New Book Looks at History of Skiing in the Catskills

Nov. 18, 2013 - PRLog -- Skiing in the Catskill Region is the newest addition to Arcadia Publishing’s Images of Sports series. The book by local author George V. Quinn is set to release on December 2, 2013. The book boasts more than 200 vintage skiing images in the area throughout history.

Arriving by train to Phoenicia, N.Y., in the mid-1930s, downhill skiers first discovered the snowy trails of Simpson Ski Slope. Soon after, many Borscht Belt hotels were offering skiing and skating as ways to fill rooms during cold winter months when crowds thinned. In the high central Catskills, where abundant snowfall was a big draw, many abandoned rooming houses were commandeered to serve as base lodges for fledgling ski areas.

In addition to farming and logging, skiing became an important industry to the area. People found steady employment in dozens of new areas sprouting all over the mountains. Downhill skiing is just part of the region’s history. Ski jumping, racing, ski clubs, fashion and colorful personalities were all part of the experience.

Image of Sports: Skiing in the Catskill Region takes readers on a journey down memory lane to some of the lost ski areas that time has forgotten and the ones that are still heavily used today. The book illustrates how skiing has impacted the Catskill region, for better or worse.

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

Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States.  Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places.  Have we done a book on your town?  Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com.