Snapshots in Time (March-April 2021)

Photo above: John Jay at Camp Hale

1958 What a Life!
In the ski film business, the work sometimes resembles an iceberg—seven-eighths of it lies hidden and never appears to the gay crowds who come so see the shows. They see a two-hour finished product, enjoy the laughs and the excitement, and go home chattering, “What a life! Why don’t we get into it?” Why not indeed. —John Jay, “The Glamorous Life” (SKI Magazine, October 1958)

1959 Do you need $100 Boots?
You can pay up to $100 for a pair of ski boots, but there is so much value to be had in the lower price ranges that it hardly seems worthwhile to spend that much—except for the discriminating expert who insists on the very best of everything. If you ski only a couple of weekends a season, the least expensive double boot will serve nicely. They are soft and require almost no breaking in. And provided you have a good fit in them, they give adequate support with minimum discomfort. —“What to Look for in Basic Equipment:” (SKI Magazine, October 1959)

1981 Sibling Rivalry
They always had each other and the snow. Their father still manages the ski area at White Pass, Wash., in the Cascade Mountains, where the Mahre twins grew up. From the beginning, Phil and Steve never had to search for somebody to ski with. Or against. “We started racing when we were 8,” Phil Mahre recalls. “He’d win or I’d win. He pushed me and I pushed him. Even if there was nobody else around, there was always him. I always had to go faster.” —Dave Anderson “The Skiing Twins” (Sports of the Times, New York Times, Dec 3, 1981)

1997 IPO v. Freshies
Vail went public today and nobody on Vail Mountain seems to give a damn. It’s a powder day—14 inches of fluff fell overnight—and we’re more interested in getting our share of fresh tracks than shares of Vail Resorts stock. All around me, skiers are tasting their own little slice of heaven somewhere on Vail’s 4,000 acres. But nowhere do I hear talk of Vail’s IPO, which is happening 2,000 miles away on Wall Street this early February day. Not in the liftlines, not on the lifts, not at Two Elk Restaurant over lunch, not even at Vendetta’s during après-ski.” —Reade Bailey, “Something for Everyone” (SKI Magazine, February 1997)

2021 And the Winner Is….
Berkshires-based singer-songwriter James Taylor is the winner of his sixth Grammy Award, for his most recent studio album, “American Standard,” released in February 2020. The citation is for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. The Grammys were handed out in a nationally televised ceremony Sunday night. “What an embarrassment of riches to be here in the mountains skiing and just getting the news,” Taylor said in a video message posted on Twitter as he rode a ski lift in Montana. “I’m tickled pink, and very grateful.” —(The Berkshire Eagle, March 15, 2021)