The 'Golden Age' on Hollyburn Mtn (1937/1938 Ski Season)

Hollyburn Pacific Ski Club

The 1937-38 ski-ing season was ushered in with a light fall of snow over the Christmas holidays, and many skiers forsook the pleasures of city life during the festive season for the more exhilarating pleasures of ski-ing in clear weather with dry powdery snow.

While ensuing snowfalls were light, sufficient snow was piled up by the middle of January to allow several practice competitions to be held. About this time several of the older heads of the sister club on the Ridge, the Vancouver Ski Club, and our Club decided that much effort and organizing ability was being wasted by running separate tournaments on the Ridge, and so it was decided to get together for the purpose of organizing and running bigger and better competitions, A meeting was held and the Ski Promotion Committee of Hollyburn Ridge was formed, sometimes later referred to rather facetiously as the "Ski Commotion Committee." Nevertheless, this committee performed a very useful function for the rest of the season, and carried off a long list of competitions in fine style, and what was more important started them all on time, much to the disgust of some of the older competitors who had been used to rolling up to the starting line anywhere from half to an hour late, knowing that the race would be held up until their arrival.

When the actual tournaments started in February, the first being the Hollyburn Novice Championships, February 20, 27 and March 6, the Ski Promotion Committee had things well under way with one exception, the weather, which was foul. The Novice Championships were again well patronized, this event each year bringing out an increasing number of fine new skiers, who will soon become a headache to some of the older competitors.

The next big event handled by the Committee was the Viskie Classic, a combination downhill and cross-country race promoted by the Vancouver Ski Club. The Hollyburn Pacific Ski Club, noted on the Coast for its langlaufers, cleaned up in this event. Druce Cook, of our Club took first place in this rough race, with four other club members finishing in the first ten. which, considering the large and classy field. is no mean feat. Miss Daisy Bourdon upheld the club colors in the ladies end of the event finishing first, with Marg. Gale second and Babs Bury third, giving us a clean sweep in the Ladies Class. It was a great day for the Hollyburn Club, and put an end to the mutterings of the scoffers who claimed that the pioneer club of the Pacific Coast was slipping as far as competitors were concerned.

The Juniors were taken care of the week following the Viskie Classic when a Combined Cross-Country and Jumping Competition was held for them. Hollyburn Pacific Ski Club boys placed well in these events.

Vancouver Ski Club

For the Vancouver Ski Club the year 1937-38 was one of unspectacular but steady progress. Our membership has grown consistently and today we number some 200 seniors and 50 juniors in our ranks, winding up the year with a substantial bank balance to our credit.

In the competitive field we were well represented, both in club events, city tournaments, and out-of-town meets. The outstanding performance of the year was given by Art Hullah, who won both downhill and slalom events in our club championships, tied for first place in the Zone Downhill, won the City Downhill title, and placed fourth in the Combined Downhill and Slalom at the Western Canada Championships held at Princeton.

Since the primary aim and object of a ski club is to foster interest in ski-ing, we are happy to report the presentation of a series of ski-ing pictures to the various schools and churches in the different communities, which were very favourably received. As a direct result of these ski-ing shorts, and lectures, we expect to see a large increase in the younger element on our ski grounds in the near future.

The second Life Membership to be awarded in our club was presented to Nels Nelsen in appreciation of his tireless efforts on behalf of ski-ing in Western Canada. That the West now governs, to a large extent, ski matters in Western Canada, is directly traceable to the work of this veteran skier.

This fall will see a handsome new addition to our club quarters nn the Ridge. The Viskie Lodge, a beautiful all-log structure, with large open fireplace, will provide a welcome supplement to our present clubhouses. It will be used primarily as a general meeting place and social hall and should prove very popular.

The club luncheons, held every Friday noon in a centrally located downtown restaurant, were well patronized and of real value, providing a rendezvous where club matters could be informally discussed, dues paid, dance tickets distributed, and returns collected, etc.

Perhaps the most important contribution to our skiing throughout the entire year was the formation of the Ski Promotion Committee of Hollyburn Ridge. The set-up on the Ridge is such that two clubs, the Hollyburn Pacific and ourselves, share the same ski-ing grounds. As must happen occasionally (with only a possible twentvy weekends in the season) our tournament dates clash. The Ski Promotion Committee (conceived by our Jack Hutchinson and Hollyburn Pacific's Fred Hudson) is a committee formed of members of the executives of both clubs for the furtherance of closer harmony between the two clubs, and the elimination of duplicate effort on the part of the Sports Committees. This committee has proven to be the most notable advancement of the past season, the results far exceeding our expectations, and we hope that it may be of some interest and help to our interior and eastern ski friends.

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

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