P. O. Box 331 Kirkland, WA 98083 Spring 2014 This

P. O. Box 331
Kirkland, WA 98083
Spring 2014
SPRING TIME COMES IN THE WINTER - 31st ANNUAL SUN VALLEY REUNION
This week was outstanding in that the temperatures
were between 25 and 30 degrees, the skies were blue,
and the grooming made the cruising feel that one was
a fantastic skier! And the week’s events kept the enjoyment level high.
The Saturday afternoon Registration was time
to greet old
friends and get
to know new
members and
introduce them
to the Ancient
Skiers. It is rewarding to see
skiers come
from great distances for the
reunion: Charlotte and Allan
Beall from Hawaii; Susan and Ed Hilpert from Hilton Head, S.C.;
Torrie Kolhler from Bondville, Vt. In everyone’s
event packet, a coupon for the free drink is found
which makes for a happy afternoon!
Monday was the Western night banquet held in the
Limelight Room. Connie DeWerd and Sharon Wellsandt were our hostesses. During the social hour, a
local group of musicians, the “Hitchhikers,” played
western background music. After the BBQ dinner,
Dan DeWerd amused us with “Ole’ and Lena” stories
and, “after hitching his horse and bridling up to the
stage,” Len Gerber presented a cowboy poem in true
western style. Over 200 Ancient Skiers were in attendance.
On Tuesday, we had planned to go to the Ketchum/
Sun Valley Ski and Heritage Museum for another of
their super margarita parties, but it had to be cancelled as the museum operation had just come under
the control of the Ketchum Community Library and
the Library was unable to host us.
Wednesday was cross-country day on the Sun Valley
Golf Course trails, followed by lunch at the Sun Valley Club. In the afternoon in the Opera House, Yosh
Nakagawa, owner of O&U Sports and Northwest Ski
Hall of Fame member, spoke about his World War II
experiences in the Minidoka internment camp near
Twin
Falls
and how being
able to visit in
the Sun Valley
area influenced
his life work in
the ski industry.
In the Opera House on
Thursday afternoon, with
free beer available, we listened to Lou Whittaker and watched a documentary
of his incredible mountain climbing life.
A memorable week was ended at the Friday night
dinner in the Limelight Room with more than 200
tired skiers on hand. The hosts were Ross and Glenda McLaughlin, Peter and Anne Marie Wick, and
Sandy and Jerry Mailman. We heard Marlys Gerber
report on the Alpine Nastar race (free to Ancient Skiers). Thirty-three “Olympians” raced on a very well
prepared course and 11 gold pins were awarded,
with Marlys getting one. The prestigious “Sun Valley Pin” award was presented to LeRoy Kingland by
the award’s creator, Peter Wick. Yosh Nakagawa addressed the group, saying how much he is indebted
to the Ancient Skiers for their impact on his life. And
then the dancing began!
In addition to those mentioned above, there were
many other Ancient Skiers serving on the reunion
committee to make this such an eventful week. To
them, a great big “High 5.”
~ Bill Price & John Hansen
Page 2
PLAN A STOP AT N.W. SKI HALL OF FAME
If your travels take you through Leavenworth, be
sure to stop at the Enzian Inn on the north side of
Highway 2 in the middle of town. Drop in and see the
photographic gallery in the lower corridor leading to
the Inn’s Conference Room. Displayed there are photos of 70 Hall of Fame inductees from between 1987
and 2012. They are from Washington, Oregon, Idaho
and British Columbia. The skiing fun we have today is
due in large part to their efforts.
ANCIENT SKIERS 2015 - PLAN NOW FOR
THE 32nd ANNUAL SUN VALLEY REUNION
Jan. 15, to Jan. 24, 2015, are the dates to save.
Look forward to another incredible week. If you’ve
been a Sun Valley Lodge guest in the past, be aware
that the Lodge is under extensive renovation and will
be closed until fall 2015. So if you plan to stay in Sun
Valley Company accommodations, make your reservation ASAP. Their Room Request Form is included
with this Newsletter. When registering, let them know
you’re an Ancient Skier, as we get a rebate on all the
rooms registered to Ancient Skiers, which helps keep
our costs down. Skiers not staying in Sun Valley facilities will still be eligible for discounted 5-out-of-6-day
lift tickets: Baldy, $249; Dollar, $105.
NEW FEATURE NEEDS YOUR MOST
HARROWING SKI EXPERIENCE
Mike Dederer starts us off with the story below. Now
we want your story. Write it up in your own words,
email to [email protected], and look for your
exciting story in a future newsletter.
