Martin Hollay- A Tahoe Ski Legend
The first time I met Martin was in May, when he shared with the Lake Tahoe Historical Society his glove making skills and interesting life history. Today, Martin shared the history of skiing in Lake Tahoe because he was there, almost from the beginning.
.jpg) |
| Martin's story of coming to America (born in 1920 in Hungary) is far too long to write here but when he arrived in Tahoe for the first time, in 1958, he won skiing awards and endeared himself to the owner of Heavenly Mountain Resort. He was hired to help clear trees for the West Bowl run and blast large rocks off of the Face run. |
.jpg) |
| Then in 1959, Martin was hired to help design and build the courses for the cross country races for the Olympics at Squaw Valley. A few years later he became a full time ski patroller at Heavenly Valley and the rest is history! |
.jpg)
.jpg)
Martin spoke to enamored fans and numerous people who had skied with him, over the decades. He delighted, entertained, signed autographs and pretty much wooed all of us. At 92, he still skis every day and his goal is to be part of the Hungarian ski team for the next Olympics. After hearing his tales of the adversity he has overcome, we know Martin will be there in Sochi. I look forward to hearing those stories, told only the way he could tell them... keeping us on the edge of our seats.
1 comments:
Fantastic to read about Martin Hollay. The man is a legend and a shining beacon in Heavenly's history. Personally, I wish the resort was still family owned just because of people like Martin that made it such a BIG destination.
Post a Comment