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The President And Vail - One Last Time

By Craig Altschul
January 08, 2007

The first thing to affirm is what you heard all week. President Ford was a nice man. A very nice man. The Ford family spent years visiting Vail, and later, Beaver Creek over holidays and other times of the year. I was one of several Vail Associates (later Vail Resorts) marketing staffers over a four-decade stretch who had the privilege of meeting and working with the President on numerous occasions.

My job was easy compared to that of those who served during the time Vail was literally the Western White House. I didn't have to deal with the White House press. I came on the scene with the President and Mrs. Ford a decade after they left Washington.

This was during the days his annual golf tournament was winding down; when Bob Hope would visit and the barbs would fly warning those in the galleries to duck. I knew him when he graciously hosted the American Ski Classic and enjoyed coffee with him in the finish arena. I made sure he and Betty were ready for the Christmas tree lighting and other not particularly consequential times.

Gerald Ford loved the tiny mountain community of Vail. He remembered names, even mine. He treated everyone the same. Corporate leaders, visiting heads of state, national dignitaries, athletes, celebrities, busboys, ski instructors, lift operators, supermarket clerks, even PR guys.

He was - and you heard it all week long - a superior athlete. Chevy Chase may have been funny, but he was inaccurate. You try skiing hard with football knees.

The recent torchlight parade of 500 ski instructors on Vail's Golden Peak to honor the President was a just tribute. He would have enjoyed it as did the 2,500 people gathered at the base, not a few had tears in their eyes.

Gerald R. Ford accomplished much in his career. Perhaps a footnote will be that he put a little tiny mountain resort town on the map. But, you know what? Everyone who ever met him at Vail or Beaver Creek will remember him for only one very important thing: He was a very nice man.

Do you have memories of the President and Mrs. Ford (and the "kids") at Vail and Beaver Creek? Please share them with us below.

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Comments

President Ford is not "our only skiing president." President Carter has skied in Crested Butte for years. Mrs. Carter is one of the founding board members of the Crested Butte Physically Challenged Ski Program, now called Adaptive Sports. Besides CB, the Carters have skied Aspen and Taos. It all started at Camp David, where the president put on skis for the first time and went out for a Nordic loop.

Posted by: John Norton Crested Butte | January 8, 2007 10:13 AM

	Craig, Kudos! He was a great man and as a former transportation direction for the World Forum, the golf tournament and the early days of the ski clasic I found him to be just a really nice guy!
	Posted by: Willmott Lewis Incline Active Air | January 8, 2007 08:41 PM

	Thanks, John. I'm older than you so my memory is going. Of course, Jimmy Carter was a skiing president. Maybe I could have gotten off the hook by saying Gerald Ford was our only Republican skiing president. Maybe I just should have left it alone, huh?
	Posted by: Craig Altschul | January 9, 2007 09:17 AM

	Thanks, Craig, for your reminder. I remember Pam Conklin doing the P.R. over in Vail while I was doing same in Steamboat. I didn't envy her the Western Whitehouse duties, but she never had a bad word to say. Now, about Elvis at Vail.... Jeannie
	Posted by: Jeannie Patton | January 9, 2007 02:00 PM