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February 12, 2000
30th anniversary of the Austin Skiers as a club
Note: This history was
extracted from a series of articles that appeared in the Austin Skiers
Newsletter in early 2000
With the new
millennium upon us, what's the first thing Austin Skiers does? Well, looks
backward, of course! But we have a good reason! February 12, 2000 marks the
30th anniversary of the Austin Skiers as a club. For this reason, this
month's Newsletter takes on a sort of commemorative feel, including using an
old logo from our first years in the 1970's (see above).
We're also privileged to be able to present two special articles for this
month (below); one is an interview with one of the "founding fathers" of
Austin Skiers, Roger Beasley; the other is the first of a 3-part series on
the 30-year history of the Club. This month focuses on its founding and
first ten years (the 70's); February's Newsletter will detail the 80's, and
March will look back on the 90's. We hope you enjoy the history, but more
importantly, see how the combined efforts of what amounts to hundreds of
volunteers have kept organized skiing going in Austin. Through good and bad
times, prosperity and poverty, and through the many cultural and social
changes a rapidly growing Austin has experienced in thirty years, we hope
you can appreciate all the effort that's gone into running this Club.
We also want to wish
the Texas Ski Council a happy 30th birthday! Austin Skiers was a charter
member of the TSC in 1970, and we join them in celebrating 30 years of
skiing success.
A Different World
So, what were you doing in 1970? Well, assuming you were even around (this
excludes you, twentysomethings!), you know how different things were: a car
cost $2,300 on average; a mortgage just over $23,000; a first-class stamp
was 6 cents. The median household income was $8,374. The Beatles released
Let It Be and would break up that December. Jimi Hendrix and Janis
Joplin entered 1970 alive but never left it. Igor Stravinsky won a Grammy
and was alive to receive it. Something called Sesame Street, modeled
after Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, was struggling to capture
children's attention. Patton
won Best Picture over Airport, Five Easy Pieces, Love Story,
and M*A*S*H. Something called the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) began
to pop up in something else called the pocket calculator. The floppy disk
was invented that year, but it went largely ignored, as did its compliment,
the personal computer. And, events were unfolding rapidly: terrible
starvation in the African breakaway republic of Biafra, and the U.S.
invasion of Cambodia which in turn sparked the infamous Kent State killings.
Skiing was also changing rapidly in 1970. The world
watched Jean-Claude Killy win three gold medals in 1968, and skiing
participation shot up at the rate of 138 percent in two years. Ski resorts
were expanding rapidly; triple and quad chairs were being refined to
accommodate the upsurge in crowds. Equipment was also going high-tech, like
the recently-invented hard-shell plastic boot; lace-up boots were the norm
before 1968. Boot maker Nordica had the gall to produce a florescent yellow
(yellow?) "banana boot" with a revolutionary high back for recreational
skiers, which jumpstarted the boot industry. New strides in bindings allowed
one to step in rather than wire, cement, or hammer on, and they also
performed a radical new feat: releasing the foot and leg generally before
they would break (and they could be adjusted)! This technology
resulted in the decrease of serious leg injuries by over 400 percent from
1970 to 1979.
Austin in 1970 was a much smaller town, whose
population of 256,000 placed it as the 56th largest U.S. city (now it's
skirting the top 20 with over a million). It was an Austin without
instantaneous high-tech communications or traffic snarls, it was slower,
less complex. Word got around faster by mouth than almost any other way. And
skiing? Well, that was something that Yankees and wealthy, unbridled Texans
(who flitted off to Colorado during Holidays) did. And neither were all too
common in 1970 in Austin. Rather, "cosmic cowboy" hippies hung out at the
Soap Creek Saloon and Armadillo World Headquarters, where Jerry Jeff Walker,
or a longtime, relatively obscure songwriter named Willie Nelson, and a
firecracker 15-year-old blues prodigy named Steve Vaughan were just coming
into public attention.
Some Friends Get Together And ...
Yet, skiing did exist among Austinites back then. A close-knit group of over
a dozen Austin friends had been skiing together on family trips since 1958.
And, it's also interesting to note that most of these were native Texans!
So, organized skiing in Austin wasn't imported from some Northerner named
Lars, but rather established by Sons of the Lone Star State! These friends,
faced with the rapid rise of the sport and associated jumps in air, lodging
and resort prices, set their sites toward organizing group ski trips for
better rates. And how they got them! Then one day, one of them told a resort
operator over the phone that "the Austin Skiers" wanted to book space for a
trip, and the name (if not the club!) was born, just like that.
Soon, this group of friends, buoyed by the group
rate savings, began to ask themselves if these deals weren't something that
more of their friends, and indeed, strangers, would enjoy; maybe they could
even promote skiing as a viable activity in hot, southern Austin. By late
1969, Austin's "word of mouth" line was bringing a lot of questions and
potential business to these "founding fathers". Soon, they set their sights
on a "barometer meeting" to see what type of interest this idea might have.
They set the "test the waters" meeting for January, 1970.
Expecting 30, hoping for 50, they were dumbstruck
when over 300 people showed up at that meeting (thanks to Austin's "word of
mouth" network)! They enthusiastically scheduled another meeting for the
next month, and voted to become an official club the Austin Skiers,
incorporated February 12, 1970. So, who founded the club? Among the early
organizers were Roger Beasley (yes, that Roger Beasley!), attorney
Joe Colbert, and Dr. Fred Hansen. Although these three get much of the
credit for the club's first days, they insist that others in the original
large group deserve equal billing and credit. So, one would have to say that
the club's founding was indeed a collective experience! Officers were chosen
from the core group of friends (Joe Colbert was selected as the first
President) and voted in.
