In 1935 Seattle native Al Nydin had the idea for a magazine about skiing. Until that time most ski periodicals and annuals were association-published. In publishing America’s first independent, commercial magazine, Nydin used the title SKI. The first issue appeared in January 1936.
For a long time it was speculated that no surviving copies of the premier issue of SKI Magazine were in existence. But Seattle ski historian Kirby Gilbert was recently discovered to have a copy. He has just scanned it for the International Skiing History Association’s website, www.skiinghistory.org.
Next April, Gilbert will tell the story of the magazine’s founding when he delivers the Beekley Memorial Lecture at the 2012 Skiing History Week meeting in Seattle.
SKI was renamed Ski Illlustrated, moved to New York City at the time World War II broke out, and was resuscitated in 1948 in Hanover, NH by publisher William Eldred, who combined Ski Illustrated, Western Skiing, and Ski News under the present title SKI Magazine.
For a nostalgic look back at what a ski magazine looked like 75 years ago, click here to view all 36 pages of SKI’s premier issue, including the stories and advertisements.
NOTE PLEASE: This is largish .pdf file and may download slowly on some computers.
John Fry
John Fry is the former editor-in-chief of SKI, America's oldest ski magazine, and founding editor of the award-winning New York Times magazine Snow Country. He, has received the FIS (International Ski Federation) Journalism Award, and lifetime achievement awards from the International Skiing History Association and from the North American Snowsports Journalists Association (NASJA). Fry launched NASTAR (National Standard Ski Race), The Nations Cup of alpine ski racing, and the Graduated Length Method of teaching, and has been elected to the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame. He is president of the International Skiing History Association.
