Wintersports Roundup: Ski Hall names inductees, Loveland makes snow
Freeskiing legend Glen Plake, downhiller Daron Rahlves and the late great Shane McConkey are headed to the U.S. Ski Hall of Fame. Plus, Waterville Valley is sold and Loveland is making snow.
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World Champion ski racer Daron Rahlves, of Truckee, Calif., one of the world’s most noted big mountain skiers; the late Shane McConkey, formerly of Squaw Valley, Calif.; and iconic skiing legend Glen Plake, of Heavenly, Calif., are among a roster of six skiers and builders named as inductees to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame’s Class of 2010. The announcement was made by Hall of Fame Chairman Bernie Weichsel of Waltham, Mass.
They will be joined by Paralympic medalist and World Champion, Muffy Davis, of Salt Lake City, Utah; national skiing champion from the 1960s and 1970s and 1972 Olympian, Bobby Cochran of Surry, N.H.; and noted sports builder and Sun Valley owner, Earl Holding of Salt Lake City, Utah. The class will be inducted on April 2, 2011, at Sun Valley, Idaho, as part of a weeklong celebration of skiing history, including Sun Valley’s 75th season as a major ski resort.
Loveland has the snow guns on go
Ski season really does look to be right around the corner with the snow guns at Ski Loveland and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado both blasting at full bore. In its annual race to see who can open first, the two areas are looking forward to a cold weekend to get at least one run ready to roll.
Here’s the update from the Ski Loveland crew: “Snowmaking was a GO last night! Our snowmakers turned the guns off around 9:30 am. We made it up just before they turned everything off for the day. The snowmaking crew is hoping to make snow Fri/Sat/Sun night.”
Waterville Valley sold to Sununu family
The Sununu family is leading a group of local investors and has completed the purchase of Waterville Valley Ski Area from Booth Creek Resorts, a California-based resort group. For the first time in almost 15 years, the assets, including the Waterville Valley Ski Area, Waterville Valley Nordic Center, Waterville Valley Conference Center and Town Square, are now back under local control.
Chris Sununu is heading up the efforts and will serve as Waterville Valley Ski Resort’s new CEO. Bob Fries, formally vice president and general manager of Waterville Valley during the Tom Corcoran ownership years, will return as the new president. Since leaving Waterville Valley in 1992, Fries has managed resorts from Breckenridge, Colo., to Stratton, Vt., including a stint at The Olympic Authority in Lake Placid.
–Peter Kray
On Oct. 6, 2010, veteran journalist Peter Kray joined the SNEWS team and is now editor of the new SNEWS WinterSports channel. We trust you are enjoying the full offering of WinterSports news. Be sure to email your friends and let them know the best WinterSports news has arrived — just in time for the start of the winter season. Got WinterSports news? Send your WinterSports news to Kray at pkray@snewsnet.com. Subscribers can also post WinterSports news releases directly to the SNEWS website. Email us at snewsbox@snewsnet.com to learn about posting your own news releases, or for any other questions or comments. We love to hear from our readers!
