GLEN POULSEN 1960: At the end of the big winter of 1992-3, Glen Poulsen, son of Palisades Tahoe founder and ski pioneer Wayne Poulsen, streaked across the Sierra on skis in what may well be record time. Leaving Mammoth Mountain at daybreak, Poulsen sped up the San Joaquin River Canyon, crossed Minaret Pass, Island Pass and then 11,000-foot Donohue Pass. From there he schussed down Lyell Canyon to the Tioga Road and through Tuolumne Meadows to Tenaya Lake, then down Snow Creek to his Yosemite Valley destination. In the space of about nine hours, the marathon mountaineer had skied sixty miles while climbing almost 3,000 feet. Then he descended nearly twice that distance en-route to the Valley. Like his strong-minded and strong-bodied father, Glen has also ski-pioneered routes to the South and North Poles.

DARON RAHLVES: During his career, the Truckee resident earned 12 World Cup victories, a Super-G World Championship gold medal in 2001, two medals at the 2005 World Championships, and over two dozen second and third-place podiums. The Sugar Ambassador of Skiing ended his World Cup career March 16th, 2005 in Are, Sweden on top of the podium by placing second in the Super-G behind teammate Bode Miller. Other highlights included winning the Hahnenkamm downhill on January 25, 2003. He eventually nailed seven podiums at Kitzbuhel, including a super G victory. On March 26, 2006, in his final USSA race, Daron captured the super G at the US Nationals. He╒s gone on to the pro Ski Cross winning the 2007 X-Games.

ROY MIKKELSEN 1907-1967: A U.S. Olympic ski jumper in 1932 and 1936, Mikkelsen was national jumping champion in 1933 and 1935, and also rated among the nation's top downhill and slalom competitors from 1933-42.

JONNY MOSELEY 1975: Since nailing his huge-hanging heli-mute grab at the Nagano Olympics in 1998, Moseley's post-Olympic swirl saw him navigate through a bump field of public appearances, TV talk show circuit, and a Teen Beat Image.

He dated MTV vixen Serena Altschul, got naked with Cindy Crawford for a magazine cover, and traveled to Jamaica for a made-for-TV superstars competition. Not since Jean Claude Killy had a hero placed skiing at the head of America's attention.

Making a comeback at the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Games, Moseley once again found himself in the spotlight. The former number one mogul skier in the world, who had won two overall World Cup freestyle titles, five combined junior and professional World Cup titles, and 17 World Cups, didn╒t disappoint. Although he was robbed by highbrow judging, he still placed fourth, nailing his new trick called the "Dinner Roll" in front of thirty thousand people.


LYLE NELSON 1948: Far from a household word, biathlete Nelson nevertheless represented the United States in four Olympics. A Smithsonian rarity who fed off drive the way others feed off vitamin C, this West Point grad and longtime Donner Summit resident won the 10K Nationals at age 39 and competed internationally well into his 40's.

GLEN PLAKE 1964: For being so uncorked and a Mohawk-haired wild man, the South Lake Tahoe native has created a lot good energy on snow, first as an alpine racer on Heavenly's Blue Angel ski team, then as a USSA Far West Freestyler. In fact, Plake╒s most peaceful moments seemed to be in the bumpiest of slopes. His talents allowed him to take seventh at the U.S. Freestyle Nationals in his first year of skiing moguls.

What followed was a growing notoriety in segments of such cult ski classics as The Maltese Flamingo, the Blizzard of Aaahs, and Dr. Strangelove. After marrying and settling down off slope, Glen extinguished his punkish ways and began concentrating on a blossoming ski industry career that today includes being at Heavenly, an array of endorsement contracts, his own TV show, "Real Thrills," countless films, and national appearances. He remains possibly the hardest working ambassador in the ski business.

REED ROBINSON 1958: A member of the U.S. Disabled Ski Team for over a decade, Robinson made skiing history several years back by winning medals in both the alpine and Nordic World Disabled Ski Championships. The Incline Village native won over 10 national titles in addition to taking gold in slalom in the Worlds in 1990. A former speed skier, the one-armed Robinson still races Monday Motivation at Alpine Meadows.

SPIDER SABICH 1945-1976: The native of Kyburz, off Highway 50, learned to ski on Echo Summit. Although he had nine operations on his legs during the short span he was a U.S. Ski Team member, Sabich still captured several World Cup races, a national title in downhill, and placed fifth in the 1968 Olympic slalom. Retiring as an amateur in 1971, he went on to win the World Pro Ski title two years in a row.

SCOT SCHMIDT 1963: While Schmidt is neither a decorated racer nor the equal of today's wowing, big mountain skier Shane McConkey and a few others, this former Far West racer and Tahoe resident put the word "extreme" on the map. Absolutely fearless, Schmidt has performed amazing drops and fat arcs in too many ski films to name. A complete skier and good alpinist, few, if any, Americans did it better, and with as much effortless grace, in chutes, powder, or in the air.

JACK STARRETT 1920-1979: Most folks remember him for starting the Village Store in Tahoe City. Few, however, recall that it was Starrett in the 1940s and 50s who would cross-country to Truckee and back when the roads were closed, with the mail. The route he traveled over is now the course for the 18-mile, Great Ski Race.

FRANK STEWART 1851-1913: A member of the Alturas Ski Club in Plumas County, Stewart still reigns as hero of the "Lost Sierra." An authentic ski pioneer, Stewart was a longboard champion obtaining speeds close to 100 mph in the late 1800s. He was one of the few who not only raced, but also made his own skis and dope (wax). His head-to-head victory in Johnsville over Snow-Shoe Thompson is truly the kind of event that creates legends.

JOHN "SNOW-SHOE" THOMPSON: He has to be mentioned, mainly because so many still do not realize his accomplishments. For 20 years, beginning in 1856, this pioneer tracked the Sierra-Nevada to carry mail between California and Western Utah Territory (Nevada). He skied on groove-less, but cambered, skis known as "Norwegian Snow-Shoes," and he also wrote quasi-scientific articles defining ski contests and ski techniques that are remarkably similar to today╒s slalom, downhill, and recreational skiing formats. Buried in 1876 in Genoa NV, this fellow was truly a king of the hill, and one super dude.

WAYNE WONG, 1951: Wayne Wong excited skiers and spectators like no other during the 1970s, creating tricks that still look fresh today. At age 16 he attained his Level 1 Ski Instructor's Certification. By 1972 he achieved his Level 4 Certificate, the highest level attainable, and he was chosen as a member of the Canadian Ski Instructor's Alliance Inter-Ski Demonstration Team. His trademark bandanna tied around the knee, Wong became a high priest of hot-dogging.

He electrified ski competitions with innovative tricks such as the "Worm Turn," "The Wongbanger," the "Slow Dog Noodle," and the "Wongmill," and he won the first ever Freestyler of the Year award in 1972. Other accomplishments followed such as Rocky Mountain freestyle champion in 1973; Europa Cup Champion in 1974; and Japan International Freestyle champion in 1975.

The remarkable ability that also made Wong a three-time World Powder Figure 8 Champion shows no sign of age. He still spends over 80 days a year in his ski boots devoting time to fund-raising ski events. He annually hosts the American Airlines Celebrity Ski Classic, an event that in its 23rd year history has raised $30 million for Cystic Fibrosis.


So that completes my list of the Top 25 Skiers in Tahoe's history. You can argue that other deserving skiers should be on the list, but it's hard to argue that these 25 should not be.


The photos are from the author's collection.