Many are unware of how far back Lake Tahoe's skiing heritage goes. From the early exploits of the legendary skiing mailman 'Snowshoe' Thompson, to the 1930s, when thousands attended ski jumps in Berkeley and San Francisco, and Granlibakken hosted an Olympic ski jumping competition, the trail of winter sports in Tahoe is at least a century old.

A new release by local author and historian Mark McLaughlin, Longboards to Olympics: A Century of Tahoe Winter Sports, tells the fascinating story of Tahoe's winter sports heritage over the last hundred years.
 
The series of well-illustrated stories begins with the world’s first organized downhill ski races, held in nearby Plumas County, where 19th century speed demons exceeded 90 mph on 14-foot long skis. Fueled by ego, money, and alcohol, at the time, these skiers were the fastest humans on the planet.

The book concludes with the 1960 Winter Olympics at Palisades Tahoe, the seminal event that launched Lake Tahoe into the international spotlight for world-class winter sports.

The 1960 Olympics arrived on a wing and a prayer, but today are regarded as among the best Winter Games ever held. These Games embraced the hopes and dreams of the world’s top athletes, while America’s best amateurs proved that they too could perform miracles on ice and snow.

Other chapters include the history of ski development in the Donner Summit region and the opening of Sugar Bowl in 1939. Recognition is also given to the veterans of the 10th Mountain Division who contributed greatly to the growth of the modern ski industry after World War II.

Illustrated with nearly 200 images, many never before published, these uplifting and entertaining stories pay tribute to the character and accomplishments of the early pioneers who paved the way to today's western winter sports experience.

Tahoe historian Mark McLaughlin is an award-winning, nationally published author and photographer with six books and more than 500 articles in print. A professional and popular lecturer who has lived at North Lake Tahoe since 1978, McLaughlin teaches Sierra Nevada history using dramatic stories, slide shows and field trips. Mark is the author of several prize-winning books, including The Donner Party: Weathering the Storm (2007).

Longboards to Olympics: A Century of Tahoe Winter Sports is available at local bookstores or at www.thestormking.com.