SKIING Magazine Folds: Goodbye, Old Friend.
After 7o Years Of Chronicling The Sport, The Venerable Publication Closes.
The rumors are true. SKIING Magazine, like so many other classic magazines, has finally closed down after nearly 70 years of publishing. This is especially sad for me because I worked for SKIING in the early 1970s as a junior editor. It was there I found myself catapulted into the whole ecosystem of the ski business where SKIING and its uptown rival, SKI, were the nexus of all that was happening.
Under Doug Pfeiffer, editor-in-chief and already an industry legend, and Al Greenberg, executive editor, the magazine in those days was a creative, innovative and exciting place to work and for readers a valuable and entertaining look at what was emerging as a growing winter sport. Interest in skiing was bursting in the early 70s; celebrities were being recognized and promoted by the press: Billy The Kid, Jean-Claude Killy, Karl Schranz. Harry Leonard’s Ski Shows—with a young Bernie Weichsel on his staff—descended on major cities. The movie, “Downhill Racer”, starring Robert Redford, brought the drama and beauty of racing to the public. There were new boots, new bindings, new skis, new everything from destinations to accessories, and SKIING covered it all with expertise, a touch of irreverence and some really great writing.
I will never forget learning the basics of cross-country skiing in Al Greenberg’s office at One Park Avenue, New York. Or watching Senior Editor John Henry Auran getting his feet “foamed” for ski boot liners, an outstanding innovation back in the day. “Have you been foamed?” he always asked mischievously. There were also 3:00 AM deadlines, last minute changes, hysterical laughter when coming up with headlines with Managing Editor Dinah Witchel. It was always fun watching Fashion Editor Cathie Judge sort through piles and piles of new clothes for photo shoots.
One month, we were so late in getting final editorial done that I—the junior person— was tasked to personally hand deliver the physical page layouts and copy down to the printing plant in Doraville, GA. I was driven to the airport in New York for an ultra-early flight straight from the office after an all-nighter by John Henry and some other anxious production people. When I landed, I took a cab from Atlanta miles out to Doraville only to find the plant was closed for Confederate Memorial Day. So I left the whole edition—packaged in a giant cardboard sandwich bigger than two super-sized pizzas—with the security guard at the gate who promised to get it to the right person the next day. I gulped, left it with him, got back into the cab, and flew back to New York.
And of course, I will never forget the early 70s ski tests with Wayne Wong, Doug and Ginny Pfeiffer and Jim McDill out in Mammoth Mountain after Memorial on spring snow and bright sunshine near the top of the mountain.
Memories, bound volumes, and reunion phone calls from long-ago colleagues are left. Thanks SKIING for the run.
If you worked at SKIING, what are your stories? I know that several contributors to SeniorsSkiing.com were on staff back when the magazine was a vibrant center of the skiing community. Tell us your memories.
SeniorsSkiing Guide: Brundage Cuteness
Central Idaho Resort Has A “Come As You Are” Vibe.
Skiing fresh powder at Brundage Mountain. Credit: Brundage Mountain.
Brundage Mountain in McCall, ID, is one of those places that truly “skis bigger” than it is.
“You get to the parking lot and say, ‘How cute,’ but when you go up the chair, you start to see just how much terrain there is,” says Communication Director April Whitney.
Okay, 1,500 acres isn’t huge. But there’s plenty to ski including some nice, yummy cruising and great upper intermediate trails with a bit of pitch and challenge that are also often groomed.
The crowd limiting factor here is the parking lot, and even then, a super busy holiday crowd is maybe 3,000 people though the mountain could hold three times that many. As a result, people grouse about “long lines” if the wait hits 10 minutes.
Snow, Terrain and More
Ski patroller helps put finishing touches on snow train in preparation for Winter Carnival in McCall.
Credit: Yvette Cardozo
Location: In McCall, Idaho, 107 miles north of Boise in west central Idaho.
Snowfall: 300 – 350 inches average but it can hit 440 on a good year. Locals claim it’s the best snow in Idaho because it sits where the two main weather cycles, southern and northern, meet. The snow here is a bit colder and drier. In the far west, day old snow becomes concrete as it picks up moisture. “Our powder has the moisture sucked out of it, and it’s actually drier the second day,” said Whitney.
