Meet Alan: a Passholder at Squaw Valley for 45 years
“My parents are both from Europe and they grew up skiing. They came up for the 1960 Olympics. We grew up in the Bay Area, but they fell in love with Tahoe and started working their way around the lake to find a nice spot to settle. They bought a lot in 1962 in Rubicon Bay and we came up every chance we got…every weekend, every holiday. After graduating high school, I got sick of the Bay Area scene and decided to move up here after a semester of college and I’ve been here ever since.”
Ski all day, work all night.
“I tried to ski as many days as possible, so I did the usual thing. Worked at restaurants, worked as a ski rep for a number of companies. Ski all day, work at night. Go home and do it all over again. It got in my blood, so I continue to do it. Proudly been a ‘ski bum’ at Squaw since 71.”
Being out here. It’s a daily thing.
“You know…it’s the camaraderie with my friends. I’ve got a group of friends that I’ve been skiing with…forever. They’re also doing the same thing I am – they’re in the trade or retired, but we meet every day and come out and ski. The energy bounces off of each other. It’s just a daily thing. You get in the habit of talking to people every morning seeing what time you’ll meet. Sometimes I’ll have meetings in the afternoon, but I’ll come out for a morning session.”
All that snow creates work, but you know it’s going to be worth it.
“Best memory is 2010-11. It seemed like it was snowing every day. You were grabbing your cap and goggles every day. Plow the driveway before you go to bed and again when you wake up. It creates a lot of work, but you know it’s all going to worth it. That is one of the years that stick out.”
128 days and counting…
“Last season I got about 135ish and the most I ever got was 165. The thing is, it’s not a competition of how many days we can get in, it’s about being out on the mountain experiencing it, enjoying life and skiing. We all love being out here.”