Let's Go!
Soon after incorporation, the founders planned their first Club trip to
Vail. Why there? Mostly because it was many of the founders' favorite
resort. Besides, Texans had heavily invested in Vail, and had a lot of say
in running its operations (thus, Vail was friendly to Texans). So, in April
1970 some 50 skiers headed off to Vail, paying the all-inclusive price of
$198 for air, lift, bus, and a week's worth of lodging. The trip was a
rousing success, and by late 1970, some 500 members had joined, and three
trips were organized for the 1970-71 season. Despite the club's huge size
and organization, it retained a somewhat informal feel. Often, trips were
formed and "squeezed" between published trips; other trips were suddenly
dropped if conditions or signups fell below expectations. Some old timers
will tell you that they took seven or eight trips during those first two
years, although only three published trips show up in records. Money? You
paid it often when you actually got to the slopes!
As with any new organization, rules were needed.
First, membership was extended to anyone over 21, but candidates had to be
recommended by at least two current members. Guests could go on trips, but
they had to pay a $5 "guest fee" and be with a club member. There were no
rules regarding trip sign-ups, cancellations, or refunds. People did each,
and they were settled in as good faith as possible. And to become a member?
It cost you $10; families could join for $15. By 1972, the club was so
successful that it mushroomed into having 10-15 trips per year! It seemed
that as one bus pulled out, another was leaving! Actually, although these
were the freewheeling early "salad days", much of the Club's current
organization was established even in this earliest period: monthly meetings
with specific programs, non-skiing excursions (e.g. to Cancun, Puerta
Vallarta, etc.), and the by-law and Executive Committee structures. Like the
Constitution's Founding Fathers, these Ski Club pioneers produced early laws
that have remained remarkably intact, and more amended rather than scrapped,
through the years!
Growing Pains and Help Needed
Despite this hearty start, again, like any organization, Austin Skiers
experienced growing pains. Success breeds its own set of problems, and the
Club started seeing them by 1973. All this activity and growth began to take
its toll on the volunteer founders, who were working overtime and trying to
devise policies as they went to keep up with a growing number of problems.
It was during this time that the first policies on Trip Chairs were formed,
as many responsibilities were transferred to them. Many of the events we've
come to know (pre-organizing the trip, pre-trip party, good packets of
information to trip members, post-trip party, and lots of activities during
the trip), along with some that seem to have gone all too quickly (wine and
cheese parties on the mountain) were developed during this time. Yet, this
apparently didn't reduce the huge amount of work to perform all the booking,
arranging, and overseeing trips, plus doing club business.
Although no exact figures are available, records
indicate that club enrollment fluctuated markedly from 1973-76. Some months
reported no more than 50 skiers in the club (whether these were "haven't
paid yet this year" totals is unclear). Also, a number of complaints about
the club's philosophy, direction, and efficiency developed, along with
financial solvency questions (during this time, a number of discussions
ensued about getting bank loans to underwrite trips). Some oldtimers talk of
friction between family members and "mostly skiers", and mostly single,
younger, "party event" oriented members, who wanted to pull out and form
their own organization.
These "crises" were opportunistically met in 1974.
An organization called Ski International (formerly located on West Avenue)
graciously "provided" the Club with a proposal for fixing what appears to be
a number of problems. Of course, many of the solutions were found in having
Ski International fix them (for a fee, of course!). This proposal ominously
mentions "a threatening atmosphere" in the club, with "declining
participation" and "faltering membership". The proposal also reports
"disgruntled members", a "distant atmosphere between members" and a "lack of
enjoyment of skiing together." It goes on to propose that Ski International
assist the Club in trip planning. So in late 1974, the Executive Committee
voted to have Ski International handle the nuts and bolts of booking ski
trips. Ski International would suggest trip locations and present costs; the
Executive Committee would confirm or veto destinations and make final
choices for the club. For this effort, Ski International charged the Club
about $275 per month.
Actually, this effort seemed mutually beneficial for
the next several years. Austin Skiers officers focused on Club direction and
policy, and Ski International actually presented trip choices and handled
the bookings. Trip Chairs reverted to mostly overseeing the trip once it was
underway, but they gave up their pre-trip organizational duties. However
much good (or bad) Ski International's involvement did for the Club, and
however exaggerated it made the Club's problems appear, it did appear to
stabilize its operations.
Seeking Stability
During the middle 70's, most of the changes appear to be administrative. By
1976, minimum membership age was reduced to 18. The 2-member recommendation
was scrapped. Membership fees increased to $12 (single) in 1976, then $14
(single) and $18 (family) by 1978. Until 1976, the second ranking officer
was Programs VP; after this, the Trips VP rose to the second rank. In 1975,
standing rules were formed that granted trip credits (as opposed to
receiving money) for officers, and the first refund and cancellation
policies were instituted. Also in 1975, the Club Treasurer acted as
Assistant to the Trips VP, performing bookkeeping and trip planning
duties! However, this apparently produced a lot of medical problems for
Treasurers, as by 1977 not only was the Treasurer reinstated to a unique
position, but it even had its own assistant, the Assistant Treasurer!
The club experienced a hardship year in 1976 as three Colorado trips were
cancelled due to lack of snow; good thing those policies in 1975 were in
place! Most importantly, the vaunted Newsletter Editor position was finally
granted officership in 1976 (about time!).
