LONDONDERRY — Cross-country skiing was still cementing its foothold across the Atlantic when Dana and Malcolm McNair began working at the Viking Nordic Center. During their nearly 50 years of management, the pair became even more iconic at Viking than its Nordic namesake.
Now ready to take on their next adventure, the McNairs announced their upcoming retirement in an outpouring of love, support and fond memories.
“We’ve been at Viking for a really long time,” Dana said. “We’re both really invested in his success, but we’re not going to be able to do this forever.”
To say the McNairs are invested in Viking's success is an understatement. Clearly, the couple are an integral part of not only the company, but also the unique culture that has developed around the Nordic center.
“Frequent visitors will be familiar with Malcolm's laid-back attitude and expert advice, as well as Dana's sense of humor and delicious vegetarian chili,” Viking's website advertises. “The face of Viking belongs to the McNairs.”
Malcolm was the first McNair to join the Viking family, signing on for seasonal work around 1975. The center had already become a popular place to work, but past experience at a Colorado Nordic center – alongside outdoor certifications looks difficult to achieve – made him a prime candidate.
“No two days are the same, so there’s never a dull moment,” Malcolm explained. “It’s one of the reasons I started and kept coming back here.”
Another reason emerged around 1978, when the founder of Viking decided to open a running store in downtown Manchester. He rented a location owned by Dana's father, and the rest is history.
“The first time I skied here, I totally fell in love with this place,” she said. “I skied the Cobble Hill run with Malcolm, which was an epic run at the time, and I was completely hooked.”
In the 1980s, the McNairs worked at Viking in the winter and led expeditions along the Arkansas River throughout the summer. Dana became a familiar face at Viking's ski shop and later the cafe, working weekends and holidays around her role at Flood Brook School. The couple married in 1984 and went on to raise two sons as the Viking Nordic Center grew in tandem with their family.
“First and foremost, their legacy as a family is closely tied to that of the Vikings,” said owner Peter Foley, the third owner to leverage the McNairs in their role as stewards of the Nordic Center.
“We’re a bit like office equipment that passes from owner to owner,” Malcolm joked.
“It’s a labor of love,” Dana admitted. “No one gets into the Nordic skiing business because they think they’re going to make a fortune. You do it because you love the sport, because you love the people.
She compares the family's winters at Viking to a beloved summer camp, one that brings their friends back to play year after year.
“There are some people for whom your winter just isn't complete if you haven't seen them,” she said. “Making people happy is simply a wonderful way to live and spend your winters.”
“Every once in a while you’ll meet a 20-something kid here who used to ski here as a kid,” Malcolm added.
From their home base in Viking, the McNairs have had a front-row seat to the evolution of the sport. Dana describes the center's beginnings as a Viking beach: skiing had recently gained popularity, and hundreds of people were descending on the Nordic Center's trails with picnics in tow. At lunchtime, tailgating became the main attraction.
“You looked out the window and the whole parking lot was full of people with their trunks open with lawn chairs,” she said. “You always knew how good the picnic was because the two black labs that worked here tended the tailgates.”
Over the years, racks of moleskin and imported socks in every color of the rainbow gave way to lycra and carbon. The sport has become more competitive, widening the gap between elite athletes and outdoor enthusiasts.
“One of the challenges of cross-country skiing is that there are so many different ways to have fun,” Foley said. “Some people want to feel the pleasure of sliding on the snow and going fast, there are people who want to be outside, in nature and far from everything.”
While Olympians, including Bill Koch and Ben Ogden, continue to hit the Viking trails, so do retirees looking for the perfect spot for a ski picnic. As long as visitors find the fun they're looking for at Viking, the McNairs say they're happy.
“It’s so rewarding when people come up and tell you they had a great time,” Dana said. “That’s really the goal of what we do, is to provide that opportunity for people to get out and enjoy the winter.”
Climate change makes this difficult, however, as snowfall continues to become more unpredictable with each passing year.
“The winters are getting harder and harder,” Dana admitted, comparing the profession to the seasonal cycles of hope and despair that farmers face. “Things are changing and that requires more and more energy and more and more faith in Mother Nature.”
When there's snow, it's all hands on deck. The couple spent many nights maintaining the trails after a heavy storm, a hobby in its own right as they describe it. Although hard work is rewarded with customer satisfaction, being at the mercy of Mother Nature has its own opportunity cost.
“Once there’s snow on the ground, you can’t get out of here, even for a weekend,” Malcolm said.
“We're very attached to this place and we're very concerned about giving it everything we have,” Dana continued, “which means we don't have the opportunity to go and play other places – and we we are ready to do it.
As spring dawns, the McNairs develop an ever-growing list of adventures. Norway and Yellowstone are high on the agenda, as is a getaway to “all the northern centers of Vermont.”
Although many friends and customers stopped by to wish the McNairs well in retirement, there will be another chance to say goodbye at a celebration in their honor (stay tuned for the date and other details , Foley said).
For Dana and Malcolm, however, departure will never be completely complete.
“I don’t know if we’ll ever get through this,” Dana said. “The ties to the heart are really strong here.”
“Plus,” Malcolm added, “we get free skiing.”
