Gately Humbly Accepts Call to Maine Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame

Long-time Bridgton Academy faculty veteran, Mr. Peter Gately, affectionately known as “Gater,” has loved skiing since his days navigating the slopes of Diamond Hill and Ski Valley near his hometown of Cumberland, Rhode Island. It was in high school that he realized he loved teaching the sport even more. “It is less about who is going to win the race,” shares Gately. “Bottom line, it’s about improving over a period of time.” It was his clear understanding of the learning process that most likely attracted then Head of School Bob Walker to Gately and his co-coach, Mr. Bill Bearse, back in 1977 when the two young men were selected to start a ski team at Bridgton Academy. “We (Bridgton Academy) had always been connected to the Mountain (Pleasant Mountain), but we had never had a team,” notes Gately. The team and program Gately helped build at Bridgton Academy is a major reason why he was selected for induction into the Maine Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame this November.

Gately’s success with the Bridgton Academy ski program saw a steady rise from a schedule competing against high school teams to the creation of the Maine Association of Independent School Athletic Directors League in 1983. Numerous MAISAD championship individuals and teams are part of Pete’s resume, a resume that helped to put Bridgton Academy skiing on the map. One of the crowning achievements for the Academy came with the Class of 1991 ski team who won the New England School Championship. Raising a family of his own in Bridgton led Peter, along with his co-coach bill Bearse, to begin a junior program at Pleasant Mountain to help grow the sport beyond Bridgton Academy. “We created a lifetime sport for a number of families,” noted Gately. “I never cut anybody. I always asked everyone if they wanted to be on the ski team.” All of the program building and championships rank Gately at the top of his profession; however, in Pete’s mind, this all ranks behind the hundreds of relationships and countless memories he formed along the way.

Two of those relationships include Bridgton alumnus and United States Hall of Fame Skier, Dan Egan ‘83 and fellow Bridgton alumnus, Scott Doyle ‘83, who both played an integral role in Coach Gately’s nomination to the Maine Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. As noted in the press release by the Maine Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame, Egan shares “Peter’s most important impact is shaping the young minds and work habits of athletes on and off the podium. Peter is a relatable character, his ability to earn the trust of his athletes and listen to them without judgment while motivating them has created generations of skiers who have been injected with his spirit and passion for the sport.” Doyle noted in his nomination letter that “Peter is known for instilling in his athletes the values of perseverance, integrity, and sportsmanship. His coaching philosophy is as much about developing character as it is about skiing technique.” It is when Gately speaks of his former students and athletes turned friends that it all becomes clear. “It puts a lot of things in perspective,” noted Gately. “The effect and impressions on people. The call to be in this Hall of Fame is so humbling.” His humility reflects his purpose in coaching and shows the character of the man; a well deserved “call to the hall” for Mr. Peter Gately and the impact he had on Bridgton Academy and the western Maine communities around it.