Fri. Apr 19th, 2024

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NC Skiing History

Charles Kuralt introduces the USA to NC Skiing in 1969 from Beech Mountain

Beech Mountain 1980


Sepp Kober – The Grandfather of Southern Skiing was inducted into the US Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame in April 2010. Randy Johnson wrote an excellent article for High Country Magazine in February 2010, “Hall of Fame Honors at Last for Southern Skiing.”

Question: What do these people have in common?
Tom Brigham, an Alabama dentist
1968 Olympic triple gold medalist Jean Claude Killy
The first american skier to win an Olympic medal, Billy Kidd
Extreme skier Glen Plake
Answer: They played a part in NC skiing history and have skied the same NC slopes we enjoy today.


The History of Southern Skiing by Randy Johnson
“Year after year,
they tune the skis, teach the lessons, run
the resorts, patrol the slopes or melt the
frozen snowguns at 2:00 a.m. in 10 below
zero windchills. Not all of their names can
appear in this or any article, but you know
who they are—or who you are.”
(Yes we do Randy.)

Pioneers on the Slopes by Randy Johnson
(If you think fat powder skis are a new innovation, check the 1939 picture from Cataloochee.)


Remembering Bob Ash – one of southern skiing’s pioneers
One of Bob Ash’s snowmaking equipment patents


(This book preview is provided by Google.)
Beech Mountain
(Page 49 shows two Volkswagen Beetles and states that “Volkswagens, because of their front wheel drive, were popular with skiers.”
That is just wrong. Beetles had rear wheel drive with the engine in the back over the rear wheels. My ’68 bug took me to all of the NC ski resorts and never left me stuck in the snow.)


Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to buy some Beech Mountain real estate.


Trivia question answer: Hawksnest (You will find the question on another page.)


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