schedule home games for Dartmouth teams on Winter Carnival weekend, which has somewhat detracted from the stature of sports at Winter Carnival.
Jaeger also said the increased popularity of different sports has had a splintering effect on fans who must chose which events to attend.
"There were fewer shows in town those days and everybody went to them," Jaeger said.
Jette said the College has recently tried to orient Winter Carnival toward students rather than the community, which has affected the size and scope of events.
