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Skiing Through the Past

Retro weekend to benefit the Flathead Valley Ski Foundation and Ski Heritage Center Museum of Skiing

By Tristan Scott
Gary Tallman. Courtesy Photo

The ski pioneers of Big Mountain donned wool clothing and strapped seven-foot-long wooden skis to their bear-trap bindings, wore leather boots and gripped bamboo poles with baskets measured in double-digit circumferences.

It’s part of the community’s rich heritage, and on March 13 and 14 HellRoaring Ski Heritage Days will reanimate the past and pay homage to Big Mountain’s golden era with a weekend-long celebration featuring a slate of festivities to help raise money for the Flathead Ski Heritage Center and the Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation.

“Last year’s inaugural event was a huge success, so we’re doing it again,” said Tim Hinderman, executive director of the Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation (FVSEF). “It’s a great opportunity for people to actively partake in the festivities by dressing up in old ski outfits and bringing along old ski equipment, and to raise money for the new Ski Museum and the Ski Foundation at the same time.”

The Flathead Ski Heritage Center and the FVSEF are hosting the event as a fundraiser for the future museum, which is currently being developed on the historic site of the Saddle Club facility, adjacent to the Stumptown Ice Den in Whitefish. Organizers are collecting ski-related artifacts, designing exhibits, interviewing surviving ski pioneers, and expanding the existing facility to accommodate future growth.

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

Emmy Award-winning cinematographer and U.S. Ski Hall of Fame member Joe Jay Jalbert will be on hand as the guest of honor at the second-annual HellRoaring Ski Heritage Days. Jalbert will preside over the auspicious Hall of Fame induction ceremony on March 13 at the Hellroaring Saloon and Eatery, located in the iconic “Chalet” at Whitefish Mountain Resort.

The second class of inductees includes Big Mountain co-founder George Prentice; Whitefish ski pioneer and long-time Big Mountain Ski School director Karl Hinderman; early-day ski racer, ski coach and FVSEF co-founder Gary Tallman; and former Big Mountain Ski Patrol Chief and Hill Manager Dale Evenson.

Together, they are responsible for shaping the community’s ski culture.

Prentice founded Big Mountain alongside Ed Schenck, and played an instrumental role in helping to build the community’s mountain culture as the ski area’s first president. Although he left the area while Big Mountain was still in its early years, his efforts to buoy the fledgling resort through financial struggles are legendary.

Ed Schenck, left, and George Prentice. Courtesy photo
Ed Schenck, left, and George Prentice. Courtesy photo

 

Hinderman was part of the stalwart few who pioneered skiing on Big Mountain before it was a resort, hiking up to the infamous Hellroaring Ski Cabin in the days when lifts were a luxury. He became a ski instructor at Sun Valley in Idaho, the first major ski resort in the country, and taught skiing along with the legendary Toni Matt, who left Sun Valley to run the nascent ski school at Big Mountain. Returning to Whitefish, Hinderman succeeded Matt in 1956, directing the school and running the Big Mountain Ski School and Shop until retiring in 1972.

Karl Hinderman. Courtesy Photo
Karl Hinderman. Courtesy Photo

 

Tallman is a legendary skier in his own right, having tried out for the U.S. Olympic Ski Team racing in white Army surplus skis. In 1958, he joined Karl Hinderman as head instructor at the ski school and managed the Big Mountain Lodge, and also served as the first president of the Flathead Ski Foundation.

Dale Evenson’s commitment to Big Mountain transcended the mere sport of skiing as he wore numerous hats, working as a volunteer ski patrolman, an employee at the iconic Bierstube, the patrol chief, and eventually the hill manager. Evenson’s crew of patrollers also developed the first “groomer,” using a tractor and an old mogul-cutter that had to be raised and lowered by hand, using a pipe wrench. Evenson later developed a hydraulic system to replace the pipe wrench.

Dale Evenson. Courtesy Photo
Dale Evenson. Courtesy Photo

 

“I really do have a fixation for this place,” said Evenson, who now runs a bed and breakfast on Flathead Lake. “I grew up there. It still tugs at me. A lot has changed, but I’ll always remember the time that I spent there.”

The event is also an opportunity for skiers of all ages to pay respect to the bygone era and the Big Mountain’s provenance.

On March 14 at 3:30 p.m., an award will be bestowed on the skier wearing the best vintage outfit at a judged contest at the Hellroaring Saloon. At the Toni Matt Promenade to follow, skiers can collectively showcase their outfits during a single-file parade down the Toni Matt run.

“I know there are lots of old ski outfits in closets and old equipment in basements and garage,” Hinderman said. “And they don’t need to be ancient artifacts for this event, anything from the pre-shaped ski era will be considered ‘vintage’.”

Skiers can also participate in a Ski-A-Thon to support the museum and foundation by soliciting pledges for vertical feet skied. Pledge forms and rules can be downloaded at www.fvsef.org.

“We’re really excited about HellRoaring Ski Heritage Days,” Bill Kahle, president of the Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation, said. “The Ski-A-Thon is a great opportunity for people to take a hands-on role in contributing to the Ski Heritage Center and the Ski Foundation.”

For more information or to volunteer contact Tim Hinderman at (406) 885-2730 or visit www.fvsef.org.