The new man at Trapps

Drew Gelinas, 45, has been appointed director of sports at Trapp Family Lodge, and so plays a key role in the local mountain biking trail network.

Gelinas, 45, grew up in East Longmeadow, Mass., and has lived in Stowe for the past five years.

He majored in business at St. Michael’s College in Colchester, was operations manager for the 2002 Winter Olympics, and has been a U.S. Ski Team technician, ski coach, and a ski rep for Atomic, Swix and Uvex. He spent seven years in the Army National Guard and just been named an Instructor at the Army Mountain Warfare School in Jericho.

Q: What drew you to the job as director of sports at Trapp Family Lodge?

During my collegiate ski racing career, Trapp Family Lodge was our home venue. I had the opportunity to ski this amazing trail network, both on course and backcountry, for my college career. After working for the 2002 Olympics in Heber, Utah, and the U.S. Ski Team, I decided it was time to come home to New England. I took a position working for Swix, and Trapps was one of my accounts.

Living in Stowe, Trapps was not only an important account but my preferred venue for Nordic skiing. I love the ski trails and really loved stopping by the DeliBakery and having a pint by the fire after a long tour. After years of working with the Outdoor Center staff and getting to know the family, it was an easy decision to join the team when the opportunity was presented to me.

Q: What’s the vision that led to creation of this job?

Sam von Trapp wanted to bring back the director of sports position, a position last held by Charlie Yarrick. This position oversees the fitness center, pools, spa, tennis, DeliBakery retail, Main Lodge Gift Shop, outdoor center retail, ski, snowshoe and mountain bike rentals, trail grooming, sugaring and activities.

Having a strong background on the ski side was helpful because so much of the activity on property is linked to our Nordic ski operation. My interest in mountain biking and trail running was a good complement. I am also grateful to have a great management team for support. I am grateful to have Lisa Hunt, Peter Johnson and Cassandra Marion supporting my efforts. I am truly grateful to have a job I am passionate about and have co-workers I enjoy.

Q: What’s your mission as director of sports?

Essentially, keep Trapps relevant, fresh and profitable in all areas of fitness and activities. Rather than wait for the phone to ring, we are actively looking for new groups and tours to choose our venue for fitness and activities. It’s actually an easy sell when you are so passionate about what you are promoting. And it’s getting easier with the new brewery. Who doesn’t enjoy a pint after a great ride?

We are expanding our single-track mountain bike trails, hosting off-road ultra runs and broadening our ski racing into the marathon segment.

Q: Where does mountain biking fit in your mission?

Mountain biking fits into the topic of “providing relevant activities” for our internal and external customers. We clearly want both our lodge guests and locals to view Trapps as a hip, fun place to train and ride.

Mountain biking offers the individual a great method of exercise that also gives the body a break from running and skiing. It is critical as a growing activity and a cross-training tool.

We have partnered with Giant and we are an authorized demo center, with 64 bikes in our rental fleet. Providing the guests with high-end, quality gear is just as important as offering a great trail network. Having a central meeting point with ample parking allows large groups to park, start out on our trail network and then advance on to the Stowe trail network. The interconnected layout allows for a unique experience and groups can finish up and have a beer.

Last season, we saw a huge spike in our rental numbers because the word got out that we have a great rental fleet. I see mountain biking as one of our key growth activities on property and in the town. Working closely with Stowe Mountain Bike Club has allowed us to get the word out about our trails and our proximity to the vast town trail network; having a strong working relationship is imperative to our continued growth in the sport. … If we grow Stowe as a mountain bike destination, all the hotels, shops, bars and restaurants win.

Q: How will Trapps collaborate with other organizations on building the sport in Stowe?

Plain and simple, Trapps sees the good that Stowe Mountain Bike Club is delivering and this year I am proud to say we are a title sponsor. Both Ryan Krukar and I felt strongly about making a financial commitment to the club and it was fully endorsed by the Von Trapp family. … It is a great feeling when we get day pass sales because someone at Ten Acres Bistro or Piecasso send guests to our facility. In return, we feel good sending folks down to them for food or entertainment. It all comes down to the true meaning of “partnership.” We are all vested in the sport and in the community, and helping each other out enables Stowe to shine as a mountain bike destination.

Q: What changes in programs, equipment, facilities and outlook can we expect?

Right now, I have a trail crew finishing the Growler Trail all the way up to the Cabin. The trail is targeted to be complete on Sept. 1. In honor of finishing this trail there will be a “members only” trail ride for Stowe Mountain Bike Club and there will be Trapp Lager, a band and a cookout for all the club members.

Next year, we are discussing with Leslie Gauff (bike club director) the idea of a weekly race series similar to what we already do with our weekly trail running series. We also host private riding groups for VIPs, industry reps and publishers. … We are also fully committed to youth mountain bike camps, which will be organized by Cassandra Marion, our new activities director who formerly organized bike events for Hotel Vermont.

Q: How will you know when you have succeeded in your work?

There are all kinds of metrics people can look at, and I am very numbers- and goal-oriented. But for me the real success will be when the Stowe Mountain Bike Club is pulling into the Trapps parking lot regularly and spreading the word on Trapps organically. … I already feel we are moving in the right direction and this positive momentum feels really good at the beginning of the season. The space we have at our disposal is tremendous and I hope to see some bike-specific festivals on property in the future.