The logo we see today in Austin Skiers was still a
Great Unknown Idea in the 1970's. The first logo was a simple, hand-drawn
"A" on top of an "S" (for Austin Skiers), looking something like a mountain
peak (see above). By 1976, a proposal was made for a
red, white, and blue star inside a circle, with "Austin Skiers" written on
the top and bottom of the circle rim (not unlike our current State seal!).
Whether this design ever appeared is unclear (our current logo seems to have
made its first appearances in 1982).
The end years of the 1970's were most notably
characterized by the end of Ski International's services, and the return of
the Club's performing all of its own activities. Mention was made of
"grumblings" of increased trip costs, and the Club fees paid to Ski
International provided them with a $10,000 bonus per year! So, Trip Chairs
were returned to their pre-trip duties, but this time with trip
reimbursements and credits, as the Club's financial solvency was improved.
And, at least you could pay for your more expensive trips by credit card by
1978 (not sure when this was revoked!). All in all, some apparently good
leadership increased stability while apparently reducing club tensions by
the end of the decade.
A Legacy In Progress
Thus, the 1970's were a time of impromptu formation, quick expansion,
fluctuation, then stability. From the fuzzy dreams of a group of friends
came the tribulations and successes of the Club's first decade. In many
ways, this was its most important one. The critical young years of any
organization, when it would either sink or swim once and for all, were
tested and met by those diligent founders and officers. And yet, we find
that they often struggled with the same things (no Thanksgiving snow,
haggling over refunds, how to get and keep enough money to continue, etc.)
that we do thirty years later. And the original founders, that "core dozen"
who had the foresight to envision organized skiing in Austin? Well, it seems
that by 1975, most of them had turned over their duties to the sophomore
officers, the new blood. Did they leave the club or stay? It's unclear from
the records, but the fact that this transition appears seamless and that
they "just faded away" is tribute to the quality of their product. To think
that many of these founders, who were in their 30's and 40's when they
started the Club, are now well into their 60's or 70's, is to realize how
solid and long-lasting was their vision. What they founded might not be
essential for our living, but their diligence and effort has proven 30 years
later vital to our enjoyment. Our hats (or ski caps) are off to all of them.
by Mike Hagye
Editor's Note: This is the second of a three-part series on the history
of Austin Skiers. Part I the founding and the 1970's was in the January
Newsletter. Part III the 90's will appear in March's Newsletter.
The 1980's entered bleakly: the infamous Iranian
hostage crisis was in its 2nd year; Beatle John Lennon was assisinated
outside his New York City apartment; an economic recession was killing the
music industry until 1981 and a rocket shot album, Thriller
by Michael Jackson ended it; and a brutal killing of three nuns and a lay
worker in El Salvador shocked the world. The "Ronald Reagan Years" saw a
return to conservatism after the excesses of the '60's and '70's, and for
whatever reasons, events seemed to unfold such that the 1980's ended with an
upswing: the fall of European Communism and the end of the Berlin Wall; a
wave of democratic revolution sweeping through China (although Tiananmen
Square would earmark unparallel tragedy); the fall of Apartheid in South
America, and the advent of the Bush "kinder, gentler" (and "read my lips")
years. Even movies seemed to reflect this change in attitude. The most
popular films of 1980 were the decidedly downbeat Raging Bull,
Ordinary People
(Best Picture), and The Elephant Man (though the ending was a bit
promising), whereas the most watched films in 1989 included the ethereal
Field of Dreams, Driving Miss Daisy, and Glory. Household
income went from $17,000 in 1980 to over $28,000 1989. And, who knew that
something called the World Wide Web server and browser, developed by Tim
Berners-Lee while working at CERN laboratories in Switzerland in 1980 (for
about 12 of his colleagues to share computer information) would become the
crux of world business and social culture ten years later? In 1980, there
were a couple hundred personal computers in the world; by 1989, this number
had grown to 20 million.
Bucking the Trend
Austin, like it's only organized ski club, seemed to
buck the trend. Fueled by the Iran hostage crisis and sanctions on Iranian
oil, the boom in Texas oil funneled large amounts of wealth into Texas (and
eventually Austin) in the early 1980's. This led to an unprecedented real
estate boom in the decade's early years. However, over speculation and
cavalier overspending sent the local economy into a tailspin by 1987, as oil
(which Texas had plenty of) was slowly giving way to technology (which Texas
didn't) as Texas' most prosperous resource. Oil prices plummeted along with
land values. Office and apartment vacancies reached over 40 percent (today
they're down below 1 percent). The price of homes actually came down by
15-20 percent from 1985-1990. It was only the rebound of the early 1990's,
with Austin land prices and cost of living so low, that once again
catapulted the city to prosperity and national prominence, as a tech Mecca.
After an up-and-down ride in the 1970's Austin
Skiers entered 1980 on a solid financial and organizational footing.
