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First Ski Boots Without Laces
Who made the first ski boots without laces? Henke in 1955, right? Wrong. In the postwar years, Joseph Mauron, a 21-year-old Swiss shoemaker, had had it with frozen laces on double-laced boots. He...
Skiing and Surfing: Separated at Birth
Two of the world’s most popular adventure sports have inspired and influenced each other for more than half a century. By Jay Cowan LIFE magazine was likely the first national publication to...
Skiing History Week coming to Park City, April 4 to 6
Skiing History Week coming to Park City, April 4 to 6: Mark the dates! The 2019 ISHA Awards Banquet will be held April 4, 2019 at the Alf Engen Museum in Park City, Utah. Cocktails at 6pm, dinner at...
The impact of soaring season pass sales on ski and snowboard participation rates.
By John Fry For 35 years, the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) has reliably measured the volume of winter visits at U.S. areas. The statistic—one skier or snowboarder on the slopes for one day...
Tomm Murstad and the World’s First Ski School for Kids
Tomm Murstad (1915–2001) was an outstanding multi-discipline skier, but is principally remembered in his native Norway as the founder of the first ski school for kids—possibly the first such program...
The Slim Look: Before Bogner’s stretch pants, streamlined skiwear was already in vogue.
The sleek modern skiwear look, it’s typically thought, originated suddenly in 1952 with the Bavarian designer Maria Bogner’s use of Helanca-modified nylon and wool blend to create the first durable...
Man on the White Charger: In January 1968, Skiing Magazine ran this profile, written by John Jerome, of Ed Scott, founder of Scott USA.
Ed Scott may be the most humorous man I’ve ever met. Yet I don’t believe I ever saw him really break up in laughter. Rather, he’ll pursue a line of conversation in a direction that amuses him, and he...
How Has TV Treated Skiing? Not Well.
Skiing was a handy punching bag when television searched for laughs. By Jeff Blumenfeld It was one of the most famous broken legs in modern American history. When comedian Lucille Ball suffered a...
How Many U.S. Skiers and Snowboarders Are There?
Just how many of us are there? That’s a controversial question. By John fry How many people ski in the USA? Or ski and snowboard? Neither of the industry estimates that are typically and most...
A Sport Once White
Photo above: The Rivers Triplets of Long Island are U12 racers who train at Windham Mountain, New York. Left to right: Helaina D. Rivers, Henri D.L. Rivers IV, and Henniyah D. Rivers. By Jay Cowan In...
How Ski Trails Got Their Names
When it comes to trail monikers, no lions and tigers, but plenty of bears—not to mention resort founders, historic events and death threats. By Jeff Blumenfeld I remember December 1973 like it was...
NORTH AMERICA’S FIRST ALL-FEMALE SKI CLUB
Penguin Power! One of North America’s first and most successful ski clubs was created in Quebec entirely by, and for, women. By Cara Armstrong and Lori Knowles Ski clubs have played an important...
WHAT U.S. SKIING NEEDS TO LEARN
U.S. Skiing could learn a lot from the success formula within its own women’s cross-country team. By Edith Thys Morgan The FIRST, EVER, cross country gold medal for the U.S.!” Those words, screamed...
BROADWAY’S CONTRIBUTION TO CATSKILLS SKIING
Broadway lensman Werner J. Kuhn ran the patrol, taught first aid and shot PR photos at a popular Catskills ski area. By Jeff Blumenfeld The image was typical of ski area publicity photos of the...
BRIDGING THE SKI-SNOWBOARD DIVIDE
The man who wrote the manual recalls early efforts to bridge the cultural divide between skiers and snowboarders. By Roger Lohr In the early 1990s, snowboarding was booming at mountain resorts across...
Ross Rebagliati: Lost and Found
At the Nagano Olympics, he was stripped of snowboarding's first gold medal. The next day, he had the medal back. Today, Ross Rebagliati is a successful marijuana entrepreneur in British Columbia. By...
Skiing to the Poles
The critical role of skis in 130 years of Arctic exploration and adventure. By Jeff Blumenfeld Throughout the modern era of polar exploration, skis have played an invaluable role in propelling...
Best Ski Poster Sales in 10 Years
Record prices and active bidding at annual Swann auction By Everett Potter There were rarities, blue-chip images and even a few outliers at the annual Vintage Posters auction at Swann Galleries in...