Random Ski Trivia - Page 2

Trivia?  The first resort to use snowmaking was Grossinger's Hotel in the Catskills (upstate NY) in 1952. 

It may have been the only ski hill to close for lunch.  Essen!

Totally unverified rumor--a large rock under granite chief lift is named after a patroller who decided to drop a sign off the chair onto the top of the rock instead of skiing it down and fell off the chair in the process, i don;t know the name, the rock, or if it;s true. (Too dark to see my keyboard). Patrollers at Squaw who fall in uniform have to buy everyone beer.  My son bought a lot of beer when he was a patroller. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Posaune 

As long as we're talking about WWII and Germans, the double diamond run "Gabl's" at Mt. Baker is named for Franz Gabl, Silver Medal winner for Austria in downhill at the 1948 Winter Olympics.  He was an officer in the German army who emigrated to the US and began ski instruction at Mt. Baker.  He also was one of the founders of Mt. Pilchuck Ski Area, which is now defunct.  He ran a ski shop in Bellingham for many years.

Franz was in the German Army in WWII, but not an officer.  He wrote a book about his life titled Franzl, and then produced another "improved" version titled Franzl II.  I thought it very interesting both for the skiing history and for a look at life as an Austrian in WWII.  He gave much credit for his Olympic Silver Medal to the Northland skis he managed to obtain before the games started.  The US ski company had higher quality wood than was available in Austria.  Nice guy.  We chatted once watching a Masters Race at Stevens Pass.  My wife was racing and Franz and I were recovering from injuries as I recall.  He referred to himself as a painter, house painter, which he was, not as an Olympic Medalist, instructor, area developer, manager, ski shop owner, or any of his other activities.

JTN

Otto Schniebs also designed/layed out Song Mountain in NY. All the trails are named after songs except "Otto's Folly". Otto also ran the ski shop there. Jimmy Heuga was Ski School Director there, after he won his Olympic medal.

"You don't grow too old to ski, you grow old because you stop skiing"

When I worked for Hoodoo Ski Bowl in Oregon Cacades we cut a new run from the back of the hill around to the front side. A cat driver who worked for the construction company owned by one of the board members ran the D8 for us. He had never been to a ski area before, but he could sure run a cat. We ended up naming his work "Art's Alley", still there today.

Same time frame we were cutting some trees to clear a new run off the east side of the hill when the chainsaw came apart on us. We never did find the gripping blade that has the teeth to help hold the saw in place on the log while cutting, so the trail now carries the name "Gripper". Hoodoo, a small area started back in the late 30's, but a fun one day play area.

Of course Mission Ridge up in Washington has the "Bomber Bowl" named for a B-24 that crashed there. The web site carries a little story about how the wing recovered from the crash site and placed up on the hill may have some magical powers

(trivia note: D8K cat is very popular because it can be transported in one piece on a low boy, D-9 have to have blade pulled and may still have overweight transport charges and need pilot cars. Or so it goes up here in orygun)

Speaking of machinery, the "Off Track Canyon" section of the 2002 Olympic Downhill was named for its' propensity for tearing the tracks off the Winch Cats as they tried to groom the extreme sidehill on this scary section of the course.  This section has only been groomed a couple of times since the Olympics.  It is the portion just below where Grizzly & Hollywood meet on the map in the shade above Buffalo Jump & the final face.  This is also the area where Bode made his spectacular recovery during the DH section of the Olympic Combined before going on to take the Silver medal after the SL portion.

JF

Always love to point out that Dan O'Callohan from Hot Dog The Movie was the dancing, singing, "I'm a Pepper" guy from those annoying commercials in the 70s and early 80s.

Former Freestyle Champion and skiing stunt double Frank Beddor III, one of Minnesota's finest all time skiers, is also a big time movie producer.  There's Something About Mary is probably his most well known product.  His folks were HUGE supporters of the USSA Central Freestyle needs.  I competed (or tried to haha) against his brother David Beddor a few times but he was in a different league than I was ability and talent wise.  Without the support and enthusiasm if the Beddor family we probably would not have had USSA Central Freestyle when I was in high school.

Phil's favorite ski area was designed by Jean Claude.

Yeah, they used to hype that in the early days when Shawnee PA opened.

You caught a bus at the Wearing (as in blender), estate and they bussed you 3 miles to the top before there was a lodge or parking at the bottom.

They probably flew him in showed  him the hill and in 10 minutes ....
 

I can see why. I skied that last winter after it hadn't snowed in a week and was windswept. Never found it so hard to get my skis to actually go down the trail instead of across it. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4ster 

Speaking of machinery, the "Off Track Canyon" section of the 2002 Olympic Downhill was named for its' propensity for tearing the tracks off the Winch Cats as they tried to groom the extreme sidehill on this scary section of the course.  This section has only been groomed a couple of times since the Olympics.  It is the portion just below where Grizzly & Hollywood meet on the map in the shade above Buffalo Jump & the final face.  This is also the area where Bode made his spectacular recovery during the DH section of the Olympic Combined before going on to take the Silver medal after the SL portion.

 

 

JF

Yuki, the blender is "Waring".

Trivia?  The number of warm chocolate-chip cookies handed out at the base of Beaver Creek, Colorado., at 3 p.m. daily each ski season: 400,000. (Source: New York Times).

Trivia?  The most expensive ski training center in the world is the Center of Excellence in Park City ($24.4 million). http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/sports/olympics/11ocenter.html?_r=1
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by quant2325 

Trivia?  The number of warm chocolate-chip cookies handed out at the base of Beaver Creek, Colorado., at 3 p.m. daily each ski season: 400,000. (Source: New York Times).

 

do they wipe your ass as well?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philpug 

The new Single Chair at Mad River Glen actually ran too fast to keep the uphill capacity the same as the out going chair, so they removed 4 chairs to keep the capacity the same. 

Not sure if that is correct. I believe the reason why there are 4 chairs less on the new single is that the weight of the new chairs are much greater than the original single chairs even without the poles hooks.