What is it going to be like having a skiing President? Harry Truman liked Key West. Eisenhower went for fishing the Colorado trout streams. For Kennedy it was sailing, while LBJ just liked to count cattle on his Pedernales ranch. Nixon had thin blood to go with his thick skin and the warm waters of Key Biscayne and a spin on Bebe’s boat turned him on.
And now, suddenly, surprisingly, whether the electorate wants it or not, whether a beach-and-cabana-oriented White House press corps wants it or not, we have a President who skis, and who is not about to let the presidency stand in the way of his skiing. In fact, a presidential ski vacation at Vail over Christmas has already been announced.
Great!
But what if the President should decide to come ski at your area? It’s a short helicopter trip, for instance, from the White House lawn to the top of Virginia’s Bryce Mountain. Same for quite a few others.
Sure, you would welcome him and comp him, but that’s only part of the scene. Consider the White House press corps. They will tax every facility you have, from bars to telephones. The Secret Service will be in every lift shack and every culvert of your area, and your lifts and oversnow vehicles had better be in good shape and good hands. Presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson a few years ago was in Sno-Cat that turned turtle at Timberline. For a candidate this is an acceptable lark that may generate some good press; for a president it is a no-no.
Actually, the problems are not all hypothetical. Mr. Ford skied at Vail last winter when he was Vice President, and though the degree of security and press coverage is different, the principle is the same. And the Secret Service is not altogether unfamiliar with the problems of protecting in a mountain environment. They had experience with Mr. Ford last winter, the Kennedy children have had protection while skiing, as have visiting dignitaries and heads of state.
But, of course, with an incumbent president the problems are magnified. What an easy target a person is sitting in a chairlift! Or going up a T-bar! The obvious answer? Keep him off these conveyances. A gondola or aerial tramway is not so bad, a helicopter works, as does a small fleet of over-snow vehicles.
Other problems? Sure, there are plenty. Mountain weather is unpredictable. Roads and mountain passes can get closed. And if you want to conjure up a dreadful scenario, consider a presidential accident, a presidential fracture, a presidential trip to the bottom on a patrol toboggan, and four months of presidential visibility on crutches and in a cast. How’s that for an industry image-builder?
Actually, the organizations most involved in planning the presidential ski trip were all very matter-of-fact and unflappable when interviewed. The Secret Service had plenty of agents who could get around the slopes very handily, and the problems of protection in the town were no different from—and perhaps easier—than in any other situation.
Talking to the Vail people confirmed what everyone assumed would be the biggest problem: the press. Bob Parker, senior v.p. at Vail and himself a one-time journalist, said that Vail had already blocked off sufficient accommodation for the “standard White House contingent,” but that it was difficult to anticipate what other press might want to come. Given the normal pressure for accommodations at Christmas-time, beds might be hard to find. He said some discussions had been with the press about the possibility of a “pool” arrangement, and that he had not given up hope that it could be agreed to.
Mr. Ford as Vice President was extremely accommodating to the press while skiing at Vail. He was normally available once a day on the slopes at a spot that would not tax the limited snow mobility of most of the press.
In fact, Parker said, Ford was so understanding about everything (he made a big effort to minimize any customer inconvenience) that Vail anticipated relatively few problems this winter. “Again, the major inconvenience to the public occurs,” says Parker, “when the press wants to get up the mountain,” and for those sessions Vail made every other gondola car available to the press, which introduced a temporary delay for skiers. For the rest of the day it will just be a matter of a smallish presidential party cutting a lift line, and even that won’t happen much because after the initial trip up the mountain, most of the transportation will be by over-snow vehicles.
Other problems usually besetting presidential appearances may be alleviated in a winter environment. How enthusiastic can a protester be waiting for hours in the cold for a chance to shout a slogan?
Everyone involved, both White House staff and Vail, was pretty sure there were no plans for any sort of “Western White House” in Vail, and Vail officials hoped out loud that there wouldn’t be any. “We just hope the President can continue to enjoy our facilities as a place to recreate and relax,” said Parker.
Perhaps the most publicized person of all will be Dennis Hoeger, a former full-time instructor at Vail, who will take a leave of absence from his management trainee position in Denver to be the President’s guide and instructor.
Our final speculation has to do with President Ford as the object of commercial exploitation. Presumably those wacky people who dream up the K-2 ads must be working overtime to see how they can take advantage of their good fortune. Or will the President switch? Or maybe, as once ordained for our racers by Avery Brundage, will brand names be taped over on presidential ski equipment?
Well, it’s all pretty heady stuff for the industry. As for all you others eyeing the White House in 1976 — Nelson, Scoop, Walter for starters — you had better start getting it all together on the slopes.
And to you, Mr. President, happy skiing!
