America
The venue for Jackson Hole’s recent ski launch in London’s Mayfair was so exclusive that Skier & Snowboarder magazine publisher Frank ‘Scoop’ Baldwin almost couldn’t find it.
After walking up and down Bruton Street several times looking for the Hakkasan restaurant he eventually stopped and sought the help of two men who were dressed like they should be auditioning for the lead roles in the Men in Black movie.
The Californian ski area of Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows has changed it’s name to distance itself from a word considered to be a racist and sexist slur.
The recently announced new name is Palisades Tahoe and was chosen to honour the resort’s history as a land of legends – home to freeskiing pioneers, Winter Olympians and cultural icons across more than seven decades of ski history. The change will bring both mountains of the former Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows together under one unified name.
Three Californian ski resorts in the path of a devastating forest fire appear to have escaped the worst of the dramatic blaze although some equipment and outbuildings have been fire damaged.
The Caldor fire, which began in mid-August, covered more than 200,000 acres and strong winds drove it towards the major resort-town of South Lake Tahoe located on the California/Nevada border. It is located directly below Heavenly Mountain Resort and a full evacuation was ordered when smoke made it difficult for inhabitants to breathe.
The Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows ski area in North Lake Tahoe, California, has announced it is looking for a new name after deciding it is time to drop ‘squaw’ as the resort’s owners believe it is a derogatory and offensive term.
A new season pass has gone on sale in North America that aims to make skiing much more affordable. The new, multi-resort ski pass, called the Indy Pass, will provide two day lift tickets for each area, a total of 68 days, at 34 independently owned resorts for $199.
There were some amazing ski properties on show when NEIL ENGLISH visited the Utah resorts of Deer Valley and Park City, which now claims to be the biggest ski area in America. But one well-heeled owner of a slopeside mansion is now having to eat a slice of humble pie…
Frank ‘Scoop’ Baldwin, editor of the Skier & Snowboarder magazine writes:
I skied the Berthoud Pass Ski area in Colorado about 25 years ago – and it was of my most memorable ski days ever.
The high cost of trans-Atlantic air fares has always been one of the stumbling blocks when trying to attract UK skiers and snowboarders to the Rockies in America.
But there are changes in the air as Norwegian is offering return flights from London Gatwick to Seattle and Denver for under £400.
After a weekend of fun and frolics, the Arapahoe Basin Ski Area season, which was extended because of fantastic late snow falls in Colorado, finally came to an end on Sunday (11 June).
Closing Day was full of costumes, pond skimming on Lake Reveal, tunes from the resort favourite local band High 5 in the base area, and lots of smiling faces.
Photo: Ashley Ojala/Arapahoe Basin Ski Area
We often get calls at the Skier & Snowboarder from people looking to get a final fix of skiing and snowboarding right at the end of the season. All of the major European resorts are now closed, but due to some unusually late snowfalls in North America there are some great conditions to be had if you don’t mind a transatlantic crossing.
Sitting comfortably on the stateline between California and Nevada, Heavenly Ski Resort offers skiers and boarders a unique opportunity to ski two US states in one day, on top of experiencing the lively, flashy casino atmosphere that Nevada is famous for.
When Dave McCoy celebrated his 100th birthday
in August, he only had to look at the many photos of Mammoth Mountain lining the office walls at his Californian home to remind him of everything he has achieved during his full and eventful lifetime.
The photos bear witness to the remarkable story of a living legend without whose drive and determination Mammoth, as it is today, might not exist.
Dave’s achievements include opening Mammoth to skiing in 1941 before getting a permit for a permanent ski location there in 1948, allowing him to bring Alpine skiing to southern Californians.
In later years, he launched his Mammoth Lakes Foundation, helping the town grow around the resort.
Luckily for the millions of people who 
have enjoyed skiing and snowboarding there over the last 60+ years, he ignored the advice of locals who warned him the location was ‘too high, too windy, and too steep’.
Dave first saw Mammoth’s potential aged 21, while working as hydrographer. In 1935, he and some friends built his first rope tow out of an old truck frame and engine to haul skiers uphill; later, he even sold his beloved Harley-Davidson to raise funds for equipment.
Today, Mammoth Mountain is a sprawling resort that draws 1.3 million skiers and snowboarders annually, with outdoor adventurers and mountain bikers doubling that figure in summer.
Over the years, Dave declined many offers to work on other resorts for big money. “I was working to make things good at Mammoth Mountain,” he told his local paper, The Press
Enterprise.
“I always looked at how tomorrow would be better. I never worried about money.”
Dave last put on his Salomon skis 10 years ago, but his unbridled enthusiasm for new projects continues. This year, after eight years of research, he
licensed his latest venture, a new vehicle that runs on solar power.
There’s no doubt that Dave’s adventurous spirit combined with his vision has had spectacular results, but for him it’s fun, not business, that lies at the heart of his achievements – and his long life.
“Everyone has a different life, but longevity happens because you do something fun,” Dave said.
“I just wish I had a hundred more years. There are a hundred more things I want to do.”
Happy birthday Dave!