New Book Illustrates the Evolution of Skiing at Lake Tahoe

Jan. 9, 2012 - PRLog -- New from Arcadia Publishing’s popular Images of America series is Skiing at Lake Tahoe by local author Mark McLaughlin. The book boasts more than 200 vintage images along with a supportive narrative. A set of postcards featuring images from the book is also available for $7.99.

Organized ski racing in America started near Lake Tahoe in the 1860s when gold miners rode 15-foot boards that reached speeds near 100 miles per hour. By 1895, residents of Truckee had started the nation’s first winter carnival west of the Rocky Mountains and soon built the largest ski jump in California.

Today’s Lake Tahoe, with significant annual snowfall, has become home to the largest concentration of ski resorts on the continent. Places like Mount Rose, Squaw Valley (home of the 1960 Winter Olympics), Sugar Bowl, Heavenly Valley, Homewood, Sierra-at-Tahoe, Alpine Meadows, Kirkwood, Diamond Peak, Donner Ski Ranch, Granlibakken, and Northstar-at-Tahoe have seen skiing styles, sports, and fashions churn through the decades, while now gone resorts, such as Edelweiss and White Hills Ski Resort, echo the memories of yesterday’s skiers through the pines.

Highlights of Skiing at Lake Tahoe include:
•   Lake Tahoe’s fascinating ski history from the 19th century to the present.
•   A collection of historic images depicting the thrill, drama, and excitement of alpine skiing at one of North America’s favorite destinations.
•   The roots of alpine skiing in North America, starting with the legendary John “Snowshoe” Thompson and Truckee’s famous winter carnivals.
•   The opening of major resorts like Heavenly Valley and Squaw Valley and the 1960 Winter Olympics.
•   The history and current status of every major ski resort in the Lake Tahoe basin, including a few that have come and gone over the years.

Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or www.arcadiapublishing.com.

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With more than 7,500 local history titles published to date, Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Widely recognized sepia books feature hundreds of vintage historical images.