However, the subtle underlying conflict of the club's social philosophy,
especially between being a "party" singles and family club, appeared to
serve as the focus of its direction throughout the entire decade. Mention
was made at one 1980 monthly Officers' meeting of "working together and
being more cooperative regarding the longstanding conflicts". What were
these conflicts? It's difficult to say, but evidence points to the family
vs. singles dichotomy which developed during the '70's. An invitation to run
an Austin Singles Club (a separate club) ad in the Skiers Newsletter was
nixed that September by the Executive Committee after much apparent
argument. There was also concern over the lack of interest in special
activities (which might have been too boring for singles(?)). In fact, the
VP Special Activities position was almost eliminated, again after a lot of
discussion. Membership appeared to be down somewhat from the 600 average of
the 1970's, to about 385. In order to increase pride in membership, Club
members were issued membership cards. Also, in order to make the Club more
geared to the new "yuppie" contingent, adopted a more professional logo (see
picture) for several years. The Club was struggling to become a registered
non-profit organization; finally getting the IRS tax-exempt number would
take four years! Finally, Austin's affiliation with the Texas Ski Council
(TSC) culminated in one big TSC trip per year, Texas Ski Week. There were
rarely other TSC trips per year at that time. In 1981, the Executive
Committee devoted much time and energy to upgrade special activities,
especially for singles (i.e. beer parties, trips to Cancun, etc.). There was
almost always a summer large, non-skiing excursion week to a beach resort or
foreign destination.
High (or Low?) Times
Ski trips varied greatly in price, e.g. from $189
(Ruidoso) to $1039 (Europe); the average trip was up over $400. The Club
even distinguished between some trips as "party" trips and "family" trips
(the party trips were, judging by some of the pictures and write-ups at the
time, raucous in nature!). This had two effects: first, it did increase club
membership to over 600 by 1983, (to accommodate this upsurge, the first
membership applications began running regularly in the Newsletter in the
summer of 1983); second, it caused some officers and members to become
outspoken in their criticism of Club activities as "offensive and
distasteful". A major fight even broke out at the 1981 Christmas Party, for
which the Executive Committee sent out two letters of reprimand to club
members. The Committee continued to battle over advertising in the
Newsletter (much of which included singles clubs and personal ads); the
answer was usually no. Nevertheless, membership continued to grow. By-laws
were changed to allow guests more participation, and by 1983 the special
activities were now so popular that the Club was regularly scheduling 2-3
yearly trips as complex and involved as the ski trips. To accommodate these
travelers, the Club struck a deal with Avis car rental for a 10 percent
discount card. And, Austin Skiers became the total marketplace, offering
T-shirts, patches, pins, and other such accoutrements at that time.
This publicity push continued into the mid-1980's
and membership remained steady and relatively high (500-600). Numerous
public service ads were run on radio stations and TV commercials; interviews
with Club personnel were featured on local newscasts; newspapers constantly
featured Club ads, complete with the new (and present) "solid skier in front
of stripes" logo first seen in the December 1981 Newsletter. Also, the first
softball teams were formed. Yet high membership and involvement was not
entirely focused on skiing as evidenced by two items: first, trip
involvement was relatively low in proportion to membership (numerous trips
were downsized or cancelled in the early '80's); second, there are numerous
complaints that trips were becoming too expensive and not worth the
investment.
Staying On Track
Despite the "carefree" atmosphere that sometimes
comes through records, attempts were also made to add responsibility and
stability to club operations. In 1983 for the first time, by-laws stipulated
that an independent, internal audit (as opposed to a generic audit) be
performed yearly on Club financial records. Also, two signatures were
required beginning in 1982 for expense checks over $1,000. A lifetime
membership was voted in that year for all former presidents, and to add
stability to the newsletter, the President began writing his own column in
1981. The TSC, which was fighting its own credibility battles, took all of
its marbles out of Texas Ski Week and began offering four to five TSC trips
per year (the current process). By 1985, several new clubs joined the TSC:
Dallas, Texas Twisters (Lubbock), El Paso Powderhounds and several which are
now out of existence. The Club also for the first time purchased General
Liability Insurance in September 1984. And, the birth of the Technology Age
is also reflected in the Club. In 1985, officers were "encouraged to learn
computer application programs to process the Club's work" The Club started
using an Apple II computer in 1984, but the minutes reflect a number of
problems with it (hard drive crashes, terminal problems, etc.). However, the
Club purchased a whopping 512K of new RAM in 1985, which was guaranteed to
meet demands "for years to come". Eventually, like the rest of the world at
the time, the Executive Committee had a long and heated discussion involving
switching to an IBM-compatible PC in January 1986. They eventually did (but
got $2,000 for the Apple!).
We're Not Gonna Take It
Just when the Club seemed to successfully ride the
fence between family and singles/party factions, and successfully increased
its membership, the conflicts continued. Some meetings took on the look of
concerts, with bands, DJ's, lots of beer, and possibly a ski program
somewhere in between (if the speaker even bothered to show up, which didn't
happen consistently). The trips could be rowdy; in January, 1984, one member
physically assaulted an Assistant Trip Chair then left the trip on his own
midweek. He was ordered to forfeit his trip deposit (for late payment) and
to reimburse the Assistant Chair for damaging his shirt. He did neither;
therefore, the Executive Council removed him from the Club in March.
Additionally, records make mention of numerous hot tub and toga parties, and
Newsletter photos regularly show unabashed "good times" (see picture, p.7).
For some family oriented members, all of this was
too much. Therefore, in the summer of 1985, a contingent of members broke
off from Austin Skiers and formed their own club, Capital Downhill Skiers.
No mention is made of the size of the offshoot club, but it must have been
significant, because in September of that year CDS was granted TSC
membership. Although little mention if any is made of this event in Austin
Skiers records (only a brief mention of the TSC membership in meeting
minutes), it must have had a significant impact on the Club. There was a
marked and unmistakable change to the Club's environment, as evidenced in
three ways. First, family membership after 1985 increased substantially in
the club (up over 45 percent) whereas singles membership plummeted (down by
25 percent). Second, overall club membership plunged by 1988 to 282 total
members. And third, meeting attendance dropped sharply (some meetings
between 1986 and 89 had no more than 20 members). Clear concern over this
downturn also shows up in several discussions of fluctuating membership, and
whether skiing or social events were the primary focus, at '85-'86 Executive
Committee meetings. Usually skiing prevailed as the fait acompli, but the
consistent challenges to this appear in arguments recorded in the minutes.
