This Vermont ski resort is changing its name in the interest of mental health

Associated Press
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SOUTH POMFRET — A small ski area in Vermont has announced that it's retiring its name, Suicide Six, this summer amid growing concerns about the insensitive nature of the historical name.

The resort said on its website on Tuesday that it shares those concerns and “embraces the increasing awareness surrounding mental health.”

“The feelings that the word ‘suicide’ evokes can have a significant impact on many in our community,” the resort statement said.

The resort's website said the name originally came after the man who built one of the runs on Hill No. 6 joked that skiing the steep trail would be suicide.

A skier sets off from the starting line in the boys slalom during the Vermont high school alpine ski championships at Suicide Six ski area in Pomfret on Tuesday, March 3, 2020.
A skier sets off from the starting line in the boys slalom during the Vermont high school alpine ski championships at Suicide Six ski area in Pomfret on Tuesday, March 3, 2020.

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A new name will be announced in the coming weeks for the ski area in South Pomfret, near Woodstock, which opened in 1936 and is home of the Fisk Trophy Race, a rite of passage for competitive skiers, according to the resort’s website.

“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," the website said.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Suicide Six ski resort announces it is charging its name