2023 - 2024 Far West Skier's Guide - 56

Public Affairs
Panel Session
Addresses Key
Industry Issues
by Steve Coxen
Vice President - Public Affairs, FWSA
John W. Lundin, (above)
historian and award-winning
author of ski jumping, ski
resorts and Sun Valley Ski Club,
and Tony Baker, (left) historian
and editor of a history of the
Rusty Bindings Ski Club, were
co-presenters of a highly
educational Snowsports
Leadership Academy session
which explained how a club or
council could easily research and
write their history for publication.
activities. Other information and pictures can
be found in the American Ski Annual, published
by the National Ski Association (now
U.S. Ski and Snowboard) from 1934 on; ski
history books; private collections such as the
California Ski Library and www.alpenglow.org
in Washington; and museum and college collections.
Tony
gave attendees step-by-step instructions
on how to build a digital history book.
The presentation described the process used
to write the 50 Year History of Rusty Bindings
Ski Club. The 45 minute presentation used 30
slides to demonstrate how building a digital
book can be divided into four basic steps:
1) Gathering your club's historical
information,
2) Organizing the information into
chapters,
3) Drafting a story about each chapter,
and
4) Inserting text and images into simple
templates.
By the end of the presentation, attendees
clearly could see how these four steps can be
completed with the most basic word processing
skills.
FWSA was honored to have these renowned
historians present this panel to benefit
the clubs and councils, educating members
not only on the importance of preserving club
and council history, but how easy the process
is to do it.
We look forward to working with them
on future snowsports history endeavors. ss
The Snowsports Leadership Academy is a FWSA program
designed to provide FWSA members training and tools to
enhance and expand ski clubs, and be recognized industry wide
as having a measure of standards and consistency. The program
was founded in 2008 and to date, 34 Modules have been
presented at the Far West Ski Association's Annual Conventions.
56 Far West Skier's Guide 2O23 - 2O24
The Public Affairs Panel Session at the
2023 Convention had two featured speakers,
Brad Wilson and Tony Harrison.
Brad Wilson is a recipient of the Far West
Ski Association's 2023 Snowsports Builder
Award. He is the General Manager of the
Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area and
has more than 30 years of experience in management,
marketing, sales and master planning
within the ski and hospitality industry.
Tony Harrison has worked for 36 years as
a public relations counselor. He spent his first
two decades at renowned public relations and
advertising agencies in New York City, Phoenix,
and Boise before opening his own public
relations practice, COMMposition in 2007.
Tourism PR currently accounts for two-thirds
of Tony's business. In addition to serving as the
publicist for Ski Idaho, he works with Soldier
Mountain on a standalone basis, as well as
Visit Southern Idaho, the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge,
and the McCall Area Chamber of Commerce
& Visitors Bureau.
Topics discussed included the effects of
climate change on ski areas, the effects of
COVID on ski areas, and the SHRED (Ski Hill
Resources for Economic Development) Act
making its way through the US Congress.
Brad Wilson emphasized that, " Bogus
Basin is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit, very unusual
in the ski industry. As a non-profit, earnings
go back into the operation for the benefit of resort
guests, not to outside investors. " Brad Wilson
went on to say, " the ongoing support of our community
is awesome, allowing us to fulfill our mission
to provide constantly improving affordable
and accessible year-round mountain recreation and
education. As a non-profit, we have the obligation
to reinvest all the funds we do receive back into the
ski area. "
Bogus Basin just completed its 80th season,
and the Resort is doing what it can to
meet the threat of climate change and lower
snowfalls for skiers. The resort has allocated
$5 million to a variety of projects including additional
snowmaking equipment, new runs, expanded
beginner terrain, RFID technology, and
increased lighting for night skiing. Some of that
was accomplished prior to the 2022-23 ski seattttt
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http://www.alpenglow.org
2023 - 2024 Far West Skier's Guide

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