Below, the reader will find two extraordinary open letters, one from U.S. Ski Team President Bill Marolt and the other from Dave Barry, COO of Copper Mountain. They address the same extraordinary events surrounding World Cup races that were originally scheduled for Park City, but which were moved to Colorado. Read them. They illustrate much of what is fine and good about our industry. These letters will make you proud to be in the ski world and ski business.
But there is an ugly side to the story that bears telling, if only as a cautionary tale of what happens when competitive juices turn sour and poison the well.
On November 16, Colorado Ski Country USA (CSC) put out a press release headlined, “Colorado Trumps Utah to Host World Cup Openers.” The release went on to relate the events described in Marolt’s and Barry’s letters. But CSC’s take was to gloat over Utah’s then snowlessness, describing the switch as “a coup for Colorado and a tough pill for Utah to swallow.”
When negative reaction to the release was received, we understand there was an internal debate at CSC as to whether a retraction of some sort should be made. Regrettably, none seems to have been forthcoming.
Here was an occasion for Colorado and its ski industry to bask in a heroic role, but CSC chose the low road, with not a smidgen of benefit for its resorts. A pity.
Ultimately, all the nice guys involved won and the real, uplifting story of teamwork will be remembered, not the other. Competition remains alive and well, healthy and not poisoned.
—A SAM editorial
Open Letter to the Ski Industry
The industry had a great opportunity in November to watch a diverse and competitive group of western resorts band together for the common good of ski racing in America and pull off a World Cup in one week at Copper Mountain. It was heartening to watch this develop behind the scenes at Copper Mountain as the competitive marketplace was set aside for a week so that the Rocky Mountain resorts could work together to produce an outstanding World Cup ski race.
At the same time, Vail/Beaver Creek—which has now hosted 57 World Cup events—stepped up to add two races to its already-challenging task to run the world’s first downhill race of the season over Thanksgiving weekend.
It was an outstanding story of hard work, expertise and technology at Copper Mountain. But as Copper’s COO David Barry will tell you, it couldn’t have happened without a great partnership within the industry.
Despite the blow of seeing its event forced to move, Vern Greco at Park City Mountain Resort dispatched three semi trucks of equipment and his key race leadership to Copper Mountain. John Norton at Aspen sent 10 miles of crucial television cable that made the international live broadcast possible to tens of millions worldwide. Jackson Hole sent equipment. And nearly every nearby area in Colorado provided equipment and manpower to help!
In the seven days of preparation and racing at Copper Mountain, there was a unique sense of partnership which made the event possible. Those who took part in this partnership, who sacrificed a little from their individual resorts for the greater good of the industry, are to be applauded!
As a result of this partnership at Copper Mountain and the stellar work at Beaver Creek, the USA continues to be the focal point of the ski industry worldwide!
Early season is a challenging time for all of us. My personal thanks to everyone in the industry who made the month of November such a priority. And that includes not just areas like Vail/Beaver Creek, Park City and Copper Mountain—but all of the Colorado resorts who hosted early season training, and resorts like Breckenridge which hosted six critically important Super Series events.
Our vision and mission at USSA are to make the USA the best in the world. We can only do that with a cooperative partnership with our industry coast-to-coast.
—Bill Marolt, President/CEO, U.S. Ski Team
An Open Letter to the People of Park City
This past weekend, we had the great pleasure of hosting the Chevy Truck Women’s World Challenge at Copper Mountain, Colo. The event came off without a hitch, thanks to the hard work of a number of very fine and dedicated people from all over the world, including personnel from Park City. It is no wonder the event is awarded to you each year. The professionalism displayed by the people of your community was nothing short of world-class.
Athletic competition of any and every sort is an exercise in cooperation. Literally thousands of people pulled together to relocate the World Cup, and we owe a great debt of gratitude to all those who made it happen. This year, we were fortunate to have conditions conducive to holding this illustrious race. We know that the sport and recreational activity of skiing is precariously contingent on the weather. We also know how much it means to the town of Park City to be able to host this event. Still, once the decision was made to relocate, everyone on your end was more than cooperative in the effort to ensure that the race would go on. All those who participated, and indeed your entire community, should take pride in a job well done.
Hundreds of employees and volunteers here at Copper pulled together to bring this event to fruition in just seven short days. We’re extremely proud of the work they accomplished. The snowsports industry as a whole is capable of incredible feats when we work (and play) as a team. We could not have succeeded without your guidance and assistance. After working with the people of Park City and the great state of Utah, we are confident that your efforts in the upcoming Olympic Games will be nothing short of magnificent.
Again, we thank you for all of your cooperative efforts. Hosting the Chevy Truck Women’s World Challenge was indeed a great pleasure for us. Copper Mountain, its staff and the community of Copper Mountain and Summit County, Colorado say “Thanks to the people of Park City!” We hope we maintained the same high standard that you have set through the years in putting on a world-class event for skiers and ski enthusiasts from around the globe.
—David Barry, COO, Copper Mountain Resort and the People of Copper Mountain, Colorado
