Lake Tahoe Ski Club Honors Hans Standteiner
September 25, 2007
Community Recognizes Local Legend's Fifty Years of Contributions to Local Athletes
Hans Standteiner has been a fixture in the Lake Tahoe skiing community since his days as Squaw Valley Head of Ski School. Hans and his wife Alice have housed countless young skiers and helped mold them into strong athletes, many of whom have gone on to the US Ski Team. The Lake Tahoe Ski Club recently honored Hans for his five decades of contribution to our sport.
Standteiner's love for the sport of skiing has been passed on to his five children. All have skied for the Squaw Valley ski team and three have skied on the US Ski Team. Hans stresses that for children to become successful competitors they first must find love for the sport of skiing, and advises that all coaches and parents take their children out freeskiing frequently. Speaking from experience, Standteiner has been training elite skiers for almost fifty years. World-renowned for his infectious energy and perfect yodel, Hans brings his passion for life to the slopes everyday. These days the extent of his coaching is taking his grandchildren out for some turns. If you hear yodeling out on the mountain take a second to wave to that old Austrian Hans with a gaggle of young skiers in tow.
For more information please visit www.laketahoeskiclub.com
Squaw's Shirley Lake Express Upgraded For 2007
September 17, 2007
Care Taken To Minimize Impact On Beloved Shirley Canyon.
Ready for fall 2007 at Squaw Valley USA, the Shirley Lake Express lift is being replaced with a brand new Doppelmayr CTEC 2007 Detachable Grip (state-of-the-art High Speed 6 Pack). The concrete for the towers has been poured and Squaw is proud to have the new lift ready for skiers and riders to enjoy for the upcoming winter season!
Shirley Lake Express is Squaw Valley's most heavily used chairlift; it is the first to open and the last to close. Although the Lift Maintenance department has done a terrific job maintaining the old chair, the replacement is a welcome upgrade. Squaw Valley Ski Corporation has reviewed several lift design profiles to ensure the least amount of environmental impact.
According to Squaw, less than 166 cubic yards of material will be excavated, 11 of the existing towers and footings will be reused, two towers will be replaced and the original top and bottom terminal footings will be incorporated into the new terminals. All lift towers will be flown to a mid-mountain staging area and refitted for the new chair. After completion disturbed areas will be treated and planted returning them to their pre-construction state.
For more information please visit www.squaw.com
Dyer Mountain Resort moves closer to approval for operations New ski resort in Northern California faces difficult authorization processes.
September 17, 2007
A new ski resort based in Westwood, CA hopes to break ground in summer 2008. According to Nick Ceaglio, DMA of Dyer Mountain Resort, the new ski resort is poised to start moving forward with stage one of their project plan. This includes an 18 hole golf course, three high speed detachable quad lifts, and up to 400 units of residential development. Expecting operations to begin in winter 2009/10 the resort boasts 3000 acres of skiable terrain and the fifth largest vertical drop of any resort in the state.
Facing considerable opposition from environmental watchdog Sierra Watch and other local groups, Dyer Mountain is under fire for disrupting the local ecology of Westwood and the surrounding areas. Citing impact on 60,000 acres of wildlife habitat, environmental advocates claim that the development of the basin will disrupt the area for numerous species including bald eagle nesting areas and wetlands. Opposition aside, the resort has completed the environmental impact review (EIR) and is going before the Lassen County Board of Supervisors for final review. Upon a final approval of the master plan and EIR Dyer Mountain plans to move forward and begin development as soon as possible.
For more information please visit www.dyermtn.com
The First Lady of Squaw Valley, Gladys "Sandy" Poulsen, passed away quietly on Sept. 2, 2007 following a courageous battle with cancer.
September 12, 2007
The First Lady of Squaw Valley, Gladys "Sandy" Poulsen, passed away quietly on Sept. 2, 2007 following a courageous battle with cancer.
Sandy joins her husband of 53 years, Wayne , deceased in 1996.
It was in 1941 on the ski slopes of Sun Valley, Idaho, that Sandy first met her future husband and heard about Squaw Valley . Born August 3, 1918 in Buffalo , New York and daughter of a textile industrialist, the young debutante grew up in the penthouse of the Sherry Netherlands Hotel in New York City . She was attending Smith College when she happened to watch the mainstream film "Sun Valley Serenade." Enthralled by the film’s depiction and its romantic ambiance she bought a train ticket to Idaho and made reservations at the Sun Valley Lodge for a lengthy stay. Meeting Wayne, a ski instructor at the resort, she learned to ski. By the end of the winter their romance resulted in wedlock. They would raise a family of eight, four of whom would go on to the U.S. Ski Team.
"He told me that we were going to live in Squaw Valley," recalled Sandy . "Of course, he hadn’t even started buying any property. I had no idea what he was talking about. Nobody had even heard of Squaw Valley ."
True to his word, in 1943 Wayne purchased 640 acres in Squaw Valley from Southern Pacific, and continued to eye his property as a ski operation. In search of investors, the couple met Alex Cushing in 1946 at Alta , Utah . Their ensuing partnership began the Squaw Valley Development Corporation, and in 1948 they broke ground for a ski resort. Sandy and Wayne would also have the good foresight to purchase the rest of the land within Squaw Valley , over 600 acres, and begin a successful career in real estate. They even began their own ski operation, Papoose, adjacent to the Red Dog Chairlift.
Sandy is survived by her eight children: Christian, Wayne Jr., Lance, Eric, Sandra, Craig, Glen and Russell, as well as by 18 grandchildren and one great grandchild. Friends are welcome to join the Poulsen family and celebrate Sandy ’s life at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 19th at the Resort at Squaw Creek.
In lieu of flowers the family respectfully requests donations be made in her honor to the Squaw Valley Chapel. Donations may be addressed to the Wayne and Sandy Poulsen Memorial Fund, Squaw Valley Chapel, P.O. Box 7437 , Tahoe City , California , 96145.
By Treas Manning