Terrain, lifts: 46 named runs – 20 percent beginner, 50 percent intermediate, 30 percent expert across 1500 skiable acres. One high speed quad, four triple chairs. Best cruising is to the far right looking up the mountain. The gnarly stuff is more to the far, far left including another 420 acres of lift accessed back country. Locals who can ski well say the real magic is what’s between the named runs—”wild” powder with unofficial names like Mexico, Switzerland, Naughty Girl. The season typically runs early December to mid April though after that, Brundage is open weekends until the snow is gone.
Vertical: Vertical drop of 1,921 feet from a top at 7,803 feet to the base at 5882 feet.
Lot to lift access: What you see from the base is what there is. It’s an easy walk to the lodge and lift. There are, however, stairs—four levels worth and no elevator for handicap access. However, if the mountain is called in advance, there is a way to get handicapped people to the lodge upper level and the ski slope.
Public transportation: Brundage Mountain Resort has partnered with Mountain Community Transit to provide a free shuttle service to Brundage Mountain Ski Area. The shuttle will start at the Brundage Adventure Center (BAC) with a stop at Lardo’s Restaurant ten minutes after the BAC stop. Transportation to and from the mountain is FREE for everyone.
Accommodations: Nothing on mountain. Plenty of lodging in nearby McCall.
Culture
The vibe: This is definitely a “come as you are” mountain. The important thing is folks here LOVE skiing. And you can find anything in the way of duds, from hunting bibs and camo rain gear to, um, Carhart. It’s not exactly a Sun Valley, Bogner kind of place. You won’t get a sideways glance at your gear as long as you can link your turns. Preferably well. And there’s a good kids’ center for the grandkids.
Dining: An assortment of simple eateries from sit down Smoky’s Bar and Grill to the Main Street Market & Eatery cafeteria to an adults-only bar plus the weekend-only mid-mountain Bear’s Den.
Mountain life: People come to live and play in McCall for its outdoor activities. In winter, it’s snow, snow and more snow. As someone elsewhere once said, “We do not come to look, we come to SKI!” Or snowshoe, or cross country, or snow hike, or fat tire bike or downhill tube or whatever else you can think of outdoors in winter.
View from the top of Brundage Mountain. Credit: Yvette Cardozo
This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Feb. 17)
Looking Through Turns, Tricks You Can’t Do, Ski Industry Leader, Lifts For XC, Fairy Tale Cottage, Schweitzer’s Hidden Secret.
The upper-mountain Lakeview Triple delivers skiers to mostly advanced terrain at Schweitzer Mountain.
Credit: John Nelson
High season in ski country everywhere. Seems everyone, everwhere has enough snow to last well into Springtime. Glory. What a difference a year makes. Thanks, La Nina or El Nino. Whatever.
We also have a video clip of a chap who has managed to take off and put on one ski while skiing along. It has to be seen to be appreciated. Fact: If you want to do this, you are going to need to practice for about 100 years. Good luck.
We profile a ski industry builder in our SnowSports Leaders series. Dave Scott is a long-time industry veteran who was recently inducted into the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame.
Roger Lohr, publisher of XCSkiResorts.com, reminds us that there are resorts where cross-country skiers can get a lift uphill for a ride down, hitching onto gravity. He says this may becoming a trend in some areas.
Tucked in the woods, this is a cozy cabin. No bears, too!
Credit: Homeaway
Outdoorsman Steve Hines reports on his stay in the Goldilocks Cottage, Stowe, VT. No bears, however. It looks like the ultimate cozy spot for a get-a-way weekend or week. In this secluded cabin, you can really unplug in more ways than one.
Finally, John Nelson brings us a profile of Schweitzer Mountain Resort in northern Idaho. John has a knack for finding these under-the-radar resorts that offer so much for seniors.
Reminder: If you have a video you’d like to share, send us a link or post it on our Facebook page. We will publish it on our online magazine for all to see.
And be on the look out for our Spring Survey 2017. Coming up soon. We will be asking different questions that help us understand you, our wonderful readers.
Also, don’t forget to tell your friends about SeniorsSkiing.com. That’s how we grow. And there are more of us everyday, and we aren’t going away.
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