Snow boarders, love m or hate m !

Boarders, love m or hate m! Most people feel pretty strong about it. I don’t mind em as long as I can get to the powder first.

Alta still does not allow them and Brighton was cold to them at first. The snow board controversy was and maybe still is based on the ability to mix the two groups, skiers/boarders when there are differences in the way they use the mountain. Boarders do make a mess of a slope with all that traversing. Sometimes boarders get a bad rep just because of the antics of that age group. But then when I was in high school we were just the same. So generally I really like em.

I was working at Solitude Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon Utah on the Powderhorn lift the first time I saw a snow board. I think they were the swallow tail or split tail or something. The riders wore little tiny skis to load the lift and put their board on after unloading. But the next year they adjusted the rule and were loading with board only. This would have been about 1979-80.

I was working at the Millicent Chalet (Speedos) around 1985-86 and one snowy Saturday 4 young men wanted to hike the hill and board. They weren’t allowed on the lifts but they wanted to board in the safety of the resort. The patrol had to tell them to leave, insurance you know. Well about 4 pm those same boys were caught in an avalanche behind the cabins towards the Gaurdsman pass area. I think 2 of them died. It was a very sad day. The next year Brighton was open to boarders. I quickly made friends with them and these are some pics from that era.

Lift crew, forgot the name

Boarder Bob, (Bob Barton) Brighton’s first snow board instructor.

Great Western area

Jeff Davis

Jeff Davis was something of a celebrity boarder then.

Have no idea where he is now.