COLUMN: Foundation goes distance to promote our skiing heritage

The not-so-lazy days of winter at Whitefish Mountain Resort have seen their final ski and snowboard action for 2016, capped off, as always, with the wacky Pond Skim on April 9.

The resort celebrates its closing day every year with a kamikaze competition involving an 80-foot-long freezing pool of water, outlandish costumes and a $1,000 cash purse, all witnessed by a couple of thousand eager spectators.

But less than a month ago folks were celebrating Hellroaring Ski Heritage Days on the mountain.

The third annual fundraiser for the Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation kicked off under sunny skies March 19 with Olympic champion Phil Mahre racing the old-style Retro Race course and visiting with local Foundation Race Team members.

In the afternoon officials gathered for the ceremonial re-naming of Slalom Run to “Nice Day” run in honor of Ski Heritage Center Hall of Fame member Martin Hale in recognition of his many years of support for youth ski racing in the Flathead Valley.

 A hometown boy and accomplished skier, Hale honed his ski edges on Big Mountain, gaining national attention in 1955 at age 17 when he became Junior National Combined Champion. On a beeline for the Olympics, Hale’s hope were dashed when he broke his back on a training run at Sun Valley.

He went on to teach with Big Mountain’s Ski School, however, and Tommy Moe was one of his students who went on to claim Olympic gold and silver in 1994. Through the years many folks fondly remembered Hale and his trademark motto, “Nice day!”

Heritage Days festivities concluded at the Summit House with the vintage outfit contest judging and a skiing promenade down Toni Matt Run.

In a press release provided by foundation Executive Director Tim Hinderman, Ski Heritage Days was conceived “as a celebration of the Flathead Valley’s rich and colorful skiing history, and as a fundraising event for the new Ski Heritage Center Museum of Skiing and the Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation.”

The Ski Heritage Center Museum of Skiing is being developed on the historic site of the Saddle Club facility adjacent to the Stumptown Ice Den ice arena in Whitefish. The target opening date is Thanksgiving 2016.

Once completed, the center will include a museum and hall of fame, and serve as a gathering place for locals and visitors to learn about the fascinating history of skiing in the region.

For more information, contact Hinderman at 406-885-2730, or visit fvsef.org.

Community Editor Carol Marino may be reached at 758-4440 or by email at community@dailyinterlake.com.