Ski Pioneers: Ernie Blake, His Friends, and the Making of Taos Ski Valley [signed] [first edition]

A kaleidoscope of voices, Ski Pioneers focuses on the most dynamic and colorful characters in the history of American skiing. Tracing the lives of Taos Ski Valley founder Ernie Blake and his early skiing friends, this book goes beyond biography to tell the origins of the downhill sport in the West. Assembling interviews with some of the greatest names in skiing, Rick Richards describes the making or Ernie Blake, the man who envisioned a world-class resort in Taos Ski Valley. He follows Ernie from Europe to New Mexico, recounting events that shaped Blake's life and changed American skiing. From the first runs at Sun Valley to the steeps of Taos today, Richards recreates the pioneering journeys of the first, innovative skiers in the nation. With twenty-two chapters of reminiscences, humorous anecdotes, and commentary, and more than 250 historic and personal photos, Ski Pioneers is the most detailed look at ski history to be published in recent decades.