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- Aileen H. Clyde 20th Century Women's Legacy Archive
- Outdoor recreation oral history project, ACCN 0814
Aileen H. Clyde 20th Century Women's Legacy Archive: Outdoor recreation oral history project, ACCN 0814
Outdoor recreation oral history project, ACCN 0814
The outdoor recreation oral history project is part of the Everett L. Cooley oral history collection.
Beloeil grew up in France and climbed for the first time when she was 12 years old. The natural rhythm of climbing and the freedom it offered over other sports were what attracted Cathy. The clarity required during climbing brings an almost meditative calm over her mind.
Kirsten (b. 1972) is from Irondequoit, New York. She discovered her passion for climbing while working as a guide on Lake Superior during her college years. She abandoned a career in engineering to pursue climbing throughout the country. She is involved in HERA: Climb for Life, an organization that raises money for breast cancer research. Noah and Kirsten are married and have a son, Benjamin.
- Leslie Blank
Blank grew up in upstate New York. After finishing school, Blank visited Utah and fell in love with southern Utah and the mountains. Blank then moved to Utah to become a ski instructor. Her coworkers worked as river guides during the summers and she decided to join them. Leslie has worked as a ski instructor and river guide ever since. In this interview, Leslie talks about her love of the outdoors, her passion for sharing this love with others.
Rosie is from Oregon and came to Salt Lake City through AmeriCorps. Clay Cahoon is from Los Angeles ,but was raised in Utah. They both believe that climbing is a major part of their relationship and their lifestyle. They agree that the ethics of climbing have changed over the years. Rosie believes that women climbers have a more competitive, yet close relationship and feels that sometimes it's hard for her to have friends who aren't climbers.
Childers graduated from Oklahoma State University with a wildlife biology major and journalism minor. She was introduced to women’s ski jumping with an article she wrote for Wasatch Journal in 2008. She worked with Bill Kerig on the film Ready to Fly. Whitney talks about ski jumpers, their struggle for equality at the Olympics and in other major events, and their uneasy relationship with conventional feminism.
- Deedee Corradini
Corradini talks about her family and how they traveled often because her father was a Congregationalist minister. Deedee worked for Governor Cal Rampton, and then worked as Wayne Owens’ press secretary. Deedee decided to run for mayor of Salt Lake City and was mayor from 1992-2000. She was integral in getting the Olympics to come to Utah. She describes getting involved with women’s ski jumping. She became president of the board of Women’s Ski Jumping U.S.A.
Paul Dinwoodey (b. 1909), prominent Salt Lake City furniture merchant, is joined by his wife Betty in recalling their experiences as Utah skiers in the late 1930s- early 1940s. They focus their recollections primarily on Brighton describing facilities, clothing, equipment, and personalities.
- Gordan Douglass and Mindy Shulak
Gordon Douglass and Mindy Shulak talk about how they got into climbing, their climbing activities in Utah and the West, and the history of Utah sport climbing. Mindy Shulak grew up just outside Toledo, Ohio, and rode show jumpers and ran track. She recalls that in the 1970s women were a serious minority in the climbing community and considered less able than men. She moved to Salt Lake City in the 1980s to compete in climbing, and met Gordon, whom she married.
Feagin (b.1966) learned to climb in the Tetons. After graduating from Duke University with a Bachelor's degree in Engineering, she returned to Jackson, worked briefly for a software company. She traveled for a number of years and began to climb big walls in Yosemite and other places. Nancy moved to Salt Lake City in 1991 to work at Rockreation. She has made numerous significant climbing trips, most notably a solo ascent of Aconcagua in South America and a 2001 ascent of Mount Everest.
Maura is currently getting her doctorate in meteorology at the University of Utah with a focus in mountain meteorology and forecasting. She’s very interested in the Salt Lake Valley temperature inversion and pollution episodes. Ben and Maura have done a lot of first ascents and established new routes, primarily in the state of Utah. They have both had some pretty close calls while climbing.
Cerre (b. 1979) was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and suffered from hip dysplasia. She first experienced climbing when a friend, who was an experienced climber, took her to a cliff. At eighteen she convinced her parents to let her go to school in Steamboat Springs to be closer to the mountains of Rifle. Shortly after she moved on to Salt Lake and the climbing opportunities it offered. Her experience and drive led her to enter into competitive climbing.
- Lori Gibbs
Gibbs provides a brief introduction to her birth, a discussion about why she chose to become a snowboarder, and then her participation in multiple competitions and coaching. Lori also discusses her opinions regarding the gender divide in snowboarding, where male snowboarders were paid better than female.
The Goodros (b. 1916; b. 1920) recall their early interests in skiing and later endeavors by Harold working with the Ski Patrol at Alta for 50 years, Utah Power and Light and the University of Utah ski program.
- Nancy Hendrickson
Hendrickson, ski jumping coach and parent of a world champion ski jumper, was born in Plymouth, New Hampshire. She moved west in 1985, settling in Park City in 1992. Her daughter Sarah became a world champion ski jumper. Nancy discusses her involvement with the sport and the fight to get women’s ski jumping recognized as an Olympic event, crediting Deedee Corradini and Bill Kerig with leading roles. She describes her daughter Sarah’s entrance into the professional skiing world.
