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Ski Style: Sport and Culture in the Rockies
Visitors to Colorado's famous ski resorts embrace alpine adventures, luxurious amenities, and a glamorous nightlife, all against a backdrop of towering mountains and high-drifted snow. Wherever they go in search of fresh powder, one thing is certain: skiing has become a major part of recreational sport and culture and, in the process, dramatically altered Americas social, physical, economic, and imaginative landscapes.
Annie Coleman has written the first cultural history of skiing in the United States, telling how this European sport evolved into an American industry combining recreation, tourism, consumption, and wilderness—along with a solid dose of exhilaration and a dash of celebrity. She reveals how the meaning of skiing changed over the twentieth century, how sport and leisure in America came to be about status and style as much as about physical activity, and how modern consumer culture merged the mythic West with real western places.
Coleman traces skiing from its Norse roots and Alpine influences through the utility of ski travel in the winter Rockies to the rise of Colorado resorts. Much more than a history of the sport, her work explains how the recreation industry sold the experience of skiing and created mythic mountain landscapes with real problems—and a ski culture that exalts celebrity and status over the physical act of skiing.
Along the way, Coleman looks at bums, bunnies, betties, and everyone else who uses the sport to define who they are and how they fit in. Today's skiers are more diverse than they were half a century ago (though chances are they're wealthier), and even snowboarders have joined the very culture they once opposed—reviving places like Aspen through a subversive youth culture gone mainstream.
The allure of white powder at high altitudes, manicured ski runs designed to frame picture-perfect views, the illusion of danger—the American skiing experience is all of this and more. Extensively researched and engagingly written, Ski Style puts readers on the slopes—and in the lodges—to show what its really all about.
Annie Coleman has written the first cultural history of skiing in the United States, telling how this European sport evolved into an American industry combining recreation, tourism, consumption, and wilderness—along with a solid dose of exhilaration and a dash of celebrity. She reveals how the meaning of skiing changed over the twentieth century, how sport and leisure in America came to be about status and style as much as about physical activity, and how modern consumer culture merged the mythic West with real western places.
Coleman traces skiing from its Norse roots and Alpine influences through the utility of ski travel in the winter Rockies to the rise of Colorado resorts. Much more than a history of the sport, her work explains how the recreation industry sold the experience of skiing and created mythic mountain landscapes with real problems—and a ski culture that exalts celebrity and status over the physical act of skiing.
Along the way, Coleman looks at bums, bunnies, betties, and everyone else who uses the sport to define who they are and how they fit in. Today's skiers are more diverse than they were half a century ago (though chances are they're wealthier), and even snowboarders have joined the very culture they once opposed—reviving places like Aspen through a subversive youth culture gone mainstream.
The allure of white powder at high altitudes, manicured ski runs designed to frame picture-perfect views, the illusion of danger—the American skiing experience is all of this and more. Extensively researched and engagingly written, Ski Style puts readers on the slopes—and in the lodges—to show what its really all about.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2004
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About the author
Annie Gilbert Coleman
1 book1 followerAnnie Gilbert Coleman is associate professor of American studies, University of Notre Dame.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 21, 2020
Pretty much just about Colorado, not actually the whole Rockies.
May 18, 2020
This book covered the large expanse of ski history in Colorado, about also brought in information on the European ski history as well. It was clearly written and packed with information. I cannot say that it was a page turner since I have no personal interest in the subject, but at the same time it was easy to get through. Since I was using this for a college course I was aware of the source material that was used to write it. The author did do their research on the subject, but they left out a lot about the minority influence on skiing which would have helped this book be more encompassing on the subject.
November 17, 2012
I very interesting historical look on Colorado ski culture, its consumption and its post WWII growth. I thought it was interesting how the leisure industry, in many ways, followed a similar path of the extraction industries, such as timber and mining.It was also interesting to see the steps the resort industry took to hide artificial nature of ski runs, creating a natural-unnatural environment mimicing the planned landscapes of other leisure playgrounds such as Las Vegas and Disneyland.
January 7, 2017
Boring writing, with adorable pictures throughout. Kind of a snooze, but definitely got me ready for my first season of skiing. I went into the experience knowing alot more about mountain resort culture.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews