Kelowna Ski Club remembered
The Kelowna Ski Club as I remember it was located on Black Mountain (east of Kelowna). The bowl faced northwest. We had two hills — one for the juniors and one for the seniors. The rope tow divided these two hills. On the far side (west) of the big hill were two jumps — junior jump and senior jump.
In 1946, when I started to ski, you would reach the hill by driving through Rutland and up McKenzie Road, onto Swainson Road and then up past the two cattle guards to the Wallace Hill homestead deserted cabins. The cabins consisted of the old home and the barn, both made out of log. These two buildings could be seen from the straight stretch of Black Mountain Road, now Highway 33, as you drove towards Rutland’s four corners.
From this parking lot, you hiked up one mile on the switchback logging road to reach the ski hill and, in the afternoon, you had to ski down this same trail to go home. A new road was constructed to the ski hill in 1947. This made access to the ski hill more enjoyable and, with this, the membership list increased. Our dues for a junior were a whole two dollars for the year. Members received a discounted rate for the tow.
My debut into skiing was in 1946 when my brother, Charles, took me skiing. I can remember the very small cramped quarters of the log cabin with its one small window facing the hill. By 1947, this small cabin was bursting at the seams when lunchtime came around. In 1948, a beautiful, rectangular ski chalet building with very large windows facing the two hills was constructed. This was a muchneeded building for the ever-increasing popularity of skiing in the valley.
The new structure had a concession serving coffee, hot dogs, cocoa, chocolate bars and other refreshments. While one had your lunch, you could warm yourself in front of the large fireplace or, if you preferred, you could sit in front of the chalet on benches that had been erected. We did at times have beautiful, sunny winter days when one could eat outside, enjoy the sun and relax.
In the fall of each year work parties were held to improve the hill, clean the chalet or just general maintenance.
In the Kelowna Daily Courier dated November 22, 1954, ski trails column it stated “There is much to be done at the ski bowl. One thing, 30 new panes of glass are to be replaced in the chalet. And there is plenty of work in store for those clearing the junior hill. Also there is no time for boredom with the tow house to be moved back and bull-dozing to be done up yonder.”
The first skiers to reach the hill early in the morning were asked to help “pack” the hill at least once. This meant sidestepping on your skis up the hill to the top — no motorized packers in those days.
Even in my time, harnesses had changed drastically. Before my time, harnesses were the toe bear claws with a loose strap around the back of the boot. When I started, the harness was the bear claw for the toe but the cable around the back of the boot was in vogue. From in front of the toehold, the oval-shaped cable would be held in place by a clamp. You would slip the cable under the side clips attached to the ski and the heavy piece of cable wrapping behind your boot, you would push the clamp down to tighten the cable into place. Your boot was held (clamped) very close to the ski.
With the pushing from my cousin, Ralph, and Johnny McAllister I graduated in due time to lanyards. This harness was a seven-foot long piece of half inch wide leather attached with rings under the clips on the side of the ski. This piece of leather wrapped around your boot in a certain configuration. This really made your ski boot and ski ONE!!
There was no release from these unless you undid the lanyard. Not like today’s 2003 release harnesses and your ski breaks — we had never heard of any of these new products.
By 1954, ski poles had developed from single, one-piece bamboo poles, to metal poles, to telescopic (adjustable) to fibreglass.
Ski clothing also had progresses from wool pants and tops to lightweight semiwater proof materials — today, 2003 is another story.
We had several downhill, slalom and ski jumping tournaments. At times the organizers prayed for more snow and at other times we had an abundance of snow — depending on the year.
Most of the tournaments were held in February with entrants from up and down the valley and as far away as Princeton and even Vancouver entered in these events. Connected to the ski competition, they had a “Miss Ski Queen” competition.
The ladies were chosen by the respective service clubs and depending on the number of tickets sold (one ticket, one vote), a winner was declared. They had a board erected at the corner of Bernard Avenue and Ellis Street to show how the competition was on.
On some occasions, if we couldn’t reach the ski bowl, we would walk to the ferry and cross over to the west side of Okanagan Lake. After disembarking from the ferry, we would hike up a trail to a hill overlooking the lake (this was located where the pitch-and-putt golf course is located at the end of Okanagan Lake Bridge). We would pack the hill and then ski all day long and at days end would ski down to the ferry dock to come home.
Skiing took place in other locations in the valley before, and after the local Black Mountain ski hill. There was a ski hill and club on McCulloch Road called Timberline Ski Club. It was formed pre1935. At the same time, there was a ski hill on the Weddell property in the Joe Rich Valley. Vernon had Tillicum Valley located part way up Silver Star Road; Summerland had a great hill with a cable tow out in the Pleasant Valley area; Princeton had a ski hill and they produced some great competitive skiers. There were several other small hills located throughout the valley before the advent of the larger commercial hills.
Alice de Pfyffer, Lundy was born and raised in Kelowna. She was a member of the first kindergarten class of the Immaculate Catholic Church. She attended elementary and high school in Kelowna and graduated from (KHS) Kelowna High School in 1953. She has been instrumental in organizing their six school reunions and annual picnics. She was on the committee that published Kelowna Street Names and their origins. She is a life member of both the Okanagan Historical Society and the Kelowna Branch. This article is part of a series submitted by the Kelowna Branch, Okanagan Historical Society.