Low Tide
Despite the Club's ability to get trip costs down by
about $100 in 1987, Club membership and attendance suffered after 1986. New
attempts were made to bolster involvement: Friday Movie Nights were
instituted during the mid-1980's; the Newsletter finally began (after 10
years of debate) allowing advertising in 1988; trip credits for officers
were extended to be valid for up to two years after officer service; Trip
Chairs received $400 compensation, up from $300 in the early 80's. Despite
all this, membership suffered, and only six trips were offered in 1987. The
decade ended on a litigious note: the Club went to court to force a former
officer to return Club financial records and court motions were filed; it is
unclear what the outcome of this lawsuit was.
Thus, the Club, after surviving the organizational
problems of the 1970's, went through several identity crises in the 1980's.
Members tried to negotiate the space between social club and skiing group,
often with conflict and even a schism. Austin Skiers was nevertheless
strong, if not somewhat factional, during this time. And the Executive
Committees of the 1980's, while reflecting the usual ideological conflicts,
tried hard to maintain stability and unity in the face of economic and
philosophical challenges. By the late '80's, the first of the current
generation's leadership began to appear, and the Club would eventually
achieve a remarkable degree of stability, as the 1990's would provide the
tools to refurbish the Club's membership and direction: the Tech Boom would
provide a new wealth of non-Texas transplants.
by Mike Hagye
Editor's Note: This is the final of a three-part series on the history of
Austin Skiers. Part I the founding and the 1970's was in the January
Newsletter. Part II the 80's appeared in last month's Newsletter.
Change Through Stability
A case can be made that the historical theme of the
1990's was chkúge for stability's sake. After the 1989 Berlin Wall fall,
Europe witnessed almost domino-like collapses and transitions of its
communist/socialist countries into capitalist/democratic ones. Many were
orderly (Germany, Hungary), a few had sporadic skirmishes (Soviet Union) and
some resisted change, and were violently brought down (Romania). And talk
about changing to preserve stability? How many of us remember that queasy,
uneasy changing moment of shocking disbelief that January 15, 1990 night in
front of our TV's, telling us that we were again at war, this time in the
Persian Gulf? But this was no conventional war. The world's first "high
tech" war was different. Not men nor troop movements, but rather
sophisticated high-tech weapons and inventions were the newsmakers and
determinants. The results were unbelievably lopsided: the U.S. led Coalition
suffered about 400 casualties, whereas Iraq's military losses were estimated
in the tens, maybe even hundreds, of thousands (no one knows for certain);
the strategies and technology used in this changed and redefined warfare
forever. All for a return to a stable Middle East political and economic
(read: oil) environment.
Numerous other examples of "stability through
change" occurred throughout the early '90's. For instance, the re-emergence
of South African Nelson Mandela from an almost 30-year imprisonment
evidenced a bulwark of Black African stability returned to society in one
sweeping act of change. Two new TV shows, Seinfeld and The
Simpsons
debuted in 1990 and would remain stable fixtures for the entire decade, and
the subject of endless next-morning-at-work conversations. The rapid spread
of AIDS during the 1980's led to a reevaluation and change by many through
the '90's of social-sexual habits and behavior. But above all, the
"stability through change" concept revolutionized the world through
technology. Clearly, the 1990's will be remembered as the decade when the
everyday world went high tech, as computers became the primary means of
performing most of our everyday work, commercial, and leisure activities.
Spearheaded by the development of the Internet's (in particular the World
Wide Web's) hypertext-driven, graphical interfaces, Mosaic (1993) then
Netscape (1994) the one million computer users in 1993 exploded by 1999 to
300 million. As high tech became the new worldwide employer, the emergence
of the technological mercenary, jumping from firm to firm, driven by
lucrative market demand forever challenged the old guard of the loyal career
"company man". And for these in-demand workers, stability clearly existed
through change! Yes, the 20-years-in-the-making, high-tech revolution
finally climaxed during this decade, and the controversial "Clinton years"
saw high tech's reward in an expanding and booming, seemingly topless stock
market. Prosperity, technology and stability defined this last prosperous,
stable decade.
Stability Plus Change Equals Prosperity
Unlike the 1980's, instead of bucking these
"stability through change" trends, Austin was right in step with them; in
fact, many would submit that Austin set
some of them. Cheap land from the real estate busts of the late '80's
encouraged many out of state high tech companies (paying skyrocketing land
prices) to relocate around Austin. The city's easy, eclectic lifestyle not
only caught the eye of high-techies, but of the nation in general. Austin
became a minor film/art haven with the likes of Richard Linklater and Robert
Rodriguez; music was already a fixture, and well-established government and
educational opportunities thrown into the mix made Austin the hottest city
in the country. Consequently, Austin's "secret" was out, and thousands began
flocking to the Capital city in the 90's from all over the U.S. in search of
good jobs and a favorable lifestyle. Austin became a minor Mecca of culture,
technology, education, government, and leisure, and the population of the
region exploded (from about 600,000 in 1990 to about 1.2 million today).
That all this happened in virtually ten years borders on astounding.