US Ski Team jumper Sarah Hendrickson (b. 1994) started jumping at Canyons Resort near Park City. Ms. Hendrickson describes the supportive atmosphere that helped her succeed, and credits her brother, a Nordic combined skier, for his support as well as women’s ski jumping pioneer Lindsey Van for inspiration. She also discusses the struggle to get women’s ski jumping recognized as an Olympic sport, but was too young to be closely involved in it.
- Jenny Holden
Holden was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She moved to Utah during the 2002 Olympics and worked for the Salt Lake Organizing Committee. After the Olympics she worked for the US Ski Team and managed the men’s alpine team for five years, which took her to Park City where she lives currently. Jenny talks about joining the Women’s Ski Jumping organization.
- Jessica Jerome
Born in Jacksonville, Florida, ski jumper Jessica Jerome grew up in Park City. She describes her entry into ski jumping, her career, the experience of traveling and ski jumping, and the ongoing battle against sexism in ski jumping. She talks about the effort to get women’s ski jumping certified as an Olympic sport, describes her attitude (why do it if you can’t have fun?) and talks at some length about training, competition and its structure, and equipment.
Knoles (b. 1979) is from Bountiful, Utah. She discusses her recreation experience from indoor climbing gyms to rock climbing on international terrain. In addition to the United States, she has climbed in France and Spain. She was a member of the Solvay Climbers Alliance.
Lee recalls her experiences running rivers including the Colorado, the Green, and the San Juan, 1940s-1960s.
- Beth Malloy
Malloy talks about her first experiences rock climbing and discovering her passion for the sport. She talks about the climbing community she was a part of in the beginning and the different locations where she climbed. She talks about climbing with her late husband, Seth Shaw. She describes some differences between rock climbing and ice climbing. Beth talks about being a woman in a male-dominated sport and the community of female climbers in Utah.
McDonald (b. 1942) recalls her introduction to skiing, her racing career, people she knew in skiing, and the benefits she received as a result of her being an Olympic contender in 1964.
Colette (b. 1982) was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and attended college at Fordham University in New York City, during which time she began climbing in gyms in Connecticut and New Jersey. She discusses her introduction to climbing, primarily bouldering and sport climbing, and the evolution of her passion for climbing during road trips out West and throughout her relationship with professional climber Joe Kinder.
Earl (b. 1917) and Gladys recall the history of organized skiing at Snow Basin, Weber County, Utah, 1930s-1950s, where they operated a ski school and concessions. They list a number of people with whom they were associated, such as the Engen and Eccles families.
Moeinvaziri is one of the climbers Chris has taken under his wing. Ms. Moeinvaziri (b. 1989) grew up in Utah. A friend suggested she start at Dick’s Sporting Goods in Salt Lake City. That’s where Melissa met Chris. She describes what it’s like being a newcomer to climbing, and getting help from Chris, who’s a veteran.
Murphy (b.1970) grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah. Misty discusses the development of the climbing community during the past fifteen years with specific commentary on the growing involvement of female climbers. She has put up a number of first ascents in the Saint George area, an area she heralds for its year-round climbing and the variety of rock available to climbers.
Reuling (b. 1929) describes her first river trip with Norm Neville and comments on various river runners. Other topics include Rainbow Bridge, the Green River, the San Juan River, Rosalind Johnson, Frank Wright, and Bob Rigg.
Rytting (b. 1930) talked about her experiences as a member of the United States Olympic Ski Teams in 1948 and 1952, difficulties of women as competitive athletes in the 1950s, her involvement with Utah skiing, and her views on Utah as a site for the Olympic games.
Seeholzer (b. 1905) recalls her early ski episodes with her husband and the beginnings of Beaver Mountain with the early ski tows and later chair lifts. She also discusses running a family business and hiring instructors and ski patrol.
The Stewarts and their daughter JoAnn recall their establishment and operation of Timphaven Ski Resort and the later establishment of Sundance Ski Resort by Robert Redford.
Taverna moved to Washington DC to work and became involved with the climbing community. Jessica chose to come to graduate school in Salt Lake City because of climbing. She talks about her climbing experiences in Utah and the climbing community. She describes the climbing industry’s impact on the sport and on the environment.
Van started ski jumping at 7, and was jumping internationally by 1995 with Karla Keck. She describes the changing culture over the years, mentions the sexism, and discusses the documentary Ready to Fly which she did with Bill Kerig. Van talks about equipment, the lawsuit to allow women’s ski jumping in the Olympics, pivotal events in the evolution of women’s ski jumping, and mentions some key players in advancing women’s ski jumping.
Webber (b. 1981) grew up in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. She discusses her experience with bouldering and climbing and discusses her expertise as a guide. She discusses her views of the impacts of outdoor recreation on environmental preservation.
Yeagle (b. 1962) was born in Utah and started climbing with friends while attending graduate school at the University of Utah. She thinks there is a climbing culture and that it can be very hard to be accepted, especially as a woman. She has put up a lot of routes, especially in the Swell and a remote backpacking location in Wyoming. She wishes the climbing community had a mentoring program to encourage minority kids to start.
Yvette (b. 1971) was born in Norway, Maine, and went to college at BYU after being raised Mormon. She started climbing at the Rock Garden Climbing Gym in Provo, Utah, in 1994. She does mostly sport climbing and thinks Utah is special because you can pretty much climb year-round with a vast variety of rock. Her favorite climbs are mostly in St. George.
