RANGELEY – Saddleback staff and friends will honor longtime members of the Rangeley and Saddleback communities, Roger and Patsy Page, in a ceremony Saturday, April 3. Festivities will begin at 2:30 pm in the Swig ‘n Smelt Pub and will be emceed by former Saddleback owner, John Christie. Members of the community are encouraged to join the celebration to share stories about the Pages and help honor one of the area’s ski greats. A portrait of Roger Page painted by Rangeley Lakes Regional School senior skier Emma Christensen will be unveiled at the event.

“The constant in Saddleback’s 50-year history has been Patsy and Roger,” says former Saddleback general manager, Tom McAllister. “They’ve always been there. In all the ups and downs of the mountain, you could always count on Patsy and Roger, whether you were looking for advice or just wanted to talk, they were there.”

In 1946, Roger started working at Stowe where he was in charge of the youth programs that produced the likes of Billy Kidd and other great Olympians. His other students included Maria VonTrapp of the famous singing VonTrapp Family, and Whiting Willauer of the Flying Tigers. In 1953, when the Saddleback Corporation was formed, the Pages bought 100 shares.

“Roger Page has been a hero of mine for over fifty years, from his coaching days at Stowe, to his teaching in the ski school at Sugarloaf, to his considerable role in the history of Saddleback, dating back to its very beginning,” said Christie. “How fitting that Roger and Patsy be honored by the place to which they devoted so many of their talents, and so much of their lives. We’re all fortunate that they are part of our lives.”

The Pages have been integral members of the Rangeley community as well. They helped organize the Rangeley Ski Club in 1958 and in the early ’60s, Roger became a founding member of the Professional Ski Instructors of America, managed Saddleback Mountain and opened the Roger Page Ski Shop in Rangeley.