Moreover this time, unlike in the previous decade,
Austin Skiers closely followed contemporary trends. An examination of the
minutes and other records through the decade reveals a transformation from
an organization frequently at odds with itself into a remarkably (and almost
inexplicably) stable one as the decade progressed. Many of the issues
present through the '70's and '80's (fluctuating membership, personality
conflicts, philosophical conflicts over singles vs. families, etc.)
eventually simply disappeared off the radar screens! Why is this? How does
one explain such a marked "change into stability"? At the risk of playing
social scientist, one general possibility seems the most plausible here:
during the 1990's, more than any other point in its history, Austin Skiers
more than just echoed many social and scientific trends at the time; indeed,
the Club was directly affected by them as never before. Following are
possible scenarios to illustrate this.
As high tech fueled the local population boom,
Austin Skiers picked up an increased proportion of non-Austinites (and
non-Texans), transplants from throughout the state and country. Whether
single or as part of families, a more eclectic mix of people, who knew
nothing about the historic "singles vs. families" dichotomy, and who were
from ski regions, began to comprise the Club roster. Also, it is reasonable
to speculate that, with the changes in social attitudes and behavior of
singles throughout the 80's into the 90's, the Club's members in turn began
to reevaluate their singles/party focus. Certainly today, most members will
tell you that they're in Austin Skiers primarily to ski (or board); parties
and social activities are enjoyed but almost certainly secondary. These
assertions were less certain ten or fifteen years ago. Another factor: with
the increase of high tech into Austin came relative affluence. Many current
Club members make proportionately higher salaries than Austin could provide
10 or 20 years ago. This has resulted in stable trip participation,
relatively longer membership duration (as more people have moved into Austin
as final destination rather than college-based transitional stop) and more
consistency as trip schedules, programs, and operations have been less
likely to be changed or abandoned for money or interest's sake. Finally,
some credit has to be given to the leadership throughout the decade. While
many things no doubt "worked out" without much intervention, a reading of
the minutes reveals concern on the part of many early and mid 90's officers
to work hard at de-emphasizing any "cliquish" image in the Club, and
encouraging members to welcome new participants and outsiders. For a time in
1991-93, a suggestion box was present at Club meetings encouraging ways that
people can feel included within the Club. Certainly there are other factors,
and even if some of the above is "educated speculation", it has a solid
basis.
Business As Usual
Otherwise, historically, operations throughout the
decade were so consistent and routine that few exceptions of interest can be
found. Administratively, the 90's saw a few watermarks: by 1991 the Board
began to consistently discuss removing the Assistant Treasurer position,
already having been moved within the Club to other functions (including
being a formal assistant to the VP Activities) for lack of specific duties.
It was eliminated in 1993. The latest (and current) policies regarding trip
signup and cancellation fees and deadlines went into place in 1991. Officers
began to get some return on their services beginning in 1991 in the form of
small trip credits to be used on one trip per year (trip chairs had been
getting reimbursements for about 15 years). In 1993, the Newsletter, after
some 20 years of debate, finally included its first advertisements.
Technological changes show up as well: the Club's Web site notice first
appeared in December 1995 (see illustration), and e-mail addresses of Club
officers first ran in November 1998. Trip Chairs' e-mails were included for
the first time in trip abstracts in August 1999. The Newsletter was
submitted electronically to the printer for the first time in November 1999.
Overall, most policy changes in the mid to late 90's involved the trip
signup process. Because of problems with early signups "cramming" trips, in
1996 the signup policy was changed to limit all early signups to one extra
person. Throughout a reading of these types of actions, it is interesting
that the nature of policy and rules changes in the 90's is more one of
enhancement and refining, rather than fundamental operational changes (as
was the case in the 70's and 80's). Indeed, stability had apparently been
achieved.
In most other aspects of club operations, stability
was achieved as well. Apparently the debate involving special activities and
the retention of the V.P. position had eased. If anything, the number and
amount of non-skiing activities increased in the 90's, and participation
appeared to be consistent. The types of activities were pretty much those
seen now (hiking, biking, movies, shows, occasional trips to the beach,
scuba trips, special events, etc.). The Club settled into a consistent
pattern of 8-10 trips per year by the late 80's, and this remains the case
today. Favorite trip destinations were much the same as now. The only real
noticeable trend through the decade was membership. From about 325 in 1990,
membership increased to about 450 by 1999, but what is notable here is the
nature of the increase. Rather than sudden up-and-down fluctuations
characteristic of the 70's and 80's, the 90's reveals a steady and
consistent increase, without sudden jumps either way. Trips averaged about
$500 in 1990; by 1999 they averaged about $700 (the smallest proportional
increase between decades). Things had indeed become stable
Our History, Our Future
Notwithstanding this attempt, it is actually rather
difficult to write an accurate history of Austin Skiers during the 90's as
compared to previously. Why? Simply because for more of us, who have been in
the Club within the past 10 years than longer, the Club's history is really
more each of our own personal histories. Not only did many of our current
members witness Austin Skiers' history in the 90's, we created much
of it! So, a good history of the past ten years would include each of our
own personal accounts; what was important, scary, thrilling, disappointing,
and rewarding to each of us. That's
the real "history" of the Club last decade!
And what of today? Where does this story go next?
Well, although certainly we've seen more stability in the Club in recent
years, we can't take the future for granted. Even now, in 2000, we face some
important issues which will determine the Club's future. One is economics.