A decade after winning all three men’s Alpine gold
medals at the 1956 Cortina Winter Olympics, Toni
Sailer spent a week in Seattle, and I had the opportunity to work with him most of a couple days. He told
of a powder day during an Aspen race week when he
crossed the front of the mountain on a cat track and
chose to go airborne off the edge and land in the powder below. In mid-air, he was startled to see he was
flying over the open top of a dark vertical mine shaft
left over from Aspen’s silver-mining days. No matter.
Toni flew on to ski another day. But the memory stuck
with him.
REMINDER: SAVE OCT. 12, 2014
That’s the date for our Biennial Banquet at the
Nile Country Club. Registration information
will be sent with a future Newsletter.
NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR
NORTHWEST SKI HALL OF FAME
At our Biennial Banquet Oct. 12, 2014, members of
the Pacific Northwest ski community will be inducted
into the Northwest Ski Hall of Fame. The inductees
will be selected from nominations submitted in writing, giving his or her experience, accomplishments,
and contributions to the sport.
The purpose of the Northwest Ski Hall of Fame is to
honor and perpetuate the names and accomplishments
of individuals who have had a positive impact on our
sport and its future in the Northwest. Selection of inductees is based on several criteria including:
• Uncommon energy, enthusiasm, and excitement as
a leading force in the sport.
• Individuals who have made major contributions to
the sport over a considerable period of years.
• Individuals who have helped increase awareness
and appreciation of the sport by the public.
• Those who have brought lasting fame to snowsports
in the Northwest.
Nominations may be made for anyone, posthumously as well as for living persons. Membership in the
Ancient Skiers Association is not required for nominees. Endorsements or statements by others supporting nominations are encouraged. Send nominations to
Leland Rosenlund, 19675 S.E. 24th Way, Sammamish,
WA 98075, or by email to lelandr@sports-unlmtd.
com. Nominations must be received on or before July
1, 2014.
MEMORIES & HISTORY REQUESTED
Kirby Gilbert and John Lundin would love to hear
from members who have memories of skiing at the old
Milwaukee Ski Bowl or Mt. Pilchuck. Also, if anyone has copies of these old publications: “Northwest
Skier,” “Western Skier,” “Ski West,” or “Skier’s Informant,” our history writers would love to make use of
them. Contact Kirby Gilbert at 206-650-5406 or email
to [email protected]
Photos courtesy of Leland Rosenlund
Page 1: John Evans, Folf Fromm, Leland Rosenlund,
Linda Orton, Don Orton, Carol Billesbach, Nanette Stocks,
Gretchen Evans, Ellen Steere, Rick Stocks, Tex Steere.
Page 2: Look for the following faces: Bill Price, John
Hansen, Len & Marlys Gerber, Pat & Eric Donelson,
Yosh Nakagawa. Jim Carpenter, Gordon West, Carol
Billesbach, Judy West, Leroy Kingland, Eric Donelson,
Jill Price, J. DeBruler. Tex Steere, Carol, Billesbach, Rolf
Fromm, Beate Fromm, Ellen Steere, Monte Steere, Nanette
Stocks. Did we miss you? Let us know.
Page 3
Page 4
REMEMBERING
Franz Gabl 1921 - 2014
Franz Gabl was born in St. Anton am Arlberg, Austria, in 1921.
He was the second youngest of seven children and by age seven was
becoming a proficient skier engaging with the other town youths in
the many events and activities of the Ski Club Arlberg and Hannes
Schneider Ski School. As young men, Franz and his brother Pepi
became apprentice instructors under the legendary Hannes Schneider.
When Germany annexed Austria in 1938, the lives of Austrians
became much more difficult, but Franz was able to keep instructing. In October 1940, he was conscripted into the German Army
and sent off to the Ukraine and other war-torn areas. He served four
years on the Russian Front suffering through several injuries and a
Russian prison camp. Miraculously, he escaped in 1945 and made
his way back home on foot to St. Anton. With Pepi also returning
from the war, the brothers once again started working for the St.
Anton Ski School.
Franz continued competitive skiing and was soon winning events
in the annual Tyrolean Championships. He took first in the famed
Grossglockner race. His accomplishments won him a spot on Austria’s Olympic Team. At the Fifth Winter Olympic Games in St.
Moritz, Franz thrilled his home country by winning a silver medal
in the downhill and becoming the first Austrian to win an Olympic
medal in skiing. In 1950, he came to America to compete in the
World Championship races at Aspen and decided to stay. He first
took a summer job with fellow Austrian Hannes Schroll at a dairy
farm near Palo Alto, Calif.
When his visa expired, Franz fled to Canada, taking a ski instruction job with George Encil’s Mt. Norquay Ski Area in Banff. After
teaching in a number of ski schools from Quebec’s Mount Gabriel
to Michigan’s Boyne Mountain, he came west and landed a job in
British Columbia teaching skiing at Grouse Mountain.
