Readers Respond

Javelin Turn: Still Sharp

At Christin Cooper’s suggestion, I’d like to provide a picture of a modern use of the Javelin Turn, which I wrote about in the January-February 2020 issue of Skiing History (Timeless Tips). In the article, I described how this tip-crossing tip was promoted by Vermont instructor Art Furrer in 1967, and has been in constant use ever since.

In recent exchanges on the Facebook group “Technical Analysis of Alpine Skiing,” a forum where ski instructors and coaches exchange ideas about their work, Javelin Turns have been suggested as a good approach to addressing specific issues in seven different discussion threads just in the last few months. Clearly, it’s alive and well.

Ron LeMaster
Boulder, Colorado

The First U.S. Ski Journalists

A recent article in Skiing History focused on the big guns of ski reporting during the 1950s to 1980s print journalism heyday (“When Print Was King,” January-February 2020).

The profession of “ski journalist” was invented in the 1930s, when U.S. newspapers—especially in Boston and New York—became important sources of ski news. During that decade, ski columnists such as Frank Elkins of the New York Times and Henry Moore of the Boston Herald competed with “Old Man Winter”—Benjamin Bowker—of the rival Boston Evening Transcript.

These pioneers taught novices about the up-and-coming new sport, offering advice on clothing, equipment, technique, snow conditions and weekend snow-train destinations. Race results were a staple and fashion notes added a social touch.

To take one example, Henry Moore’s column of December 2, 1938 covers the Dartmouth College ski team, where the Sunday snow train is going, that ski tows were “rigging up for the weekend crowd,” and that Caroline French looked very cute in her new ski outfit along with “ace racer” Mary McKean. Sometimes artwork would add a visual touch; illustrator Max Barsis was popular.

A few early women columnists made a mark, too: Gwendoline Keen of the Transcript wrote special features, including one about pine-needle skiing. The much-traveled Christine Reid was informative and popular.

For the ski crowd in the Northeastern United States in the decade before World War II, the Friday-night newspapers provided the right combination of enthusiasm, interest, information and pizzazz that heralded a Saturday and Sunday on skis.

John Allen
Rumney, New Hampshire

Who was in the K2 ad?

I loved seeing the K2 “Welfare of the People” ad on the back cover of the January-February issue. In the caption, Seth Masia offered “bonus points” to anyone who could name the city. I can!

My uncle, Russ Butterfield, worked for K2 at the time and his twin daughters are deep in the frame on the right. Sandra is holding the books and purse while Lorna is pushing the stroller. Derek Weigle, the baby in the stroller, recently turned 50.

According to Lorna, the photo shoot was held early in the morning on the main street of Vashon, Washington. The signage was composited (or as we say now, “Photo-shopped in”) later by the advertising agency. Most of the people in the ad were K2 employees, plus their family, friends and significant others. Heckler and Bowker’s ads were creative and cutting edge in the 1970s ski industry. 

David Butterfield
Sun Valley, Idaho

“Think ecology, Mrs. Frobish.”

SKI November 1973

Correcting the Record

Due to an editing error, a caption on page 23 of the January-February 2020 issue was incorrect. In the article “When Print Was King” by ISHA director Jeff Blumenfeld, chronicling some of the sport’s most influential journalists, British writer Arnie Wilson was the ski correspondent for the Financial Times, not the London Times. Sorry, Arnie! —Kathleen James, Editor

The cover of the November-December 2019 issue of Skiing History—and the accompanying painting of a ski jumper soaring over Salisbury, Connecticut—reminds me of home!

Growing up in northwestern Connecticut, my hero was Roy Sherwood, who competed in the 1956 Cortina Olympics. Roy was the constable on our lake, trying to keep a bunch of delinquents out of trouble. He was a straight shooter and a fair man, and we dedicated the lyrics “Oh Roy, oh Roy, is you the law?” to him. (Long Tall Texan by The Kingsmen, 1963).

In the spring of 1963, I stayed in Aspen at the home of Dave and Sherry Farney, along with cinematographer Dick Barrymore. We were all bagging it on the Farneys’ floor. Future Olympian Cindy Farney was just a toddler. At the time, Aspen was a small town with dirt streets and a few chairlifts. We also skied Vail, then in its first season, and the die was cast: I would get back to Colorado at my earliest excuse (CU, Class of 1969).

As a teen, I revered Buddy Werner, Billy Kidd, Jimmie Heuga and Bob Beattie—names and faces I saw featured in your fall fundraising mailing. As an adult, I was excited to attend a party for business associate and Hall of Famer Chuck Ferries at the home of Barb and Scott Henderson in Nederland, Colorado. Bob, Billy and Jimmie were there.

Having skied since age four, and having had small interactions with some of these greats, Skiing History is my favorite read, month after month.

Jonathan Williams
Denver, Colorado

Further on Redford’s Roffe

After reading “The Tale of Redford’s Roffe” in the November-December issue, I thought I’d add a personal touch to Wini Jones’ letter about Roffe’s clothing efforts for the U.S. Ski Team and Redford.

I commuted to work in Seattle with Wini via the Banbridge Island ferry from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s. She was heading into the city to design and manage at Roffe Ski Company, and me to lawyer elsewhere. Back then, I was a 6-foot-tall, 225-pound ex-football player who could not find a ski pant to fit what my future ski tailor later referred to as my “trees.”

Wini took pity in 1985. She invited me to the red-brick Roffe building in downtown Seattle—now pretty much Amazon central. It was snowing hard. Seattle was paralyzed. I walked up a few flights of stairs with Wini to the third floor, an open warehouse-type space with wooden beams. She introduced me to “Sam.” He was mid-70s, me maybe 30.

