Why We’re Here

Back in the ’50s and ’60s, skiing and only skiing drew Americans to the mountains in large numbers. The sport offered recreation and fresh air to urban populations starved for both. It was our nation’s first real love affair with an outdoor sport. And for many it became not just an activity but a way of life. In 20 years we went from rope tows strung through the drive wheels of International pickups to high-speed 50 passenger aerial tramways. To better connect our sport with our living we slapped together crude A-frames, winterized mining era Victorians, and chinked and stacked logs. Chefs, winemakers, celebrities, writers, photographers, and master brewers all followed. By the ’70s, the mountain landscape supported a recognizable mountain culture—but it was still almost exclusively skiing centric.

Except skiers aren’t that one-dimensional. In the decades that followed, spring runoffs turned casual canoeists into whitewater kayakers. Summertime jaunts turned day hikers into backpackers and alpinists. Knobby tires turned cyclists into mountain bikers. Pretty soon we were playing golf and building homes and lodges that didn’t pay homage to Tyrolean architecture. Along the way, environmental concerns began to outweigh pure monetization of the landscape. Today mountain resorts are more than just ski areas and mountain towns are qualified by more than just bed counts. We started seeing ourselves as mountain people.

Yes we’re all still proud skiers (and snowboarders), but mountain culture has matured. Whether you live here or just play here, you probably identify yourself as something more than a skier. What binds us is our love for the mountains—our collective sense of place. Mountain Sports + Living gives voice to that shared passion.