California Ski History

The earliest ski races in the Western Hemisphere happened right here in the Lost Sierra, where Norwegian gold miners brought their long, wooden skis, some stretching up to 15 feet. Originally used for travel across deep snow, it didn’t take long before miners began pointing them downhill just for the thrill of speed.

By 1861, the first organized “longboard” ski club races were taking place. And in 1867, long before ski lifts or groomed trails, the world’s first recorded champion speed skier was clocked at 88 mph on wooden skis.

Today, the tradition lives on through Plumas Ski Club’s annual reenactments of 1860s-style racing in Johnsville Historic Ski Bowl.

Before big resorts, Truckee’s ski scene grew from small, scrappy hills and creative locals. At the site of today’s Cottonwood Restaurant, rope tows once pulled skiers up 700 vertical feet. Local leader Charles McGlashan launched Truckee’s Winter Carnival, complete with ski jumping, sleigh rides, and tobogganing, establishing Truckee as an early winter destination.

Then came a game changer: Sugar Bowl Resort opened in 1939 with California’s first chairlift, funded in part by Walt Disney. The $0.25 lift ride gave skiers access to 1,000 feet of vertical rise and ushered in a new era of ski travel.

The following season, Sugar Bowl debuted the Silver Belt Race, a challenging event that attracted elite skiers and helped set the stage for modern alpine competition.

When Palisades Tahoe (then Squaw Valley) opened in 1949, it had only one chairlift and two rope tows. But in a bold move, it was selected to host the 1960 Olympic Winter Games—a decision that transformed both the resort and the entire region.

The Games introduced international attention, infrastructure investment, and a surge in winter tourism to Truckee-Tahoe. Just two years later in 1961, neighboring Alpine Meadows opened, and in 2011, the two resorts merged into a 6,000-acre powerhouse.

Visitors can explore the legacy of the Games at the Olympic Museum at High Camp, accessible by Aerial Tram.

In 2021, after consultation with Native American groups including the Washoe Tribe, Palisades Tahoe officially dropped its former name, recognizing that the term “squaw” is offensive and rooted in colonial language.

The move marked a milestone in aligning the resort’s identity with values of inclusion, cultural respect, and progress.

With seven major ski resorts within 15–45 minutes and access to the largest cross-country ski area in North America, Truckee-Tahoe remains a winter mecca. Averaging 400+ inches of annual snowfall, the Sierra Crest delivers deep powder days, sun-filled groomer laps, and an unbeatable après scene.

Whether you're a racer, a rider, or a family looking for sled hills and cocoa, skiing in Truckee-Tahoe is a rite of passage in California.

Sugar Bowl Resort’s Disney Chair

Built in 1939 with support from Walt Disney himself, this was the first chairlift in California and a pioneering marvel of alpine engineering. Take a ride on its modern-day successor and ski the same terrain that helped launch California’s ski revolution.