Sepp Ruschp, builder of Stowe, dies — a suicide
Ruschp came to Stowe in 1936 from his native Austria, where he was a prominent competitor-turned-instructor. He had written to about 90 ski clubs in the U.S. offering his services, judging there would be a brighter future in the fledgling North American ski industry than in Austria, where there were already over 600 certified instructors. He selected the offer from the Mt. Mansfield Ski Club from among several favorable responses, and in December, 1936, arrived in Stowe to start a career that saw him take the ski operation there from a small ropetow on the Toll Road to a resort of international renown.
Ruschp worked with many of the sport’s most prominent backers — people like investment banker Roland Palmedo, Lowell Thomas, IBM’s Tom Watson and C. V. Starr, the insurance magnate, who ended up essentially buying the whole operation, but leaving Ruschp in charge. Watson became the largest landholder, and at one time flirted with the idea of buying it himself.
As part of a happy collaboration, Ruschp became a partner in Starr’s investments in the Austrian ski resort of St. Anton.
Ruschp was extremely active in all aspects of the ski world — recreational racing and industrial. He was able to straddle them all, serving as president of the National Ski Association (now U.S. Ski Association), was active in the founding of National Ski Areas Association and was a long-time official in the FIS.
Many honors came his way, including two honorary doctorates and election in 1978 to the National Ski Hall of Fame.
Sepp Ruschp is survived by his wife, Helen Murray, whom he married in 1985, his first wife, Hermine, having died the previous year. Also surviving him is his son, Peter, who currently heads the Stowe Ski School, a daughter, Christina, and two grandchildren.
A memorial service has been scheduled for July 14 at 1 p.m., at the top of the Mt. Mansfield chair. In lieu of flowers the family has requested that contributions be made to the Mt. Mansfield Ski Club, Stowe, Vt.
A tribute to Sepp Ruschp appears on page 10.
| Date | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 9-13 | 4th Annual OITAF/NACS Symposium | La Quinta Hotel, Palm Springs, CA |
| Oct. 11-13 | Interalpin 90 (Trade show/Seminar) | Kongresshaus, Innsbruck, Austria |
| Nov. 2 | CCSAA Central Regional Meeting | Chicago, IL |
| Nov. 7-8 | CCSAA Eastern Conference | Trapp Lodge, Stowe, VT |
| Jan. 8-10 | USIA Eastern Regional Trade Show | Stratton Mt., Vt. |
| Jan. 16-17 | Midwest Regional Trade Show | Schuss Mt., Mich. |
| Jan. 28-30 | Western Regional Trade Show | Park City, Utah |
| March 18-23 | SIA Show (USIA) | Las Vegas Convention Center |
| April 12-15 | CCSAA Annual Convention | Jasper Park Lodge, Alberta, Canada |
| May 12-17 | USIA (NSAA) Trade Show & Convention | Bally Reno, Reno, Nev. |
O’Neil to head Vail Valley Foundation
Replacing Bob Knous as head of the Vail Valley Foundation is Peter O’Neil, a Denver businessman, who was senior partner for the Denver-based Executive Ventures Group, which he founded in 1985. The group provides programs for industry designed to enhance leadership, team effectiveness and creativity among middle and senior management.
The Vail Valley Foundation organizes and sponsors educational and athletic events such as the American Ski Classic. It also plays the lead role in organizing the marketing and staging of such events as the World Ski Championships, when awarded to Vail.
Canadians target lapsed and infrequent skiers
On May 24-25, representatives of Canadian ski area operators, ski equipment suppliers and ski retailers met to discuss the development of a joint venture aimed at increasing skier participation in Canada. The program will be developed under the auspices of the Canadian Ski Council.
At a June 15th meeting of the group’s skier development steering committee, it was decided that “the greatest opportunity for growth in skier participation is from the 30-45 year-old infrequent and lapsed skier segment and their families.” A national awareness campaign tied in with regional calls to action in pursuit of this segment will be used to build participation.
