SKIING HISTORY
Editor Seth Masia
Managing Editor Greg Ditrinco
Consulting Editor Cindy Hirschfeld
Art Director Edna Baker
Editorial Board
Seth Masia, Chairman
John Allen, Andy Bigford, John Caldwell, Jeremy Davis, Kirby Gilbert, Paul Hooge, Jeff Leich, Bob Soden
Founding Editors
Morten Lund, Glenn Parkinson
To preserve skiing history and to increase awareness of the sport’s heritage
ISHA Founder
Mason Beekley, 1927–2001
ISHA Board of Directors
Rick Moulton, Chairman
Seth Masia, President
Wini Jones, Vice President
Jeff Blumenfeld, Vice President
John McMurtry, Vice President
Bob Soden (Canada), Treasurer
Richard Allen, Skip Beitzel, Michael Calderone, Dick Cutler, Wendolyn Holland, Ken Hugessen (Canada), David Ingemie, Joe Jay Jalbert, Henri Rivers, Charles Sanders, Einar Sunde, Christof Thöny (Austria), Ivan Wagner (Switzerland)
Presidential Circle
Christin Cooper, Billy Kidd, Jean-Claude Killy, Bode Miller, Doug Pfeiffer, Penny Pitou, Nancy Greene Raine, Lindsey Vonn
Executive Director
Janet White
janet@skiinghistory.org
Membership Services
Jamie Coleman
(802) 375-1105
jamie@skiinghistory.org
Corporate Sponsorships
Peter Kirkpatrick
(541) 944-3095
peterk10950@gmail.com
Bimonthly journal and official publication of the International Skiing History Association (ISHA)
Partners: U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame | Canadian Ski Museum and Hall of Fame
Alf Engen Ski Museum | North American Snowsports Journalists Association | Swiss Academic Ski Club
Skiing History (USPS No. 16-201, ISSN: 23293659) is published bimonthly by the International Skiing History Association, P.O. Box 1064, Manchester Center, VT 05255.
Periodicals postage paid at Manchester Center, VT and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to ISHA, P.O. Box 1064, Manchester Center, VT 05255
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Written permission from the editor is required to reproduce, in any manner, the contents of Skiing History, either in full or in part.
Ski Art: Albert Jacques Muret (1874-1955)
Albert Muret has a place in ski art with his well-known poster of a line of St. Bernard monks skiing away from their ancient hospice in Switzerland, accompanied by two of their eponymous dogs. This is Muret’s only image containing skiers. He was known for pictures of the attractive village of Lens in the Valais, below the now mega-resort of Crans-Montana, where he lived from 1902 to 1917. He then moved to Epesses on Lac Léman (Lake Geneva), halfway between Lausanne and Vevey, in wine country. There is even a vin Muret. As in Lens, he painted local scenes before settling in Pully, a few kilometers east of Lausanne in 1945, where he remained until his death 10 years later.
It all seems a long way from the industrial marvel of the 19-kilometer stretch of railway built to serve an aluminum plant that never materialized. The route runs near the great hospice founded in 1049 by St. Bernard de Montjoux (often incorrectly Menthon), confirmed by Pope Pius XI in 1923 as patron saint of the Alps. Those St. Bernard dogs—they are first mentioned in 1690— were being sold in 2004 when two foundations put up enough money to house, feed, and continue their presence at the hospice. This route is ancient. Finds from the Bronze Age and traces of a Roman road prove its history, but what we remember is Jacques-Louis David’s dramatic portrait of Napoleon on his steed crossing the Great St. Bernard Pass in the Swiss Alps. He had received wine and sustenance from those monks.
And the skis? In 1877, Norwegian skis had been sent to the monks for their rescue work, but no Norwegian accompanied them to show how they should be employed. It was not until the early 20th century, when social skiing became part of winter tourism, that the monks took out their skis and became part of skiing’s lore, enshrined in Muret’s poster of 1913.
Table of Contents
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ($3,000+)
BerkshireEast/Catamount Mountain Resorts
Gorsuch
Warren and Laurie Miller
Sport Obermeyer
Polartec
CHAMPIONSHIP ($2,000)
Fairbank Group: Bromley, Cranmore, Jiminy Peak
Hickory & Tweed Ski Shop
Rossignol
Snowsports Merchandising Corporation
WORLD CUP ($1,000)
Aspen Skiing Company
Atomic USA
Bogner of America
Boyne Resorts
Dale of Norway
Darn Tough Vermont
Dynastar/Lange/Look
Gordini USA Inc/Kombi LTD
Head Wintersports
Intuition Sports
Mammoth Mountain
Marker/Völkl USA
National Ski Areas Association
North Carolina Ski Areas Association
Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.
Outdoor Retailer
Ski Area Management
Ski Country Sports
Sports Specialists Ltd
Sugar Mountain Resort
Sun Valley Resort
Vintage Ski World
World Cup Supply
GOLD MEDAL ($700)
Larson's Ski & Sports
McWhorter Driscoll LLC
Race Place/Beast Tuning Tools
The Ski Company (Rochester NY)
Thule
SILVER MEDAL ($500)
Alta Ski Area
Boden Architecture PLLC
Dalbello Sports
Deer Valley
EcoSign Mountain Resort Planners
Elan
Fera International
Holiday Valley Resort
Hotronic USA/Wintersteiger
Kulkea
Leki
Masterfit Enterprises
Metropolitan New York Ski Council
Mt. Bachelor
New Jersey Ski & Snowboard Council
Nils
Russell Mace Vacation Homes
SchoellerTextil
Scott Sports
Seirus Innovations
SeniorsSkiing.com
Ski Utah
Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort
Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp
Sundance Mountain Resort
Swiss Academic Ski Club
Tecnica Group USA
Timberline Lodge and Ski Area
Trapp Family Lodge
Wendolyn Holland
Western Winter Sports Reps Association
World Pro Ski Tour