Readers Respond

In your great story on the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics (“The Amateur Hours,” January-February 2025), you note that Phil Mahre carried a “bamboo stick” between his feet for three gates in the slalom and you quote him as saying that “there’s no question that I was outskied on the second run.” But I beg to differ. Mahre was being too modest. Tony Blair (1958 Canadian junior Alpine ski champion) and I watched the slalom from close to the edge of the course about two-thirds of the way up on the “first run” side, but we could see the second run clearly on the other side of the hill. As soon as we saw Mahre carrying that “bamboo stick” between his legs, we knew it was over for him—at least for the gold. It was clear to us that he had been slowed down by more than the 1.08 seconds by which Stenmark won the run [and therefore the gold]. It’s worth noting that less than a year before, Mahre had fractured his ankle badly at a pre-Olympic giant slalom. At first, it wasn’t clear that he was going to be able to walk properly again, let alone ski and race. A metal plate and seven screws in his ankle did the job, however, and he followed up his 1980 silver medal with a gold at Sarajevo in 1984.

Ivo Krupka
Former chair, Canadian Ski Hall of Fame and Museum
Ottawa, Canada

Photo top: Phil Mahre carries bamboo between his knees, slowing his pace on the way to winning a silver in the 1980 Lake Placid Olympic slalom.

1980 Lake Placid Rewind

I wanted to compliment you on the article on the Lake Placid 1980 Olympics (“The Amateur Hours,” January-February 2025) It brought back memories. As a new Atomic rep of two years, I was there. I brought a good dealer at the time, who just happened to be Ken Gart.

I was there with Ken, Frank Hurt and Alois Rohrmoser in a house in Saranac Lake, I think. We saw Annemarie Moser-Pröll win the downhill on Atomic, which was great. So thanks! 

Charlie Webb
Edwards, Colorado

For almost 30 years I designed Roffe skiwear—all made in downtown Seattle. During the 1970s and ’80s, Roffe supplied Robert Redford with a new outfit every year—always black. (He was a size 31 long in stretch pants.)

This is the drawing of the suit he is wearing from the 1978–79 Roffe order form, which includes the custom design details: “black with red piping across the Western yoke and on top edge of the collar.”

The suit was made of a new type of fabric: a woven stretch nylon from Schoeller Textil in Switzerland. The jacket’s retail price was $105, the same as the ski pants.

In the movie Downhill Racer, Redford wore a simple shell I designed for Roffe. The front was made from 70-denier coated nylon. Because the shell had to be slim fitting yet with enough stretch to allow the wearer to ski in a full tuck, the back was made of thick wool, while Dacron and Lycra two-way stretch fabric went across the shoulders. (Four-way stretch fabric had not yet been created.)

The photos for the advertisements that Roffe ran in the ski magazines in the fall of 1978 were shot at Redford’s Sundance resort. He let us stay in his old house, and he gave me a tour of his new house, built overlooking the ski area and Mt. Timpanogos.

Redford and Paul Newman were very close friends off the screen. On a Newman visit they would sit in Redford’s music room equipped with a super sound system and a small fridge with a beer tap. They listened to music, drank beer and bathed their faces in bowls of ice cubes, believing it helped keep them facially perfect.

They often pranked each other. On one visit, they went for a spin in Redford’s new Porsche. When they stopped at a gas station, Newman headed for the restroom. Redford took off. The attendant was suspicious about this abandonment. Newman was left trying to convince the fellow that he really was Paul Newman. Redford thought it great fun. He didn’t tell me how long it was before he came back to get Newman. 

Wini Jones
Vice President, ISHA Board of Directors
Bainbridge Island, Washington

Be a Holiday Hero

Impress your family and friends by immersing them in the history of our sport for the holidays. A subscription to Skiing History magazine is the ideal gift for the discerning skier or rider­­—and conveniently suitable as a great stocking-stuffer. Go to skiinghistory.org/join to send a subscription to a friend or family member at a discounted holiday gift rate.

