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The 'Golden Age' On Hollyburn Mountain 
1934/1935 Ski Season

Canadian Ski Year Reports, Photos from HHS Archives

Hollyburn Ski Camp (January 1935)

Hollyburn Pacific Ski Club

The 1934/1935 season was the most prosperous that the club has yet enjoyed, and our annual statement records a substantial bank balance with all outstanding accounts paid, speaking well for the work of our executive, social and competitive activities. Ski-ing was somewhat handicapped by unusually poor snow conditions, though with prospects for a fine season. It was decided at the annual meeting to build a club cabin to accommodate our ever growing list of members.

Last season saw great development in downhill and slalom racing and while jumping and cross-country racing have always been our specialties, we have now taken up this new branch and are determined to develop competitors who will more than hold their own with our more experienced friends of Washi.n!):ton and Oregon. Some fine competitions were held and plans have been made for next year that will bring us up to date in slalom and downhill.

Following a policy laid down in 1934 to provide entertainment during the summer months we have sponsored several very fine launch trips, which have proven invaluable in keeping our membership intact during the off season and their success was assured by a large turnout.

On reviewing the 1934-35 season we wish to express our satisfaction of the progress made in ironing out the difficulties between the eastern and western ski associations; difficulties mainly arising through the distance we are apart. Both associations exist to advance the cause of ski-ing and this can only be properly accomplished by the co-operation that has at last been mutually agreed upon.

Our annual meeting was held with the following elected to office:-Honorary President, William Dudgeon; President, R. Morris; Vice-President, Mickey Pogue; Secretary, Daisy Bourdon; Treasurer, Olive Langmuir; Chairman of Sports Committee, N. Beaumont; Special Representative over Slalom and Downhill, G. Johnson; Chairman of HOWIe Committee, S. Morrison; Club Representative, J. Foster.

Following are the results of our club championships:
“A” Class Jumping - N. Kaldahl, Wm. Hansen, N. Beaumont; Racing - G. Johnson, Wm, Hansen, G. Bury; Combined - Wm.Hansen, N. Beaumont.
"B" Class Jumping - D. Cooke, M. Leslie, E. Twise , Racing - D. Cooke. Wm. Brown, G. Robinson; Combined - D. Cooke.
"C" Class Jumping - W. Sutherland, S. Debou, J. Foster; Racing - W. Sutherland, J. Foster, B. James; Combined-W. Sutherland, J. Foster, S. Debon.
Ladies' Racing "A" Class - Miss D. Bourdon. Miss M. Gale, Mjss T. Murby; "B" Class - Mrs. Wm. Brown, Miss J. Tellett.

Messrs. N. Kaldahl, G. Johnson, Wm. Hansen, N. Beaumont and Miss D. Bourdon brought glory to themselves and the club bytheir fine performances in interior British Columbia and Washington tournaments.

Hollyburn Mountain & Mount Strachan Photos

Vancouver Ski. Club
C. J. Hutchinson (President)

The past season from this club's point of view was an unqualified success. Ski-ing in Vancouver enjoyed a tremendous increase in popularity last year and our club membership has almost doubled. A new and better spirit has increased the turnout at competitions and social functions. Every member has taken a more active interest in club affairs, with the result that the executive were hard pressed to keep ahead of the demands of the members for bigger and better ski-ing events.

Downhill relay races, with teams of three men and a lady, proved to be one of the most popular events on the program. In the first race eight teams entered, while the second attracted no fewer than fifty-four competitors, twelve full teams and two extra three-men teams. These races, more than any other event, brought the new members into contact with the old and proved an excellent way to get acquainted with fellow-members.

Several slalom events were held and a full set of equipment, including flags and a
telephone system, was purchased. It was also necessary to increase our competitors' numbers from 35 to 75, and on two occasions every number was required.

Sixty-one competitors entered the Hollyburn Novice Championships in slalom and jumping staged by the Vancouver Ski Club on Hollyburn Ridge, February 24. This tournament, the first of its kind to be held in Vancouver, was an open meet for Hollyburn novice skiers and proved to be an interesting and well handled competition. Results were as follows: (Slalom) Dave Holliday, Vancouver Ski Club, 2 min. 11 sec.; Vic Stevens, Vancouver Ski Club, 2 min. 16 sec.; G. Hyde, unattached, 2 min. 25 sec. (Jumping) John Granger, Vancouver Ski Club, 144.5 points; Ken May, Vancouver Ski Club, 132.2 points; Dave Killam, Vancouver Ski Club, 121.8 points.

