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PO Box 1511 · One South Main Street · Stowe, VT 05672

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Allen Adler's latest article!

Kaffeeklatsch

No, not really. What it was was a gathering of many of the world's most renowned ski historians to mingle, exchange information and read historical papers in a quasi-academic setting. It was the Third International Ski History Congress, held in Park City, Utah, on January 20-24, 2002. Sounds dry as dust and dull but, on the contrary, it was great fun.

Lahti, in Finland, and Oslo had hosted the first two Congresses. The interest generated there dictated that we convene one in the U.S. of A.. Professor E.John B.Allen, our foremost academic ski historian, was inveigled into being ringmaster and is to be commended for doing a bang-up job. Some sixty participants from eight countries, namely, Germany, Sweden, England, Canada, Norway, Austria, Japan, and the USA came to Park City to present forty-two papers over the course of four days. It was an overwhelming demonstration of the widespread interest in ski history. The attendees were historians, filmmakers, journalists and slews of people from the many ski museums.

Of the papers read in overlapping sessions, ten presenters were from abroad while the other thirty-two were American. The subjects covered a vast spectrum touching on technology, journalism, sociology and a smattering of rather obscure but interesting bits of ski history. Twenty attendees did not give papers.

Of more immediate importance to supporters of the Vermont Ski Museum was a meeting on the first day of representatives from many ski museums. Among them were the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame & Museum, the New England Ski Museum, the Colorado Ski Museum and the Western America Ski Museum. Also, the University of Utah Ski Archives, the Sun Valley/Ketchum Ski Museum, the Alf Engen Ski Museum and the Vermont Ski Museum, the latter two still works in progress. Scott Noble and Sandra Heath ably represented the VSM. The International Skiing History Association (ISHA), which is devoted to recording documented ski history, was well represented. Quite interesting is the Arizona Ski Museum in that it is entirely privately owned and operated by Jimmy and Jerry Nunn and displays a fascinating array of ski artifacts. Jerry Nunn was the very first certified women Forest Ranger. How that came about is an amusing story unto itself, but best held for another time. Glenn Parkinson, New England Ski Museum prexy, and Margie Plath of the Colorado Ski Museum were organizers of the meeting of museum reps. It was designed to encourage some sort of structured cooperation among the museums, exchange information and exhibits and assist in finding ways to better fund their organizations. That was just for starters; it will be a continuing effort. However, less visible but important benefits accrued: museum officers got to meet and know each other face to face. The beneficial results of such cross-pollination are difficult to measure but emerge in subtle ways.

If it sounds like dreary shopwork, it wasn't. The hosts, Ski Utah, the University of Utah Marriott Library Ski Archives and three ski resorts went out of their way to welcome and entertain its guests. The Alf Engen Ski Museum was the host museum. Victuals were mouth-watering and plentiful. And time was made available for skiing at Park City and Deer Valley (with Stein), culminating in a sparkling day at storied Alta.

Why is this article being dropped in your laps instead of something on Vermont ski history? Because Vermont skiing took place contemporaneously with skiing elsewhere both here and in Europe. Ski history is intermingled; Sepp Ruschp came from Austria; Billy Kidd moved west. It is not insular. And by VSM joining its confreres in a momentous gathering of like interests, our Vermont Ski Museum gains both in knowledge and stature and is recognized as a member of the ski history fraternity.

I had originally intended to do a piece on early mom and pop ski areas in Vermont but it is more timely to note the truly impressive meeting that took place in Park City in January. Mom and pop, dear souls, will have to wait a tad longer.

One last note: should you wish to know more about the Congress, or ski history, please check the ISHA Website www.skiinghistory.org