Limiting skiers is topic for Innsbruck symposium
In conjunction with the Interalpin 90 Trade Show at Innsbruck, Austria, October 11-13, an International Symposium on the last day will take up the controversial subject of “Limiting the Number of Skiers — A Quality Indicator for Ski Areas.” It will consist of lectures and debate among the international experts.
Also held at the time will be a convention of the Austrian Ropeway Operators, October 11-12.
Two workshop programs
I — Ski Mechanics Workshops ’90
Launching this September is a new program of technical training for employees of ski shop and ski rental operations. Called the Ski Mechanics Workshops, the program has been more than a year in the planning and development stages, and carries the sponsorship of United Ski Industries Association. It is administered by Raivo Puusemp, the workshops’ director of administration and marketing.
Four of the binding manufacturers — Ess, Geze, Look and Tyrolia — are giving certification status to the one-day binding courses. This means that attendees who successfully complete one of the binding courses and the self-help exam that follows will have fulfilled the certification/technical clinic requirements of those manufacturers at one time.
The other two manufacturers, Marker and Salomon, support the program, but have not accredited it for purposes of certification.
The program offers five separate one-day workshops: 1) Binding Mechanic’s Basic (entry level); 2) Binding Mechanic’s Advanced (one or more years of experience); 3) Rental Mechanic’s (all levels); 4) Ski Mechanic’s Basic (all levels); and 5) Boot Mechanic’s Basic (all levels).
The schedule, still being worked on at presstime, calls for workshops at 20 locations across the country, starting in Boston, September 4, and winding up in White River Junction, Vt., just before Thanksgiving, having traveled to the Pacific coast and back in the process.
At least 50 percent of each course will be hands-on training. Generic training will be based on the Ski Mechanics Tech Training Handbook, developed by Faculty Services Inc., in cooperation with the equipment suppliers.
Each full-day course will cost $45, and depending on demand, the courses will be repeated on sequential days. Thus, the workshop can accommodate a shop that wants an employee to get training in bindings, skis and boots.
The development of the integrated workshop concept came about because the shortage of trained mechanics dictated a streamlining of the training process by eliminating the time-consuming duplication of manufacturer-specific workshops. Mike Adams, of Geze, says, “Due to the standards process both here and abroad, a large part of what is covered in the binding clinics each fall is repeated from company to company. Coordinating our efforts through USIA is a logical step toward improving the quality, availability and convenience of technical training in our industry.”
II — Skiing Workshops ’90
Separate from, but coordinated with the Mechanics Workshops (above) are Skiing magazine’s Professional Development Workshops. These two-day sessions provide advanced technical training for career mechanics and managers. There is an 8-city tour of this program, the dates meshed with those of the Mechanics Workshops.
Curriculum for both workshops has been provided by Faculty Services, Inc. The faculty for the Skiing Workshops ’90 features Carl Ettlinger, Bub Tucker, Steve Hanft, Bob Gleason and Jim Deines, who have been in the program for periods ranging from 4 to 18 years.
For more information on these two workshop programs, write or call P.O. Box 908, Waitsfield, Vt., 05673 — tel. (802) 496-4808.
Design awards made
The sharp little Berkshires resort, Jiminy Peak, was the only winner from the East in this year’s National Ski Areas Design Awards, made by Snow Country magazine. Jiminy won in the small area design category.
Other winners were Deer Valley, Utah (overall resort design); Solitude, Utah (trail and slope design); Spruce Saddle, Beaver Creek, Colo. (day lodge); and Little Nell Hotel, Aspen, Colo. (inn, condominium or lodge).
The awards were presented by John Fry, editor of Snow Country, at the USIA convention banquet in Boston in May. The 37 entries were judged by a panel of seven noted designers and architects. Criteria used by the judges went beyond pure design considerations and emphasized environmental sensitivity in all categories.