I especially enjoyed the March-April issue for two reasons. First, I opened the cover and was greeted by a scene I know well: the background shot of the Gorsuch ranch in Colorado. I have sat on those red Adirondack chairs. A truly beautiful place! Then I got to the last pages and found a photo that I also knew well, the obituary for CB Vaughn, so well written by Bill Post. As I read it, I recognized that I also had an unusual connection to him. When I first met CB, his claim to fame was that he held the world speed-skiing record at Portillo, Chile. Then, when I was the skiwear buyer at Saks Fifth Avenue, he came and showed me his side-zip warmup pants and said,
“You have to buy these pants—they’re SUPER!” And I did buy them. So, I guess I was one of his first customers and eventually one of his last at Ski Market!

Sheila Whitman 
Vail, Colorado

Sportswashing Hits a Home Run

To Jay Cowan’s piece on “Cigarettes and Skiing” (July-August 2025), I’ll add another early example of tobacco sportswashing: baseball cards. One of the most valuable collectibles is the Honus Wagner card, inserted into packs of cigarettes by the American Tobacco Company from 1909–1911. Legend has it that Wagner put the kibosh on production because he was against promoting tobacco to children. Some speculate that his opposition was more about exploiting what today is commonly known as his name, image and likeness. Whatever the motivation, the result was the creation of a rare artifact. Only 50 or 60 Honus Wagner cards are estimated to exist. One sold for $6.6 million in August 2021, a record for sports memorabilia until a Mickey Mantle rookie card sold for $12.6 million a year later. 

Ron Rudolph
Fairfield, Connecticut

I always enjoy the annual review of Swann’s poster auction by Everett Potter. When I perused the catalog before this year’s sale, I found an intriguing poster that appeared both fun and ridiculous. And there it was, adorning the cover of another fantastic issue of Skiing History (May-June 2025)! The poster of a skier advertising Puente del Inca represents classic marketing hype rather than any real skiing opportunity at the time. In 1931, recreational skiing in Argentina was just getting going with the forming of the Club Andino Bariloche. While there are unspecified, sporadic reports of skiing between stations of the trans-Andean rail line (by the European engineers), it is a desolate, barren, rugged place that rarely receives much snow in the winter. In 1925, a spa hotel was developed at the site intending to attract Argentine health tourists, and the poster represents an attempt to fill empty rooms in the winter. Los Penitentes wasn’t developed as a ski area until the 1970s. Buenos Aires is often called the “Paris of South America,” but Puente del Inca should never be compared to St. Mortiz.

Chris I. Lizza
Author, South America Ski Guide
Lee Vining, California

Tragedy Leads to the Founding of the National Ski Patrol

Well done with the important article, “The Evolution of On-Course Safety” (March-April 2025). The photograph on page 18 (see below) reminded me of another contribution to skiing’s safety made by a ski-racing accident. In 1936, in a race on the Ghost Trail on Pine Mountain [Pittsfield, Massachusetts], similar to the Thunderbolt Trail, Frank Edison fell, crashing into a tree. His rescue was mishandled, which led to his death. The next day my father, Roland Palmedo, organized a committee chaired by Minnie Dole to study skiing safety. That led to the establishment of the National Ski Patrol, with Dole as its director. 

Philip Palmedo
St. James, New York

I always enjoy the annual review of Swann’s poster auction by Everett Potter. When I perused the catalog before this year’s sale, I found an intriguing poster that appeared both fun and ridiculous. And there it was, adorning the cover of another fantastic issue of Skiing History (May-June 2025)! The poster of a skier advertising Puente del Inca represents classic marketing hype rather than any real skiing opportunity at the time. In 1931, recreational skiing in Argentina was just getting going with the forming of the Club Andino Bariloche. While there are unspecified, sporadic reports of skiing between stations of the trans-Andean rail line (by the European engineers), it is a desolate, barren, rugged place that rarely receives much snow in the winter. In 1925, a spa hotel was developed at the site intending to attract Argentine health tourists, and the poster represents an attempt to fill empty rooms in the winter. Los Penitentes wasn’t developed as a ski area until the 1970s. Buenos Aires is often called the “Paris of South America,” but Puente del Inca should never be compared to St. Mortiz.

