Ski and Snow Sports Archive

The Utah Ski and Snowboard Archives is housed in the Special Collections Department at the J. Willard Marriott Library of the University of Utah.  It was created in 1989 to preserve a comprehensive history of skiing and other winter sports in Utah and the Intermountain region.   That year, the S. J. & J. E. Quinney Foundation recognized the importance of the project and provided critical seed money. In 1993, the Ski Archives were incorporated into the newly established Joe Quinney Recreation Archives, which also contain material on river running, hiking clubs, mountaineering, climbing, and other outdoor activities. Future additions of material and development of the Utah Ski Archives will continue to strengthen its importance as a repository of primary-source research materials for use both now and in the future. In addition to scholarly research of skiing as a sport, these materials are valuable resources for research into skiing-related industries such as public relations, transportation, resorts and their amenities, equipment, and clothing. 

Types of materials found in the collections include correspondence, competition rosters, organizational minutes, architectural drawings and site plans, news clippings, and miscellaneous items ranging from lift tickets to scrapbooks.  The Utah Ski and Snowboard Archives contains hundreds of thousands of photographs of skiing ranging from the earliest pioneers who ventured into the mountains, to modern digital images of racers.  The collections also include numerous films, videos, and audio recordings, including one of the best collections of oral histories of ski pioneers—many of whom have since passed away—that document their first-hand experiences in racing, developing resorts, instructing new generations of skiers, and inventing new ski equipment. 

The Utah Ski and Snowboard Archives celebrates the start of every ski season with a gala fundraiser called the Utah Ski Affair, held in Salt Lake City as the mountains are beginning to build their winter coats of snow.  Skiers of all ages and all levels of expertise, as well as anyone interested in skiing, mingle and renew old acquaintances in a congenial atmosphere.  A highlight of the evening comes with the honoring of that year’s History Makers, selected by the Utah Ski and Snow Archives Advisory Board, and the winner of the S.J. Quinney Award for outstanding service to skiing and the ski industry.

Browse All Ski Archive Items (Photos and Manuscripts)

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