DCSki Editorial Overview
The story in brief
Zippo Ski Slope operated near Callahan Park outside Bradford, Pennsylvania, from about 1945 into the early 1970s. Various accounts associate the area with George Blaisdell, founder of Zippo Manufacturing, who is credited with helping provide a local recreational outlet for the town. Zippo even produced a commemorative lighter featuring the slope. Available images show a single hill served by a rope tow or poma, while recollections suggest the lift reached the summit and the area may have included a smaller adjoining slope.
For local skiers, Zippo was more than a modest community hill. It was lit for evening skiing, featured a steep, mogul-covered descent, and had a small lodge with a warming fire and refreshments. Volunteers, including Max Kohler and other Bradford residents, kept the rope tow operating and made skiing affordable. Former skiers remember learning there, a 20-meter jump, connected trails, and the challenge of skiing around oil-pump lines. The slope closed in the early 1970s and remains fondly remembered as Bradford's home hill.
Generated from DCSki's historical profile and reader-contributed memories.
Robert Williams describes a ski area known as “Zippo Ski Slope” that may have been affiliated with George Blaisdell, the founder of lighter manufacturer Zippo Manufacturing. Robert writes:
“I became aware recently of another lost ski area in Bradford PA while doing some research. The area was known as ‘Zippo Ski Slope’ and operated from 1945 until ‘the early 70’s’. Various accounts credit George Blaisdell, the founder of Zippo Manufacturing as being the driving force behind the area. There isn’t much data on the area, although an image shows a single slope with what appears to be a rope tow or poma. Several accounts mention that the area was located in Callahan Park, just outside the city. Zippo even manufactured a commemorative lighter, shown on this web page -; scroll down about halfway to see the lighter and an image of the ski slope.”
Bill O’Hara has also provided some information on the Zippo Ski Slope. A book on the Zippo Company history references the slope; excerpts can be read on Google Books by clicking here.
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