Skiing Heritage News

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Bookshelf Reviews
Published in SKIING HERITAGE

Compiled by Morten Lund

1994
Universal Ski Techniques, book by George Twardokens; ID herfall94
The Athletic Skier, book by Warren Witherell; ID herfall94
Green Cognac, book by William Putnam; ID herfall94
A Bird of Passage, book by Otto Lang; ID herfall94
Leni, book by Leni Riefenstahl; ID herfall94
Don't Look Back, book by Patrick O'Connor;ID herfall94
Lost Sierra, book by Bill Berry; ID herfall94

1996
First Tracks: History of Maine Skiing, Glenn Parkinson: excerpt, Game Warden Frederick Jorgensen; Theodore Johnsen; ID herwin96
Skiing Literature, Gary Schwartz; book first ever ski bibliography; ID herwin96
Birth of a Divsion, George Earle, 10th Mountain Division paintings ID herwin96
Winter Sports, Schenectady Winter Sports Club; book ID herwin96
Hill Echoes, by Erling Omland; book ID herwin96
Ski Fever, by Warren Miller; book ID herwin96
Tales from the Mountain, video aboutWalter Schoenknecht; ID herwin96
Winter Wonderland, video about Michigan skiing; ID herwin96
Fire on the Mountain, video on the 10th Mountain division by George and Beth Gage; ID herwin96

1997
Mountain Dreamers, book by Robert Frolich, references to Jo Marrilac, Babette Haueisen, Hannes Schroll, Charley Proctor, Don and Mary Tressider, Yosemite, Silver Belt, Stan Tomlinson, Otto Setiner, Orland Bartholomew;ID herTI97

2000
Sun Valley, An Extraordinary History, book by Wendolyn Holland; ID herFI00
Yosemite: Magic Winters. book by Gene Rose; ID herFI00
Sugar Bowl 60 Years, book by Robert Frohlich, reviewed by Morten Lund and Chris Lizza; ID herFI00
For the Love of Skiing, book by Alan Engen,reviewed by Gretchen Besser; herFI00
A Short History of Skiing in Tuckerman Ravine, book by Jeff Leich, reviewed by John Auran; ID herFI00
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2001
Vail, Triumph of a Dream, book by Peter Seibert; ID herFI01
The Inventors of Vail, book by Dick Hauserman, reviewed by Allen Best; ID herFI01
Skiing Legends, The Laurentian Lodge Club, book by Neil and Catharine McKenty; ID herFI01
Around the World In Ninety Years, book by Otto Lang, reviewed by Wolfgang Lert; ID herFI01
The Trail Breakers, book, pioneer Red Birds of Montreal, a ski club of the alumni of McGill University ski teams. The Red Birds were, by a year, the first downhill ski club in North America. They were the first on the continent to hold an official Kandahar. As a lifetime Red Bird himself, reviewer John Fry notes that old Red Birds penetrated the sport in Canada and the U.S. in their day. ID herTI01
The Story of Aspen, book by Mary Hayes, reviewed by the editor. An expanded edition, with a touching thumbnail history of the social underpinnings of the town. ID herTI01
Ski and Snow Country, a book of stunning black and white photographs of the late great mountain photographer Ray Atkeson, annotated by pioneer ski cinematographer Warren Miller. ID herTI01
First Tracks, a Century of Skiing in Utah, book by Alan Engen and Gregory Thompson, reviewed by Mike Korologos; a coffee table book with running text of the state whose early fascination with ski jumping and heavy support from Salt Lake citizens resulted in a ring of resorts in the Wasatch mountains including Alta and Park City, where the 2002 Olympics were held. Coauthor Alan Engen is the son of Alf Engen, who as director of skiing came to personify the Alta ski school, the deep powder university for the nation’s skiers. ID herFO01
A Glance Back, book by John Pontti and Kenneth Luostari. A pictorial history of the heartland where skiing was born, had its first national headquarters and hall of fame. Reviewed by John Allen, who faults some of the book’s priorities but enjoys the nostalgia. ID herFO01
Snow In America, book by Bernard Mergen. A different kind of ski history dealing with the social history of snow, the changing attitudes toward winter, and winter recreation and the part played by skiing in the changes. The author is a professor of American studies at George Washington University. Reviewed by Morten Lund. ID herFO01

