When Mary Pownall and her husband Dick first agreed to volunteer for a ski race in Vail back in the early 1980s, they thought they’d do it just once. “We said we’ll do it once, what the hell,” Mary recalls with a laugh. “And it sort of… got out of hand.”
What followed was four decades of dedicated service that helped establish one of the world’s premier volunteer ski race crews and created a global reputation for excellence that continues today. Now 92 years young, Mary is known as “an encyclopedia of World Cup Ski racing,” and she continues to be an inspiration for what it means to give back to one’s community.
The Birth of a Volunteer Legacy
Mary’s journey began with a chance encounter outside a bank shortly after she and Dick retired to Vail full-time. “I met a kid who said, ‘we have this race, the World Cup race in Vail, and you should do this because it’s really fun!’” Mary and Dick decided to give it a try. They learned to be gatekeepers, where they made sure skiers passed through the assigned gates without breaking any rules.
When the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) approved the first Birds of Prey race at Beaver Creek in 1997, the Pownalls’ volunteer trajectory changed forever. “They said, ‘we want you and Dick to run the race crew’,” Mary remembers. The Pownalls went on to manage the volunteer race crew – known today as the legendary Talon Crew — for an impressive 23 years.
Under Mary and Dick’s leadership, what began as a small group of volunteers transformed into 350+ people working tirelessly each year to put on what is considered one of the top Alpine world cup ski races on earth.
Mary takes particular pride in the excellence they established, which continues today: “When we got on this crew, we wanted to make it perfect because this was an international event with international race officials, and so we got the guys whipped into shape,” she says. “And they loved it. They said this is the best kept hill in the world. They still say it every year.”
The Unsung Heroes Behind the Scenes
For spectators watching from the stands or the roughly 20 million viewers watching on broadcast, the immense volunteer effort required to stage world-class ski races remains largely invisible. “People that sit in the stands or watch it on TV, they have no idea what it takes to put on the race. No idea at all,” Mary emphasizes. “There’s no way you could do the race without the volunteers.”
The work begins months before race day. Mary’s duties typically start in August with creating Talon Crew schedules, attending bi-weekly meetings, and more. She says she is surprisingly good with a spreadsheet for her age.
Building Community Through Service
For Mary, the volunteer experience transcends the work itself. After Dick’s passing in 2016, Mary took a year off but quickly returned the following year, because she missed the sense of community and shared purpose. “It’s like a big family. Every year we come back and give each other hugs and catch up on their kids and all that,” she says. “It’s hard work, and everybody looks forward to seeing everybody else. It’s been a really good experience.”
Mary marvels at the dedication of her fellow volunteers: “I can’t believe how much money some people spend to take off work, buy a plane ticket, and rent a condo. I mean, it’s expensive, and they don’t get paid, and they work hard. It’s fun, and it’s for the camaraderie and that’s why people do it. That’s what it is about.”
The Impact of Giving Time
Mary’s lifetime of volunteer service represents the heart of what makes the Vail Valley Foundation’s many events and programs possible. In 2024 alone, nearly 1,500 volunteers contributed an astounding 46,599 hours across all Vail Valley Foundation events and programs, including Stifel Birds of Prey, GoPro Mountain Games, Black Diamond Ball, Star Dancing Gala, Vail Dance Festival, Vilar Performing Arts Center, Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, and YouthPower365.
For those considering volunteering, whether that’s for Birds of Prey, another VVF program, or one of the many other deserving organizations in the community, Mary encourages people to give it a try. “It makes you a part of the community, it makes you give back to the community, and you meet a lot of people that you may not meet otherwise,” she says. ” You will be part of a world-class group. There’s not another one like it in the world… I thought I would just do it once, and here I am, 40 years later!”
The Vail Valley Foundation welcomes volunteers across the arts, athletics, and education, with opportunities to match any interest or expertise. No previous experience needed! To learn more about various volunteer opportunities with the VVF, including our brand-new Volunteer Ambassador Track for local youth ages 14-18, reach out to [email protected].
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