Autumn, 2005 Jim Fain’s NASTAR Newsletter Jim Fain In Dallas: In Steamboat Springs, CO: 8409 Pickwick Lane, #269 Tel. (214) 368-0913 Tel. (970) 879-7511 Dallas, Texas 75225-5323 Fax (214) 368-0916 Miller Lite Years The Finals Get A New Sponsor By Jim Fain © Copyright, 2005, JF Newsletters, Inc. (This article is the second in a series on the Finals) eno Beattie recalls that 1982 was a “pivotal” year in his life. In rapid succession, he: (1) graduated from college; (2) saw theZ birth of his first son; and (3) went to work for World Wide Ski Corp., the Aspen ski marketing company that managed NASTAR. “Several very important actions took place that year which would influence my life for decades,” said Beattie. In sharp contrast, the 1981-82 ski season was a period of drift and indecision for the NASTAR program and its showcase event, the Championships weekend. Before the season, officials of the Joseph Schlitz Beer Co. had informed World Wide that it was experiencing major financial difficulties. It would be unable to pay the cost of the 1982 NASTAR Finals and must abandon sponsorship of the program. As title sponsor, the beer company had paid full expenses –– travel, lodging, meals –– for all racers who qualified for the Finals. The event grew from 39 competitors in 1969 to 80 in 1981. So the cost of producing the Championships weekend was the largest expense of sponsoring the overall NASTAR program. Schlitz, once the No. 2-selling beer in the nation, was publicly known to have some cash flow problems for at least two-and-a-half years. But its management originally thought the difficulties were Maria Morant, the most dominant recreational ski racer of her era, is “temporary” and genuinely wanted to continue its relationship with shown winning the 1983 Championships at Steamboat. NASTAR. “Schlitz was a very loyal sponsor from the start of our program and saw us through our early, struggling years,” recalled Mark Program Influences Driscoll, a top-level NASTAR administrator during the period. “We definitely wanted to give them every opportunity to work out their U.S. Skier Habits money problems.” By Jim Fain “Unfortunately, when their final decision (to abandon the pro- © Copyright, 2005, JF Newsletters, Inc. gram) was made, we did not have adequate time to obtain another (This article is the second of a sponsor for the 1982 Championships.” series on the general program) For the first time in fourteen years, NASTAR leaders needed to find a new title sponsor. In 1968 John Fry had a difficult struggle y the beginning of the 1980s, NASTAR had grown to become a convincing Schlitz to sponsor an untested pilot program for a new major force in the United States ski industry. concept of racing for recreational skiers. B The little pilot program that John Fry and his SKI Magazine Since then, NASTAR had grown into the largest alpine ski rac- associates launched in 1968 with only eight ski areas moved beyond the ing program in the world. With such broad exposure, several major 100-resort mark for the first time in 1980. It finished the 1980-81 season corporations were eager to assume the role of title sponsor, whose with 114 participating areas. responsibilities included paying for the substantial expenses of the In 1981-82 NASTAR headquarters reported that the nation’s Pacesetter Trials in December as well as the Finals in springtime. skiers recorded 223,783 “racer-days.” (A racer-day consists of one Driscoll, who was in charge of marketing for NASTAR and individual making one or more official runs per day through a NASTAR World Wide, said the program was sold to Miller Lite Beer Co. in course.) That number was nearly 100 times the 2,297 racer-days logged one brief conversation without needing to talk to anyone else. in 1968-69. (Continued on page 12) “I met with Kevin Wolf of Miller Lite in the bar of the Jerome Hotel in Aspen,” said Driscoll. (Continued on page 8) Page 1 Old-Time Standard Races John Fry, the creator of NASTAR, credits the French Chamois races for giving him the idea in the 1960s for a truly national ski racing standard. But several U.S. ski areas had experimented years earlier with a similar race format on a strictly local basis. A top professional ski racer would run a course to establish a time for local recreational skiers to shoot for. Those who performed well would win a pin from the area. One of the first areas to employ this format was Stowe, Vermont. Olympic silver medalist Billy Kidd still retains a pin he won in the Stowe Standard Races when he was only nine years old. “The race was held on a run named ‘Standard’,” recalls Kidd. “Townspeople of all ages got a big thrill out of racing against a standard set by world-class competitors like Othmar Schneider, Anderl Molterer and Toni Billy Kidd (sporting 1970s hairstyle) is shown with