The price of skiing (jet fuel, lodging, equipment, etc.) is still rising,
even if not as much as in past years. At what point, if any, will a ski trip
become a real economic burden to the average Austin Skier? And how might the
Club adopt policies or otherwise meet this challenge? Another issue is
snowboarding. While skiers and boarders were often at odds (read: war(!)) in
the past, certainly relations have warmed to some degree between the two.
Yet, for many the stereotype persists that skiing is an "older people's"
sport, while boarding is for younger "slackers". Whatever the case, it is a
fact that snowboarding is now growing much faster than skiing. What effect
will this have on our Club? Will we change our name to Austin
Skiers/Boarders? Will boarders be the majority some day? How do we recruit
and attend to this rapidly-growing group while addressing interests and
recruitment of skiers? Still another issue is demographics. Some believe
that Austin Skiers can heavily recruit and dramatically increase its size
(in reflection of the rapid increase in the metropolitan area); others
question the benefits of such increases. Also within demographics is the age
issue. Some members have remarked upon the greater number of over-40 members
in proportion to twenty-and thirty-somethings). Should we work more to
recruit younger members? If so, again, is boarding a tool to do this? Should
we instead look for more younger "never-evers" who've never skied but might
love it? Or seek out more of those skier "transplants" so characteristic of
the "new" Austin in the past few years? Finally, we even face the issue of
skiing as a sport. While it won't go the way of the Edsel, some challenges
loom on the horizon: intense pressure from environmental groups have focused
on closing down many Western resorts, and such legislation is a very real
threat. Participation in skiing has become relatively flat (or even
declined) from its huge increases in the 70's. Snowboarding has in fact kept
many resorts operational (i.e. without boarders, some ski areas would have
to close for economic reasons). Also, ski resort ownership has increasingly
followed a "bigger swallows smaller" trend, as larger ski conglomerates have
bought out smaller, autonomous owners and can easily close these smaller
ones if less profitable. This could result in fewer, bigger, and more
crowded resorts! The nature and costs of air travel have recently resulted
in less commission paid to agents, and less favorable discounts and
priorities for groups. Will out-of-reach prices be the eventual result?
Although no one knows exactly how any of these will play out, this decade
promises to be anything but the same old thing!
It has been a pleasure to document the history of
our Club in these three articles. Hopefully we have shown how the Club
through 30 years has endured through prosperity and conflict. But no
documentary can give justice to the heart of our history: the 25 Presidents,
hundreds of other officers, thousands of volunteers, and countless members
and friends who have striven to make Austin Skiers a thirty-year success
story. So, while there are no guarantees about our future, if we continue to
have the dedication and quality of our members and representatives as we've
had in the past 30 years, we can't help but expect only the best. Here's to
those who have made Austin Skiers over the past 30 years, and to those who
will hopefully make the next 30!
Roger Beasley is a self-starter. From his
successful auto businesses to his pioneering efforts in bringing organized
skiing into Austin, Roger has seen his share of success. Although he's given
credit for being one of three founders of the Austin Skiers, Roger readily
cites a host of other people. We sat down for an interview in mid-December,
where he shared his memories of his first skiing encounters, of the founding
of Austin Skiers, and of his skiing involvement since his leaving the Club.
His love of skiing comes across easily and naturally, he feels particularly
at ease when talking about the subject, and has a host of good stories from
his 40 years of involvement in the sport.
How long have you been skiing?
I started skiing in I think it was 1957, '58.
Do you have specific memories of the state
of skiing back then?
Oh yeah... we had some old Hart skis, some old Head Skis, and just
some of the worst bindings in the world, I mean cable bindings, lace up
leather boots. Every time you got them laced up you just had blisters on
your hands so bad that you could hardly hold the poles. The equipment was
really bad. The most significant thing I remember about the change in skiing
was the plastic boot, with the high backs. I had some old [Nordica yellow]
banana boots back then. Then after that, it really progressed you know the
ski technology didn't change for a lot of years. The skis were basically the
same.. not much of a difference. Then the age of crafted edges, then the
solid edges then I think the most significant thing that's happened other
than the advent of the bindings that didn't break your leg, then the boots
that didn't kill your feet was the parabolic skis it's just the most
incredible thing that I've ever seen happen I've had 2-3 pairs myself. There
is some new incredible stuff that I've been reading about in Ski Magazine
that might be even more dynamic than what we currently have
Where did you go on your first ski trip?
Let me think... well, our first ski trip, we went to Ruidoso, New
Mexico.
Do you remember the difference in size and
feel of the resorts then?
Well for instance, Vail was a very small village... I basically
knew everyone thanks to John Donovan, and Peter Seibert... I even knew
Warren Miller... this was in the early '60's we were going up there... I
ended up buying a condo in Vail in '63... basically I skied most of Colorado
at that time.
Let me take you back even one more step. Are
you a native Texan?
Yes.
What attracted you to skiing, being from
Texas? After all, at that time, skiing wasn't quite as cosmopolitan...
I guess my love of the mountains. I've always loved the mountains
and spent a lot of time in New Mexico in the summers, before I started
skiing in... New Mexico and Colorado, primarily vacations with my wife and
daughter. Somebody said one day "let's go skiing", so we did. That was it.
Do you recall how old you were when you did
that?
I first started skiing when I was 28 years old.
Turning to the Club, what were the events
involving you, leading up to just before its formation?