In addition to teaching, Franz also coached the Canadian Olympic
Women’s Ski Team prepping for the 1952 Winter Games in Oslo
and then the Men’s Ski Team in 1956. It was in the early 1960s
that Franz started coming to Mt. Baker to ski. His brother Pepi had
gone to work as the ski school director at Timberline Lodge on Mt.
Hood. After Pepi started a summer race camp at Timberline, Franz
followed by establishing similar summer race camps at Mt. Baker.
At Baker, he became director of the ski school and ran the mountainside ski shop through the early 1970s. He also was involved
in operating the Mt. Pilchuck ski area in 1970. While running his
own ski shop in Bellingham in 1973, he also chaired the first Ski to
Sea race planning committee. Franz later lived in Seattle, and, from
1979 through 1984, he went to Europe every winter to ski in the
Masters’ race circuit with his Norwegian friend Kris Berg.
Franz retired from skiing at age of 77 after hurting his knee while
helicopter skiing. In retirement, he settled down again in Bellingham, where he wrote both of his autobiographies: “Franzl, the Story
of Franz Gabl,” and “Franzl II.” In 2000, he was inducted into the
Northwest Ski Hall of Fame.
Franz shared his love of skiing and was an inspiration to many.
He was a wonderful family man and always had a large group of
friends. Franz is survived by his son Chuck and daughters Rosie
and Sarah. Right through his last years, he and his Austrian friends
would sometimes gather to sing a little Edelweiss, join in some
yodeling, and partake in the customary servings of schnapps and
schnitzels!
Sally Skinner Behnke 1913 - 2013
Sally was born in Seattle, attended St. Nicholas High School,
studied at Sweetbrier College in Virginia, and graduated from the
University of Washington. Shortly after graduation, she married.
Bob (d. 1999) and began a life-long commitment to community
service. On the Children’s Orthopedic Hospital Board, she was
the board chair and led the largest capital campaign of COH,
now the Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center.
Sally was the first woman on the board of Washington Mutual
Bank, first chairwoman of the Corporate Council for the Arts,
and also served on many other boards: Fred Hutchinson Cancer
Research Center; Seattle SuperSonics; and University of Washington Tyee Club.
For her dedication and service, she received many awards,
the Pennington Award, the highest bestowed by COH, the Gates
Volunteer Service Award for outstanding leadership to the University of Washington, and the Isabel Coleman Award for Excellence in Community Service from the YWCA of Seattle.
She and Bob had a passion for the Huskies’ football and basketball teams and were loyal supporters over the years. Bob also
stirred up a passion for horseback riding for her, and, beginning
at the time she was raising their children, she was on the back of
a horse learning to jump!
She and Bob were the most gracious of hosts. During the early
Sun Valley Reunions of the Ancient Skiers, they would host a
fabulous cocktail party at their Warm Springs condominium as
the introduction to the reunion. These parties contributed greatly
to the rapid growth of the Ancient Skiers in those days, for which
the Ancient Skiers are indebted.
We’ll remember Sally’s warm smile and her enthusiasm for
life. She is survived by her sons, Carl and John, and their families and grandchildren, and was predeceased by her son Ned.
Helene McGuire 1912 - 2013
Sigmund (Sig) McGuire 1920 - 2013
Helene was born in Corbin, Ky. She became a seamstress for
actresses’ dresses and designed American Airlines’ uniforms.
She was married to Howard Cleavland for 20 years. After their
divorce, she met and married Sig in 1964.
Sig was born in Everett, Wash., and grew up mountain climbing, hiking, skiing and fishing. He belonged to the Penguin Ski
Club in the ‘30s and ‘40s. In 1944, Sig married Ruth Austin and
had a daughter, Jane. After he served in the Navy in WWII, they
moved to Stevens Pass and then to Mt. Baker, where they owned
and operated the lodge and lifts.
In the ‘50s, Sig was still running the infamous Austin Pass rope
tow at Mt Baker, especially for the “Slush Cup” and the other
Mt. Baker July 4th events, the Heather Cup GS, and the Thunder Mug jumping tournament. After Sig and Ruth divorced, Sig
moved to Seattle where he developed a wire harness business.
When marrying Sig in 1964 and feeling that it wasn’t acceptable to be older than her husband, Helene took eight years away
from her actual age. This wasn’t discovered until shortly before
her 100th birthday.
Helene continued with her sewing talent by working with Vic
Franck, making yacht curtains, and she and Sig spent every moment they could at their place on Orcas Island.
They are survived by Mary Jane and Howard Jewett and by
grand and great-grand children.