Chris I. Lizza
Author, South America Ski Guide
Lee Vining, California

Tragedy Leads to the Founding of the National Ski Patrol

Well done with the important article, “The Evolution of On-Course Safety” (March-April 2025). The photograph on page 18 (see below) reminded me of another contribution to skiing’s safety made by a ski-racing accident. In 1936, in a race on the Ghost Trail on Pine Mountain [Pittsfield, Massachusetts], similar to the Thunderbolt Trail, Frank Edison fell, crashing into a tree. His rescue was mishandled, which led to his death. The next day my father, Roland Palmedo, organized a committee chaired by Minnie Dole to study skiing safety. That led to the establishment of the National Ski Patrol, with Dole as its director. 

Philip Palmedo
St. James, New York

Thank you so much for the comprehensive biographical profile of my dad, Roxy Rothafel, in the January-February issue (“The Roxy Ski Reports”). The article accurately outlines his journey from childhood into adult years where he honed his skills as journalist, broadcaster and expert skier—all of which culminated in “Ski Reports by Roxy.” Every so often I run into a fellow skier who remembers him. But, despite having millions of listeners for two decades, today he’s largely forgotten. Thankfully, organizations and publications like Skiing History will help keep his memory alive and acknowledge his contributions to the sport he truly loved.

Art Rothafel, Jr.
Villa Park, California

Thank you for calling the Belknap Snow Report

That was a great article on Roxy Rothafel. The photograph on page 21 showing the Belknap Ski School shows my grandfather, Fritzie Baer, on the far right wearing his red hat, which was his trademark. My grandfather set up one of the first answering machines at Belknap, which gave an accurate snow report. He was very proud of how he transformed Belknap in the nine years he was general manager. 

Bobby Arnold
Bow, New Hampshire

New isha Member Wins Rossignol Skis

During the final quarter of 2024, Rossignol offered a pair of skis and bindings as a lottery prize for a lucky ISHA member who joined or renewed during the calendar year. The winner is Bob Kelsey of Glen Carbon, Illinois, who first joined ISHA in March 2022. He’s a 67-year-old retired structural engineer who grew up skiing in the Adirondacks and now spends about a month every winter skiing in the West. Kelsey plans to spend February in South Lake Tahoe and is thrilled to have new skis to take with him. He says he’s hooked on Skiing History and will be a lifelong reader.

I am a lifelong Southern skier in the mountains of North Carolina, West Virginia and elsewhere. I have spent many wonderful days on the slopes! I noticed that in the July-August 2024 issue there was an article, “The College That Taught the South to Ski.” I learned to ski at Appalachian Ski Mountain and was familiar with the French-Swiss Ski College. I remember Jack Lester and the Special Forces training at Appalachian. My mother’s picture is in the first brochure for Appalachian Ski Mountain. Many good memories!

James Davis
Columbia, South Carolina

Best Ever

Kudos! November-December is the best issue I’ve ever read. 

Bill Danner
Byfeld, Massachusetts

Please remember ISHA in estate planning

Preserving the history of snowsports is the ongoing mission of the International Skiing History Association (ISHA). Through the publishing of Skiing History magazine, by maintaining the extensive online library of reference materials and educational media at skiinghistory.org and by annually sponsoring the ISHA Awards programs honoring books, films, ski museums and other important initiatives, ISHA is dedicated to keeping the spirit and freedom of skiing alive for future generations.

Bequests that make achievement of these goals possible can take many forms, including trusts, annuities, stocks, real estate and other legacy gifts. As a 501(c)(3) public charity, all contributions to ISHA are tax-deductible for U.S. taxpayers.

