George Bauer, SKI Magazine publisher

George Bauer, SKI Magazine publisher

George Bauer, resident of Old Saybrook, Connecticut, passed away on July 13, 2008 after a long illness. 

George was born in 1925 and Lived in Larchmont, N.Y. for many years. A graduate of New York State Maritime Academy, he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He attended the University of Bridgeport after the war. Upon graduation, be began a long career in the publishing business, working for McGraw Hill, Times Mirror and Time Inc.

After serving as the advertising director of SKI Magazine in the late 1960s, George became the publisher of the nation's oldest ski magazine in 1977. He was SKI's publisher for the next 15 years, the longest period for any publisher of the magazine in its 72-year history. He retired in 1992. George at one time also served as publisher of Golf Magazine.

During his time at SKI, he became a leading a leading figure in the ski industry and a great promoter of the sport. He promoted the nationwide Nastar, the National Standard Ski Race, the professional ski racing tour, and a children's instruction program, SKIwee. He created a Ski Business Hall of Fame to honor pioneers whose products and innovations were important to the development of the ski industry.

With Pepi Gramshammer of Vail, George established the annual Legends of Skiing award, honoring international skiing stars of the past, through which he befriended many prominent citizens and celebrities, including former President Gerald Ford. In 1986, he created America's 50th Ski Birthday celebration at Sun Valley, marking the 50th anniversaries of SKI Magazine and the Idaho ski resort.

To those who worked with him in the ski industry, he was a legend himself. He was inducted into the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame in 1991.