2002
How the English Made the Alps, book by John Ring. The story of the English on skis and on foot making the Western Alp Europe's prime mid-continent summer and winter recreation region. ID herFI02
Winter Tales and Trails, book by Ron Watter. Stories from the early ski history of Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. ID herFI02
Alta, Utah, A People's Story, book by Duane Shrontz. The personalities behind the first Wasatch resort, the seed ski area for the current ski complex in Utah. ID herFI02
Last Breath, book by Peter Stark. True tales of the extreme perils of exploration including two cautionary narratives pertinent to snowsport -- surviving avalanche on a snowboarding expedition and recovering from hypothermia after a backcountry skiing accident. ID herFI02
Matterhorn of the Midwest, book by Charles Roberts. Mort Lund reviews a biography of Walt Stopa and Wilmot. ID herTIsept02
Birger Ruud, book by Odd Einar Anderson, in Norwegian. A short review ID herTIsept02

2003
Mammoth, the Sierra Legend, book by Martin Forstenzer; IDher FImar03
Whistler, Against All Odds, book by Michel Beaudry; ID herFImar03
Steamboat, Ski Town USA, book by Tom Bie; ID herFImar03
Downhill Slide, book by Hal Clifford. Contrarian's view of alpine skiing development. ID herFImar03
The Last Ridge, book by McKay Jenkins. 10th Mountain Division. ID herFOdec03
Climb to Conquer, book by Peter Shelton. 10th Mountain Division. ID herFOdec03
The Lake Placid Club, book edited by Lee Manchester. ID herFOdec03
Picabo: Nothing to Hide, book by Picabo Street. ID herFOdec03

2004
We Lived In Stowe, book by Craig Burt. ID hermar04
Tales of the 10th, book by Jeff Leich. 10th Mountain Division. ID hermar04
Casper Oimoen's Saga, book by Sonja Oimoen Stalions, reviewed by Morten Lund. ID herjun04
Sky Crashers, a History of the Aurora Ski Club, book by Fred Johnson. ID hersep04
Sondre Norheim, The Father of Modern Skiing, book by Anne-Gry Blikom and Eivind Molde. ID hersep04
In the Track of Old Time Skiers, book by Alec Gucek. The single-pole skiers of the Bloke Plateau in Slovenia during the 1600s. ID hersep04
Snow Crazy, book by Arnie Wilson. Humor, on British skiing. ID hersep04
Skiing Collectibles, book by Michael White. ID herdec04

2005
Ski Bibliography, reference by Henry Yaple. A mighty tool for research projects. ID hermar05
Ski Style, book by Annie Gilbert Coleman. A cultural history of Colorado skiing. ID hermar05
The Boys of Winter. by Charles Sanders. The story of the 10th Mountain Division through the eyes of three veterans. ID hermar05
What'd You Do in the War, Dad?, book by Bob Parker; 10th Mountain Divsion, by a veteran of the divsion. ID hersep05
Requiem for the West, book by Roger Brown. ID hersep05
Bode: Go Fast, Be Good, Have Fun, book by Bode Miller with Jack McEnany; ID herdec05
Legends of American Skiing, DVD by Rick Moulton; ID herdec05
The Fire Within, book by the Salt Lake City Olympic Committee; ID herdec05
Legacy: Austria's Influence on American Skiing, DVD by Ian Scully. ID herdec05

2006
The Race of My Life, book by Hermann Maier. Autobiography traces a courageous comeback after a nearly fatal accident. ID herjun06
The Story of Modern Skiing, book by John Fry. The revolution in equipment, technique, competition and resorts that created a boom in skiing after World War II. A footnoted history, reviewed by Charlie Meyers. ID hersept06 Click here for more info

2007
Skiing in Massachusetts, book by Cal Conniff and E. John B. Allen. A collection of historic photos with extensive captions, demonstrating the state’s central role in the development of New England skiing. ID hermar07
The Uphill Racer, by book Mel Dalebout. A non-linear autobiography and statement of philosophy by Utah's colorful, creative ski boot wizard. ID hermar07
Powder Pioneers, book by Chic Scott. A tribute and history of Northwestern Canada skiing pioneers, including powder, heli, first descent and exploration skiing, the Calgary Olympics, extreme skiing. early resorts and racing. ID herjun07
The Art of Skiing, book by Jenny di Gex. Superb reproductions of ski art from the Beekley Collection and others. ID herjun07
The Culture and Sport of Skiing, from Antiquity to World War II, book by John Allen. The long-awaited scholarly history of the international sport, with focus on the cultural context. ID hersept07
The Last Ridge, video directed by Abby Kealy. Well-crafted history of the 10th Mountain Division from Camp Hale to the Appenines, with over 100 interviews with 10th veterans and sequential maps for the Italian campaign. ID hersept07
Legends of the Fall Line, CD produced by Piton Productions. History of Jackson Hole skiing and the beginning, in the Tetons of Wyoming, of American first-descent skiing, including Bill Briggs’ descent of the Grand Teton. ID herdec07
Night Driving, the Invention of the Wheel and Other Blues—a Memoir, book by Dick Dorworth. Thoughts on skiing and politics, personal ethics as well his adventures in the sport as a veteran U.S. Ski Team member and world ski speed record holder. IDherdec07