Eleanor Davidson of Bend, Oregon, at Sailer.” the 1975 Finals at Steamboat. Kidd still retains a pin he won in the Stowe Standard Races Kidd would go on to become the first when he was nine years old. American male to win an Olympic alpine medal in 1964. He also won both the amateur Rival Racing Programs and professional World Championships in 1970. But he still cherishes that first pin he From its inception, NASTAR grew rap- USSA: won as a nine-year-old in 1953. idly into an organization of robust health. -- 1) First approached Commissioner “The fun and success I had as a child in Skiers who had no racing experience Bob Beattie in 1984 investigating the those old Stowe Standard Races became part prior to 1968 were enjoying the competition possibility of buying the recreational of the motivation that influenced me to in increasing droves. Major corporations program. choose ski racing as a career.” were hopping on the bandwagon, eager to -- 2) Then sent a letter threatening to Similar races were held at several other provide money as sponsors and advertisers. create a program in direct competition with old-time ski areas. But there was no national These two factors -- broad public NASTAR. standard, and rules varied widely from one participation and solid financial backing -- “Bob Beattie has received a letter from local area to another. made NASTAR an attractive target for merg- Howard Peterson of the U.S. Ski Association (Continued on page 4) ers, takeovers and copycat programs from informing him that the Ski Association other ski industry organizations hoping to intends to create a ‘Ski Team Challenge’ cash in on the rising popularity of recreation- national race series in direct competition with al racing. Most observers were convinced NASTAR,” wrote George Bauer of SKI in a that such widespread popularity was created memo dated January 19, 1985. primarily by NASTAR, a program owned by Bauer continued: “Beattie’s advice, SKI/Times Mirror Magazines, Inc. given the politics of the Ski Association and One of the more interesting episodes in the current turmoil, is to remain aloof and not this regard involved the United States Ski to respond to these exploratory queries. He Association, the governing body that rules advises that we be alert to the situation and practically all ski competition in the country feels that the current strength of NASTAR except NASTAR. will enable it to survive a challenge if Memorandums from two high-ranking mounted by the USSA.” SKI Magazine officials describe how the Responding to Bauer’s memo, John Fry wrote: “At present, USSA has fewer than Work on Photos 25,000 members (about one quarter of Many of the photos in this publication were NASTAR’s annual participation) and lacks more than 20 years old and needed to be the money............to mount a program that restored for clarity. The work was done by could compete successfully against Cooter’s Village Camera in Dallas. NASTAR.” Claudette Colbert...a determined Te l: 214-521-4553 (Continued on page 4) recreational racer Page 2 Maria George Margi Ernest Beverly Lilla George Morant Hovland Albrecht Alger Francis Gidlow Goodrich George Phil Andrea Margarethe Carol Tom Hulbert Letourneau Neiley Richter Sweeney Temple In addition to the 13 persons pictured above, Steve Graham and Margareta Lambert were also multi-year champions. Offshoot The “Fabulous 15” NASTAR Programs Multi-Year Winners Since the NASTAR National and the NASTAR organization wanted to In addition to its major event, the Championships were revived in 1998, racers make the Championships -- and the all- National Championships weekend, NASTAR have been allowed to qualify and compete as expenses-paid trip that went with it -- as developed many programs that demonstrated often as they wish. Because of the new rules, accessible to as many different persons as the organization’s philosophy of inclusiveness several individuals have already built an possible. So stringent regulations were for all ages and all forms of snow-sliding. impressive record of national titles, medals imposed regarding how often an individual Most of the offshoot programs involved won, etc. (Six persons have raced in all eight could be invited to compete. publishing rankings lists of racers with the events since 1998, and three have won With such restrictions, only fifteen elite best national handicaps in the various snow- medals every year.) ski racers -- nicknamed “The Fabulous 15” sliding disciplines. Since results from all That definitely was not the practice dur- by a NASTAR publicist -- were able to win public NASTAR races around the country ing the 22 years the Finals were sponsored by more than one national championship during were sent to the company’s computer center, either the Schlitz or Miller Lite beer compa- the period.