Time to Ski?

Whenever our Florida family visit us during the winter, they always say the mountains look as if they are powdered in confectioner’s sugar. Snow in other states might indeed mean it is winter, but here in Utah snow represents another season—the season of skiing. This is the time when skiers of all ages are thinking of heading to the slopes – if they haven’t already made some early season turns.

For me, the arrival of snow in the mountains makes me think of the incredible Ski Archives that reside in our Special Collections. Founded in 1989 by the late Sue Raemer and Gregory Thompson (retired Associate Dean for Special Collections), the archive is considered the largest of its type. In 1993, the Ski Archives were incorporated into the Joe Quinney Recreation Archives, which house collections of outdoor activities such as river running, climbing, and mountaineering.

The Ski Archives cover virtually every facet of winter sports in Utah and the surrounding region:

• The history of ski competition on local, national, and international levels
• The founding of major resorts
• Snow safety and avalanche control
• Ski equipment
• Ski instruction
• Freestyle skiing
• The WWII 10th Mountain Division
• Back-country skiing

For those of you who have attended our Ski Affair held each fall, you may be wondering if we are planning on bringing back this festive event. The answer is a resounding YES! We plan to host another Ski Affair in the fall of 2022 and we are counting on seeing you at this fun-filled evening.

In the meantime, I wish you the best ski season yet. And please stop by the Library and enjoy the ski and winter sports collections in person.

Warmest regards,

Alberta Comer

Dean of Libraries