New project coordinator for the design awards program is Cal Conniff, formerly president of NSAA. The position was previously held by Fred Jones, who resigned because of other commitments.
Ski writers are now ski journalists
What used to be called the U.S. Ski Writers Association has become the North American Ski Journalists Association.
The change was made to pave the way for a future Canadian region within the organization, and also to have a name that was sufficiently generic to include the broadcast media.
Colorado Ski Country bestows honors
At the head of the list of honorees recognized by Colorado Ski Country USA at its annual convention was Jerry Groswold, president of Winter Park and founding chairman of United Ski Industries Association, who received the 1990 Chairman’s Award. The citation noted his achievements and “tireless support of the ski industry.”
Four Colorado lawmakers were also honored for their legislative efforts on behalf of ski and tourism interests.
Other honorees included Billy Kidd, for his role in promoting skier safety and responsibility, and Kelley Davidson, marketing vp for Copper Mountain, for his role in getting industry partners involved in the Colorado ski industry.
Morrie Trumble signs with Weather Channel
The Weather Channel cable network has appointed Morrie Trumble & Associates to provide ski reports next season for the network’s program “Skier’s Forecast.” This program appears hourly, November to March, and issues ski condition reports for North American resorts.
The channel claims more than 44 million subscribers and the third largest audience of all basic cable networks.
The New York-based Trumble currently provides ski information for 500 radio and TV stations. His organization won its cable contract over competitive bids from AMI and NESAC.
Skier Participation Down
An annual study of sports participation in the U.S., conducted by American Sports Data (ASD), showed an 8.4 percent drop in alpine skiing and an 11.7 percent drop in cross-country. The comparisons are between 1988 and 1989. Both activities had shown gains the previous year. Snowboarding, which wasn’t measured in 1987, showed a 20 percent gain in 1989 over 1988.
The American Sports Analysis measured participation in 58 sports and fitness activities. It is based on a mail survey, conducted in January, of a nationally representative sample of Americans over the age of six.
The ASD study showed low-impact fitness to be the fastest growing segment of U.S. participation sports (stair-climbing machine exercise, treadmill exercise, nordic ski machines etc.). Joining skiing in the minus trend were such sports as scuba diving, water skiing, sailing and ice skating.
For information on buying the ASD study, call (914) 328-8877.
Schweitzer expands
Sandpoint, Idaho, is a busy place this summer, as Schweitzer Mountain Resort starts implementing a 10-year, $100 million expansion plan designed for it by Ecosign.
Centerpiece of the first-year building is a Lift Engineering detachable quad with a 1,678-foot vertical. Also under construction is a $4.5 million, four-story “condotel” and a $1 million daylodge, as well as 62 acres of snowmaking, lighting for night skiing and extensive trail work. Two new grooming vehicles will also be added.
Sugarbush changes names — again!
For this coming season, the ski operations that were known last season as Mt. Ellen and South Basin, will revert to earlier nomenclature and be called Sugarbush South and Sugarbush North. “Sugarbush is one resort with two mountains,” says VP/Marketing Seth Romanow. “The names just make more sense,” he added.
Ecosign honored
At the Infratourist Congress held in May in Switzerland, Paul Mathews, president of Ecosign Mountain Recreation Planners Ltd., was given a special award for innovative planning technology. The company was cited for its new “Skiplan” software program.
People
Brent Ongman is the new president of Ontario Ski Resorts Association … At the Rocky Mountain Lift Association meeting, Jon Mauch, lift supervisor at Breckenridge, was elected the new president … At Sugarbush in Vermont, several promotions were made following purchase of the Sugarbush Inn: Tim Piper, the inn’s former GM, has been named Director of Sales for Sugarbush resort; also, Bill Westvang has become Director of Hospitality, taking on responsibility for the inn and conference center … John Cassaboom, most recently Marketing Coordinator for USIA/NSAA, has joined Sno-engineering, in marketing and research.