2008
March
Downhill in Montana, book by Stan Cohen. Skiing in the Treasure State dates back at least before 1865, when a painting depicts a frontier trader on skis outside a fort in the Bitteroot Valley. The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel at Yellowstone hosted skiers as early as 1883. A U.S. Army company patrolled the park on skis for 30 years, starting in 1886. Both jumping and slalom meets were organized by the Anaconda Copper Mining Co., starting in 1935. Eventually, some 60 ski areas were launched in Montana. IDHermar08

Aspen Out of Bounds, book by Charles Spetz. A social history of Aspen's drug-addled 1970s, in the form of a memoir of the author's life on the hill and off.

No Limits: The Amazing Life of Rhonda and Rhona Wurtele, Canada's Olympian Skiing Pioneers, book by Byron Rempel. Born in Quebec in 1922, the identical Wurtele twins won nearly every alpine skiing trophy available in North America during the 1940's and early '50s, usually sharing the podium. They skied on the Canadian Olympic squad in 1948, then split up after Rhona married an American-born Canadian and wound up on the U.S. Ski Team for the 1950 World Championships. The twins conquered chauvinism to become the first female fully-certified ski instructors in Canada. And their kids became world class athletes, too.

Ski Sentinels, video by Rick Moulton. History of the National Ski Patrol told with antique footage and expressive interviews. Sets a new mark in ski-history filmmaking. 45 minutes. New England Ski Museum.

The Story of Sugarloaf, book by John Christie. Local storekeeper Amos Winter and his brother Erland founded the Sugarloaf Ski Club in 1950 and leased the mountainside land from the Great Northern Paper Company. The story is told by insider Christie, who succeeded Winter at general manager in 1965.

June
Instant Karma: The Heart and Soul of a Ski Bum, book by Wayne Sheldrake. The author, a long-time Wolf Creek instructor, describes his difficult, rebellious adolescence and the search for danger that led him to high-adrenaline skiing. Reviewed by Peter Shelton. From Ghost Road Press, $17.95, at amazon.com.

September
Skiing in Fine Arts, book by Günter Witt. Beautifully illustrated, with a far-ranging selection of art from Victorian-era works through modern schools. The quality of the reproductions is extraordinary. 144 pages, text in German, French and English. 100 illustrations. $37.50. Order from ISHA, 303.893.0903.

Tracks of Passion: Eastern Sierra Skiing, Dave McCoy and Mammoth Mountain, book by Robin Morning. Dave McCoy was one of a kind, the most impressively self-made pioneer in the history of the American sport. 367 pages; $75 from the Mammoth Ski Museum

December
Packs On! Memoirs of the 10th Mountain Division in World War II, book by A.B. Feuer, a military historian. Here he gathers detailed memoirs of the Italian campaign from John Dewey, commander of Company M of the 86th Regiment; PFC Richard Ryan; and German General Siegfried Westphal. He combines this with a critique of the 10th's training, noting that it was designed by officers unfamiliar with mountaineering and European alpine tactics

2009
MARCH
Norwegian Ski Legends, film by Steinar Hybertsen. A three-disc DVD follows the history of the sport from Telemark to the longboard era and onward in the U.S. $39 includes shipping and handling; email shybert777 @ gmail.com.

JUNE
A History of Skiing in Colorado, book by Abbott Fay, published in 2008. Paperback, 197 pages, five by seven format, black and white illustrations, index, source lists, bibliography; $11.86 from Amazon.

The Lost Ski Areas of the White Mountains, book by the New England Ski Museum, Franconia, New Hampshire, paperback, 126 pages, profusely illustrated b&w. $20 through website at secure.skimuseum.org/catalog/index; by phone 603 823 7177, by email, staff@skimuseum.org; by mail, New England Ski Museum, PO Box 267, Franconia, NH 03580-0267.

Skiing In Southern California, book by Ingrid Wicken. In 2003, Wicken put up a 24 x 40 foot building to hold her private collection of 2,500 books, plus newspaper articles, thousands of photographs, hundreds of magazines, as well as programs, brochures,, and catalogs ands other ephemera. When the library is completely catalogued, Ingrid will put it on line for anyone interested in writing ski history. It is now officially “the California Ski Library,” a monument to Ingrid’s spirit, that spirit the International Skiing History Association was founded to inspire.

A Mountain Love Story: Mad River Glen, book by Mary Kerr. One full-page, color photo is an uncaptioned still life of nothing but a single-passenger chair, a glistening coat of rime on its steel, hanging in lonely splendor from its cable, brilliant in the Vermont sunshine against a background of distant peaks. Somehow it does not need a caption.

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