Sam was handling the tape measure. Clearly, he was a tailor. He and Wini decided on a starting size from which to construct pants for me, the mis-designed client. The result was that Sam Roffe (owner of the company) and Wini (a SKI Magazine “Woman of the Year”) designed, sewed and presented to me a pair of custom-fit, navy blue, over-the boot stretch Gore-Tex ski pants. I wore them well into my three decades at Sun Valley. Today I tuned Wini’s Völkls for Christmas at Whistler. Great magazine!

Tom Hayward
Bainbridge Island, Washington

US 1957 Biathlon Ski Team, from left to right (back row): Fred Beck, Quintin Golder, Selwyn Presnal and Stan Walker; (front row) Gunnar Jansen, Gerald Jensen and Fritz Holt.

Early Biathlon Days Great article on biathlon skiing in the December 2010 issue of Skiing Heritage ("Biathlon Boom"). Here is some additional information on the early days of the U.S,. team.

Following WWII and the deactivation of the 10th Mountain Division, what remained of Camp Hale in Colorado was occupied by a small Army group called the Mountain and Cold Weather Training Command, starting in1952. Although their task was to teach skiing, rock climbing, and outdoor survival to various military units, they also ski raced and began biathlon training. Their first competition was at Camp Hale in 1957, followed by a competition in Switzerland. They competed in the first world championship in 1958 at Saalfelden, Austria. Being a military team, they wore camouflage white clothes with civilian knicker socks, boots and skis, with an M-1 rifle strapped to an Army rucksack. The athletes were from all across the country.

Peter Birkeland (MCWTC alum)
Boulder, Colorado

Hearfelt thanks to Heggtveit I thoroughly enjoyed the article on Anne Heggtveit in the December 2010 issue (“Where Are They Now?”). I want to expand on one small part of the article, so—as Paul Harvey used to say—you’ll have “the rest of the story.”
The article made passing reference to her time at Jay Peak. It noted, “On weekends she’d ski at Vermont’s Jay Peak, sometimes with Lucile Wheeler.” Well, for me, as a young skier, her time meant much more than that. Mrs. Hamilton, as we called her, was one of the coaches for the Jay Peak Ski Club in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Our team was comprised mostly of Canadian kids and, like many Vermont ski clubs, a number of went on to earn ski success at places like Burke Mountain Academy. Some even won NCAA titles or raced for the U.S. and Canadian national teams. I was not one of those racers.
I was a kid with very little natural athletic ability. By my second year on the club I felt very discouraged, as I always finished near last place. One day I was having extra trouble because I had just gotten my first new pair of ski boots. Hamilton noticed that I was struggling and that my boots were not allowing me to flex properly. We left the team behind and skied to the base lodge, where she got a stack of napkins. I remember being confused...I hadn’t spilled my hot chocolate, but she was a coach and I didn’t say a word. She put the napkins behind my calf, between the boot shell and the liner. We then went back up the mountain. “Try it now,” she said. I raced better than I had all day...all year...or maybe ever. When practice was over, she told my parents what to tell the ski shop in order to make things right.
That day didn’t turn me into a world-class racer, but it did help to make me a lifelong skier. Instead of quitting, I ended up spending the rest of my elementary and high school years racing for either Jay Peak or our regional high school. In one of my last high school races, I came within within 13/100ths of actually winning! I became a Jay Peak ski instructor and now look forward to each ski season to spend magical time with my 9-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son. Thank you, Mrs. Hamilton! I’ll never forget what you did for me.

John Ferrara
Hinesburg, Vermont

One Javelin, Two Bindings I enjoyed the September issue of Skiing Heritage and the article on Hart Skis by Seth Masia (“A Family Business Rebounds”). From my photo collection: the Hart Javelin AGS 145, 215 centimeters long, with two Marker bindings on the same ski. Not easy to ski if you are not Art Furrer.

Luzi Hitz
Switzerland

Correction I regret several errors in my December 2010 article about Sun Valley, Stars in the Archives. —John Fry

• Nelson Bennett was Sun Valley’s second ski patrol director, not the original one.
• The long sheaves or shafts of his innovative rescue sled were parallel to one another, not in a V.
• Friedl Pfeifer’s bride Hoyt was not Mormon.
• The Shah of Iran may not have skied down Baldy at dusk from a party at the Round House. Dorice Taylor’s memoir of Sun Valley said that the Iranian leader did, but Bennett, who was there, says he didn’t.

After reading “The Making of DownhillRacer” in the September-October 2019 issue and seeing the photo of Robert Redford in a Roffe shell, I thought I’d add a little behind-the-scenes information. It was an unlined shell with the front made of stiff coated 70-denier woven nylon. The shell was created for the U.S. Ski Team, and in 1968, Olympic alpine medalists Billy Kidd and Jimmie Heuga wore the shell on the cover of Sports Illustrated (February 5 edition). It had to fit close to the body but still stretch across the shoulders. This was before the invention of multi-directional woven stretch fabrics, so the back was made of heavy woven wool/Lycra one-way stretch fabric, with the stretch going horizontally across the shoulders. Redford can ski very well, and Roffe supplied him with skiwear for many years. In this picture of him plowing through powder, he’s wearing a two-piece suit made of fourway stretch woven nylon/Lycra fabric, insulated with a new product that I developed with 3M, a stretch insulation. Both the suit fabric and the shell back were   --Wini Jones