ISHA would be grateful for any life-celebration contributions you wish to consider. Please contact ISHA Executive Director Janet White for more information at Janet@skiinghistory.org, and speak with your estate planners today about the benefits of gifting for posterity!

I am inspired to write because of the super technique piece Seth Masia penned in the latest Skiing History issue (Sept-Oct) on lead change. I hope there is more like it. Perhaps that is the plan. With Ron LeMaster sadly gone, Masia could so ably fill that space. And you can use LeMaster’s photo sequences, as was done in the issue. Yay. Technique changes (and ways things have not changed) through the ages are fun to think about and read about and try out on the slopes. Thanks for keeping the magazine alive and well. 

Peter Shelton
Bend, Oregon

Seth Masia appears to have lost his mind. In the article "Whatever Happened to Lead Change?", he writes "only stronger skiers learned to hold the tips even so as to use the power of the entire outside ski". He concludes the article by praising "advancing the outside ski and keeping the tips even." 

There are plenty of photos and videos of the first World Cup races this season, and they all show the racers with the inside ski way in front, just as in previous seasons. There's no need to change your technique; keep leading with the inside ski and changing the lead between turns. 

Scott Peer 
Glendale, California

Correction

In the July-August 2024 issue, the article “Changing of the Guard” in the News from ISHA section mentioned Ken Hugessen’s departure from the ISHA Board. That item should have read as follows: Ken Hugessen, a Toronto-based cross-country ski racer, grew up to found a management consultancy firm specializing in executive compensation and governance, with offices in Toronto, Montreal and Calgary. In 2021, Ken was invited to join ISHA on the basis of his involvement in the world of high finance and the accordant value he would bring to the board. During his term, Ken underwrote the Canadian Ski History Writers Project.

Be a Holiday Hero

Impress your family and friends by immersing them in the history of our sport for the holidays. A subscription to Skiing History magazine is the ideal gift for the discerning skier or rider­­—and conveniently suitable as a great stocking-stuffer. Go to skiinghistory.org/join to send a subscription to a friend or family member at a discounted holiday gift rate.

On the morning of July 15, I received a sad phone call from Marie Jose Valencot, informing me that my friend and her longtime partner, Sylvain Saudan, had passed away the previous night.

Her voice made me recall when I met the legend for the first time. The year was 1989. I had read that Sylvain was running a helicopter ski operation in the Himalayas of Kashmir, and the article said, “For more information, call 50530469 in France.” I recognized this to be a number in Chamonix, and I dialed. A female voice told me via a recorded message to leave my name and telephone number. Sometime later the phone rang.

“Allo, is zeese Jeemie Petterzon? Yes? Good. Zeese is Sylvain Saudan. My girlfriend told me you called. I am calling from a ... What you call it in English? A phone box in Paris ... excuse me, I must put in some more coins.” ... clink, clink, clink ... “now we are okay?”

This was heli-skiing in the Himalayas operated from his private apartment in Chamonix. No travel agent. No secretary … and calling me from a phone booth instead of from his hotel room. As I chatted with Sylvain from his phone booth, I felt an immediate sense of comradeship. He was one of us. This legend was perhaps the greatest ski bum of all time, but a ski bum, nevertheless.

The Guinness Book of Records has no category for ski bums, but under the heading of skiing, Sylvain has been listed as follows: “Steepest Descent-Sylvain Saudan (b Lausanne, Switzerland, Sept. 23, 1936.) Achieved a descent of Mt. Blanc on the northeast side down the Couloir Gervasutti from 13,937 ft. on Oct. 17,1967, skiing gradients of about 60 degrees.” Sylvain has appeared previously in this record book for other remarkable skiing feats.

Skiing, nowadays, has more different tangents than ever before. There are specialists and competitions in cross-country, telemark, ski jumping, downhill, slalom, giant slalom, super G, ballet, moguls, figure eights, aerial acrobatics, freestyle, ski cross and speed skiing, as well as extreme skiing. But not many people can claim to be the founder of one of these categories. Sylvain Saudan is truly the father of extreme skiing—and one can make a good case for the fact that this particular kind of skiing is the discipline that is most representative of the consummate skier.

