The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-07-02
Opened In 1923

Aiift htRb tBtiA MI az "of W
Longmire, Mount Rainier National
park. during the winter months.
There wasn't much skiing done at
that time. None at all, judged by
today's standards. But it gave
Tacomans their first opportunity
TO enjoy winter sports of any kind.
A toboggan slide vas installed,
became quickly popular. and many
daring souls cit was considered
daring to travel ever to Longmire
during winter in those day. used
to smuse themselves by trying
snowshoes and skis. A few Of the
harder - and holder - visitors
sometimes hiked in to Paradise
valley.
That seems ludicrous today when
the road is kept open to Paradise
Inn throughout the winter. The
lightest snowfall on record this
year has enabled the government
to keep the road open to passenger
car traffic. Usually the road is
closed at Nsrada Falls to passen-
ger car traffic. travel on the road
from there being limited to shut
tie busses. which carry skiers
direct to the valley itself.
Although there were a few per-
sons skiing IN 1884 at Paradise. II
was not until the national ski
championships were held there in
1885 that the sport began to have
its tremendous growth in popu-
iarity.
Imagination Fired
Such ~colorful ski experts as
Hannes schroll. Otto Lang and
Dick Durrance fired the magma
tons OF all those who witnessed
them perform. And II wasn't long
until thousands were trying the
sport themselves. And ordinary
conversations began TO include
such strange : sounding terms as
Christie" 'telemark." "gelande-
sprung" and "sitzmark."
Visitors from Europe. such as
Schroll and Lang, and from the
east, such as Durrance and War
9 Chivers. were lavish In their
praise Of Paradise valley as q
place which skiers often dream
about, but seldom e e
Essentially a sport Of youth. high
school and college students began
to flock to Paradise and other
nearby snow-covered areas. Old
sters, too. a few of them. took up
the sport. Dealers. unprepared.
found themselves suddenly being
bounded for equipment which not
only did they not have. but In
many $ had not even heard.
Sport Grows Steadily
Since 1885 the sport has grown
steadily, until today several thou
sands Of Tacomans spend their
week-ends skiing. During the
month Of January this year. ap-
proximately 10000 skiers journey
ed to Paradise valley alone. and
probably three times that number
trekked to other adjacent areas.
The Milwaukee ski bowl. located
near Hyak on the top Of the Cas-
cades, 10 a venture financed by the
Chicago. Milwaukee, st. Paul, and
Pacific railroad. A lodge has been
constructed there, along with two
ski lifts and one of the finest
Jumping runways in the world.
Opened three years ago. II intro
duced Tacomans to 'ski trains"
which had so long been popular in
the eastern section Of the U. s.
The bowl is readable only by
train and each Saturday and Sun
day throughout the winter, train
after train churns out of Tacoma
and Seattle, laden with skiers, for
the resort.
Annual Sid Journeys
The growth of interest in winter
sports has been marked by a num-
Der of annual ski races and carni-
walls. First among these was the
Tacoma Winter Sports carnival,
held the first time nine years ago.
Feature event Of the yearly carni-
val u q mems slslom race for the
Tacoma Times perpetual trophy
and n wrist watch.
More famous. perhaps. are the
annual Silver Skis races, a down.
Hill event known to skiers all over
the world: the Seattle Spring ski
Festival. and a number of others.
All these events are held at Para
kfse valley.
Despite the length Of time that
Tacoma has been ski conscious,
quite . number Of local skiers
have gained prominence for their
skill Notable among these star
racers are Carleton Wiegle, first
Tacoma day race winner: Paul
(eonny) Sceva, Northwest down.
hui champion and a member of the
national intercollegiate champion
chip University of Washington
team; Mrs. Gretchen Kunigk Fra
ser. q member of thu u. s. feminine
iii team. and many others.