Actually at that time, none of us had a lot of money, and we
thought that by forming a ski Club that we'd have better buying power, would
be able to get better deals with the airlines, with the lodges... I think it
was December of '69 that several of us decided... a lot of us that first
formed the Club skied together regularly, and so we got a group of people
that we knew that also skied that didn't necessarily ski with us... (Dr. Bob
Dixon, Dr. Ed White, Dr. Ted Edwards, Fred Hansen, Joe Colbert, friends of
mine, Dan Raley)... So we took a small group and began to grow and we
started to do trips. We would just do all the work, we would book the
lodges, charter the buses, the whole bit.
In those early days, before you had by-laws,
did you have people assigned to duties?
Mostly it was a volunteer system. Someone said "I'll do this" or
"I'll do that, or we'd be talking about it and everyone would stand up and
agree to do it.
So the original circle was quite a bit more
than the "3 names" [Joe Colbert, Fred Hansen, Beasley]?
Oh yeah, it was considerably more people than that. I mean, Joe,
Fred and I were just some of the ones, some of those guys who were involved.
There were a lot of people... we were just in the right place at the right
time.
Are most of these guys native Texans?
Yeah they were! We went a lot of places where we were welcome, and
even some places we weren't. For instance, back in those days, in Aspen we
weren't welcome because if you were from Texas they didn't like you.
Why is that?
Well, some Texas ski clubs had some really serious run-ins with
Aspen over lodging, and basically for a number of years Texans weren't very
welcome. That's why a lot of us gravitated to Vail, because there were a lot
of Texans involved with the Vail situation... they seemed to like Texans far
better...
Did you call yourselves anything at that
point?
Yes, we called ourselves the Austin Skiers. We thought we were the
Club whether we were or not!
How did the formalization of the Club come
about?
I honestly can't remember...
Well, what was your role?
At some point I was the President, I can't recall exactly when [the
2nd, '71-'72]. But basically we just were doing one or two trips a year when
it started. It was a lot of fun when it started. When the Club grew, it just
got completely out of hand. It went from a hobby to a job almost overnight.
At that point I believe the Club really grew up and started formalizing some
of the things, assigning duties... we basically just kind of flew the thing
by the seat of our pants... We'd say "where does everybody want to go?" and
we'd start working on it, then just pick a date... everybody would just meet
there on a certain date.
Do you remember anything about the first
meetings or even the first meeting?
I remember it was a very smooth meeting because we had a lot of
interest... the attendance was greater than we anticipated... I think there
were a lot of people that were looking to join a social organization... we
had two factions there... we had the avid skiers, and those who had never
skied before, who were looking to join a social club... but even those
people eventually really got into it...
How did you get publicity for such a
meeting?
I really can't recall... I believe some people were in the media
who were in the Club... but basically it was easier to deal with then.
What were some of the biggest changes from
the Club's formation to your later years?
Well, as I said the Club's growth was remarkable. We hadn't
anticipated that it would grow that big, have that many people. Most of us
were in a situation at that time that we could take at most one week trip
per year... we had different trip leaders, and a huge selection of places we
could go and things we could do... I guess that was the most remarkable
difference... after awhile it seemed as if we were running a travel agency.
We would plan more trips than we would actually take, because some trips we
didn't get enough people. But we could take more trips because we got more
affluent as we got older.
I'm still waiting for that! I have the
"older" part down! In reading back to some of the minutes, I noticed that
there seemed to be around '73 or '74 a downturn. Do you recall anything like
that?
Yeah. As I recall, one faction wanted to pull out to become more of
a social club than a ski club... they were concerned that there wasn't
enough social events. That caused some confusion because most of us were
involved in raising families and we had plenty to do and the thing we were
in for was to ski. Some of the newer, younger members that weren't into
skiing as much as we were or that were into parties... created some concern.
There were a lot of politics as well, but I don't really want to get into
that. All I can say was that there was a conflict between singles and being
a family ski club. We saw a lot of change once the single people started
coming into the Club.
So how long were you involved in Austin
Skiers?
My involvement, as far as being active, ended probably in the late
70's or the early 80's. Then I got involved in serious skiing, like 28 or 30
days per year, which is a lot for Texas. I also got involved in developing
my skiing and less involved in developing my partying...
At the time you left, were most of the
founders still there?
I think that basically, most of us had turned it over to the next
generation by that time.
Before you left, did you feel that the
founders maintained a level of influence in the Club or sort of just faded
into the background?
Well, I think that we wanted to, and were successful, in bringing
in people who came in and really got into it and really helped out...
Frankly at a point 6,8,10 years after we got into that thing, it got to be
an unmanageable thing without a lot of help, a lot of involvement. And so, I
think that we basically, that we just evolved... it was just that people
came in and got more involved, the rest of us, as we needed to, became less
involved. I don't think that anybody there was on a giant ego trip. It was a
very good experience and a very relaxed group, and it was a very enjoyable
experience.
So since you left, what have you been doing
personally in the ski world?
Oh, I ski as many times a year as possible. If the snow's good. Sometimes,
I've had years that I've skied every weekend. I help out with the Ski Patrol
in Ruidoso, and I've maintained friendship with lots of people in the Vail
area. Although I no longer have a condo there, I still go to Vail every
chance I get.
So I would imagine your favorite ski area is
Vail?
Yes, it's the greatest ski area in the world.
Are there any newer areas you'd recommend?
Yeah, the Canyons in Utah, in the Park City area...
Do you still happen to ski with any of your
founding friends in the Club?
Well, I ski with as many of my friends who are old Club members who still
ski. You know some of them have had injuries, whatever. But I've made a lot
of friends through the years, and I've skied with a lot of people. I have
two loves besides my business... I'm a runner, been running for 29 years...
and skiing... two great sports.
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