Ski school founder, Northwest Ski Hall of Famer

John Hansen, ski school founder at Stevens Pass, Washington, and longtime instructor, died on November 21, 2021. He was 95.

Born in Minneapolis in 1926, Hansen moved to Seattle with his family in 1939 and graduated from the University of Washington in 1949. The following year he started a 36-year engineering career with Seattle City Light.

In 1945, Hansen taught his first ski classes at the University of Washington’s Husky Winter Sports Lodge at Stampede Pass. At Stevens Pass, Hansen ran rope tows for the area, co-founded the District 15 Ski School in 1956 and then formed the Ski Laufer Ski School in 1958. He directed and taught at the school for 28 years. He was also active with Stevens Lodge and helped direct the construction of the original building in 1948 and its later expansion in 1954. Upon retiring, Hansen spent winters at Sun Valley, Idaho, and taught there for 17 years.

Hansen became involved with The Mountaineers in 1946, was a director of REI when it first incorporated in the 1950s and served as president of the University of Washington’s Husky Winter Sports Club. He joined the Ancient Skiers organization in 1986 and became a board member in 2004. He served as board president for 10 years and helped double the organization’s membership. Hansen was inducted into the Northwest Ski Hall of Fame in 2010.