2021 - 2022 Far West Skier's Guide - 35

A Bit of History: Navigating over a snow packed terrain was initially associated
with man's struggle for survival dating back thousands of years. It has only been since the
early 1800s that it became a " pleasurable " activity to glide through a landscape of white powder,
climb the slope of a high hill, put on some wooden planks, which today we call skis or
snowboards - and challenge one another to see who can reach a designated point the quickest;
or merely cruise along a gentle slope. These " fun " activities helped to make the winter months
much more enjoyable. Many who enjoyed the same experiences congregated into clubs.
The organization of several clubs originally began in 1904 when the National Ski Association
(NSA) was formed in Ishpeming, Michigan. Clubs from other areas mostly in the
East and Midwest also began forming. Several years later, ski clubs began forming in the
western states. The California Ski Association was formed in 1930, by existing California
clubs. Later the name was changed to the Far West Ski Association.
Many clubs within the
icon and influenced many other ski resorts developed
afterwards.
The book is based on previously unpublished
sources about Union Pacific, Sun Valley
and the people who developed it and made it
famous.
Ski racer and author Dick Dorworth in
his review of the book in Skiing History magazine
said the following: " Skiing Sun Valley is a
deeply researched, scholarly book about the connections
between the Sun Valley of today and the
people, places, cultures, economics, wars, inventions,
wilderness, ecology, risks and personal relationships
in the 19th and 20th centuries that made it what
it will be in the 21st. "
" Every aspect of the story is accompanied by
an abundance of photos that on their own are
worth the price of the book. Every person with a
connection to and love of Sun Valley will be better
informed, inspired and wiser after reading it. "
During the Covid-19 quarantine period,
John Lundin also published two other books
about ski history: Sun Valley, Ketchum & the
Wood River Valley and Ski Jumping in
Washington State: a Nordic Tradition, which
is a companion book to an exhibit on ski jumping
at the Nordic Museum that he helped prepare.
He
also wrote Early Skiing on Snoqualmie
Pass that was published in 2017. It and
Sun Valley, Ketchum & the Wood River Valley
received Skade Awards from the International
Skiing History Association.
John was born and raised in Seattle. He
received B.A and J.D. degrees from the University
of Washington and a Master of Urban and
Regional Planning from The George Washington
University. He practiced law in Washington,
D.C. and Seattle as a federal attorney and
as a private practice trial attorney in federal
court.
The Western Ski Heritage Award is
sponsored by Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation.
The winner is awarded a trip for
two to Steamboat. ss
Far West Skier's Guide 2O21 - 2O22
35
FWSA have a long history. The chart below indicates FWSA Historic Clubs and Councils.
To be an historic club or council, they must have been formed at least 50 years ago.

2021 - 2022 Far West Skier's Guide

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2021 - 2022 Far West Skier's Guide