Vancouver City Championships in slalom and downhill were held jointly by our club and the HoUyburn Pacific Ski Club. Gus Johnson of the Hollyburn Club placed first in the slalom with a total of 1.39 4/5 min. Tom Mobraaten, Vancouver Ski Club, was second with 1.45 2/5 min., and Doug Thomas of the Vancouver Winter Sports Club placed third. Mobraaten had the fastest single run; his best time being 45 seconds.

Peggy Harlin, Vancouver Ski Club, captured the Ladies' Slalom event in 1.04. Daisy Bourdon, Hollyburn Pacific, was second in 1.05, with Margaret Riggs, Grouse Mountain Ski Club, third in 1.06. Owing to confusion in timekeeping, the downhill race results were not properly determined and this event bad to be cancelled.

The club championship in slalom was taken from the city championships, with Tom Mobraaten first, Dave Holliday second. and Chuck Gillespie third. Tn the ladies' event, Peggy Harlin, Dot Montserrat, and Bertha Haigh placed first, second, and third respectively.

Cross-country and jumping events were held on March 24 in a miniature blizzard. However, thirty competitors turned out and the few hardy spectators were treated to a thrilling battle between Alf. Johannsen and Henry Sotvedt, who divided the Class "A" honours. A thorough re-check had to be made of the points as A1£. took the race with a slight margin and Henry eked out a victory in the jumping. The final results were: (Class "A" Racing) Alf. Johannsen, first; H. Sotvedt, second. (Class “A” Jumping) H. Sotvedt, first; A. Johannsen, second. (Class "A" Combined) Alf. Johannsen, 6rst; H. Sotvedt, second. Alf. Johannsen won the Fletcher Cup, our Class "A" perpetual trophy, by the narrow margin of 7/l0ths of a point.

Class "B" Racing over the same course, Brian Muir, Wilf Roberts. Geo. Knechtle. Class "C" Racing-s-C. Gillespie, J. Ferris, J. Granger.

Ladies' Class "A" Race was won by Bertha HaighLadies' Class "B" Race= Beth Ceickmay, D. Ainsworth. N. Williams. 

Class "C" Jumping - J. Granger, G. Bullen, F. Jamieson.

In events outside Vancouver the club was well represented by Tom Mobraaten, Alf. Johannsen, Henry Sotvedt, Finn Fladmark, Fred Finkenhagen and Peggy Harlin. Mobraaten and Sotvedt were two of the three Canadians at the Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Civic Affair Annual Tournament at Big Pines, California. Mobraaten distinguished himself in this competition against several American aces when he won the trials on January 27 with jumps of 209 feet and 227 feet, and placed second in the main event next day jumping 239 feet and 249 feet. Henry Sotvedt took sixth place in this meet. Mobraaten also won the slalom race, with Sotvedt third.

At the Pacific Northwest Championships at Leavenworth, Wash., Henry Sotvedt won the race, was fourth in the jumping, and first in the combined. Alf. Johannsen took second place in the race and second in the combined. Finn Fladmark placed fourtb in the race, but suffered a broken leg in the jumping which put him out for the rest of the season.

At the Western Canada Championships at Smithers, B.C., Mobraaten, Sotvedt and Johannsen took seventh, eighth and ninth places respectively in the cross-country, Sotvedt second in the combined, and Peggy Harlin fourth in the ladies' event.

At Burns Lake, B.C., Johannsen won the race, Mobraaten the jumping, and Peggy Harlin the ladies' race.

At Wells, B.C., Sotvedt and Johannsen were first and second in the jumping, while Peggy Harin took the ladies' 'race.

Our entries in the Vancouver City Championships showed a marked improvement over last year, with Johannsen winning both the race and the combined. Sotvedt placed third in the race and second in the combined, and Mobraaten second, Sotvedt third, and Johannsen fourth in the jumping. George Knechtle took third place in the Class 'C" Racing, and Geoff. Bullen second in Class "C" Jumping. Bertha Haig came second in the Ladies' Class "A' Race, with Doreen Ainsworth and Beth Crickmay first and second, respectively, in the Ladies' Class "B" Race.

The selection of Tom Mobraaten as one of the Western skiers on the 1936 Olympic Team is an honour fully appreciated by this club, and every effort is being made to ensure the necessary financial support.

At the annual meeting on May 9, the constitution was revised and the following were elected to office for 1935-36: President, C. J. Hutchinson; Vice-President, Len Williams; Secretary, Miss Thelma Stevens; Treasurer, J. C. Butler.

We have been given sanction to hold the B.C. Championships in cross-country, jumping, slalom and downhill and intend to put these events over in a big way. A new jumping hill, capable of jumps of 150 feet, is now under construction for this tournament and, as mentioned before, the present slalom course will be considerably improved.

In conclusion, the outlook for ski-ing in the West has never been brighter and everyone is looking forward to starting 1936 with a bang.

Canadian Ski Year Reports Courtesy of the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame & Museum