Sylvain described his steep-skiing exploits as neither a quest for fame nor financial remuneration, but rather as a natural progression of his life of skiing. As he insisted, his ever-increasing renown was a mere byproduct of “doing what I want to do.” He simply loved the special challenge of extreme skiing. Whereas most excellent skiers would feel a sense of satisfaction having successfully negotiated a slope of 40 degrees, Sylvain told me, “For me, what is steep, is if you make a mistake, you are dead.”

He viewed his frequent dance with death as a gift. “People who face death,” related Sylvain, “know exactly zee value of life.” Perhaps this statement partly explains why someone who loved life could take so many risks. 

Jimmy Petterson
Gothenburg, Sweden

Editor’s Note: For more on Sylvain Saudan, see page 30.

Letters to the Editor: We’re All Ears

There may not be a more experienced and distinguished readership in the ski industry than ISHA’s audience. We’d like to hear from you. Send letters to the editor to seth@skiinghistory.org. Please include your name and your town of residence.

Buddy Werner and Me

I was intrigued with the January-February 2024 issue of the magazine. I found the article “1964: Breakthrough at Innsbruck” fascinating. In 1958-1959 I lived with my family in St. Anton. My parents were friends of Pepi Gabl, who was also a patient of my father’s. We were from Portland, Oregon, where my father was an orthopedic surgeon and Pepi was head of the ski school at Timberline Lodge. Pepi had built a small pension in St. Anton and was thrilled that my parents rented the entire place since Austria was really struggling after its brutal occupation after World War II. Paying guests were a rare commodity.

One day a patient of my fathers, Ron Funk, showed up with most of the U.S. Ski Team. Ron asked if they could live with us because we had room and they had no money. My father thought that was a great idea so long as some of them skied with me when they were in St. Anton during breaks in the racing schedule. All I can say is what an experience I had as a young ski racer from the States skiing with Buddy Werner who was living with us. That was the year Buddy won the Hahnenkamm downhill, which was an absolutely spectacular achievement. He fell in the slalom, and I remember walking down the street in St. Anton and seeing the headline of the newspaper saying, “Werner loses Hahnenkamm slalom”—not “Molterer wins slalom.” The Austrians absolutely loved him. I later went on to be (for what it is worth) the No. 1 Alpine skier for Williams College. Nothing, however, from a skiing point of view was as special as that winter with Buddy Werner, Max Marolt and some of the others.

Jock Kimberley
Portland, Oregon

Oscar Hambro Company Revisited

I liked the back cover feature advertisement of Oscar Hambro Co. (“Ads from the Past,” January-February 2024). From some Norwegian skier research I did years ago, I found that Oscar opened his store in Boston in 1927, behind the Copley Plaza Hotel (now Fairmont Copley Plaza). It was one of the main ski stores in New England until World War II. He also added a store in New York City and opened the second ski factory in New Hampshire in 1937, just after Carl Lund established the Lund Ski factory in Laconia. Skis made in Oscar’s factory bore the Ski-Craft marking, which he patented. 

Oscar’s real name was Oscar Pedersen Hamre, born in 1894 to a fishing family on a farm near Stavanger, Norway. He migrated to Montreal in 1926, bringing a consignment of skis, boots and poles to sell. In the winter of 1927, he came to Boston and set up his ski-import store near the Carver Plaza Hotel. In the off season he worked as a sail maker for the yachting and fishing communities around Boston. His store was quite successful. The back cover of the American Ski Annual hosted his ads every year from 1934 through 1940. After World War II he closed the ski shop and bought a 75-foot retired Coast Guard boat he used for commercial fishing. In 1954 he moved to Seattle and later to LaConner, in Skagit County, where he was a well-known part of the commercial fishing community until his passing in 1971. 

Kirby Gilbert
Bellevue, Washington