Heather Hansman was fresh out of college and raft guiding in Maine when the call to the mountains out west came to her. Her boss at the time said he could get her a job in Colorado scanning lift tickets, and she would get paid to ski every day. She moved halfway across the country to a town she’d never been to for an adventure she could call her own.
She had grown up skiing in the east, but in Colorado she learned the ins and outs of ski bumming, or “skid luxury,” which is the art of getting perks that only locals know about. She vowed to last longer than the stereotypical new-girls who move to ski towns every year to fill this crucial role in mountain town economies. After working multiple jobs to make ends meet and pushing her body to the limit, Hansman eventually left the ski bum life to become a journalist.
In “Powder Days” Hansman travels the country asking the question of whether it’s still possible to be a ski bum with all of the monumental changes happening in the ski industry. We’re guided through the history of skiing in America starting with the soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division who came back to the U.S. after World War II and started building ski lifts and cutting trails. She interviews pioneers of the sport and those who started pushing limits and rejecting social norms like the Jackson Hole Air Force. They built a legacy of crossing boundaries and extreme skiing that is legendary to this day. We learn about Warren Miller’s roots and how he didn’t like being called a ski “bum.” While living in a parking lot, he was writing books, selling photos, starting his film career, and teaching skiing. Hansman delves into what makes the typical ski bum tick and the highs and lows that come with the lifestyle.
“Powder Days” examines the socioeconomic issues that ski towns are dealing with, and Hansman doesn’t shy away from difficult subjects. She looks at financial and racial barriers plaguing the sport and the efforts of some to try to provide more equal access. She looks at the struggles of locals to survive in towns as housing prices skyrocket and resorts consolidate. Hansman asks if we are losing the soul and the localism that exist in ski towns as these changes take place. Hansman also looks at how climate change is affecting the industry and forecasts what skiing may look like if things continue to trend the way they are now.
Even if you are not a skier or snowboarder, “Powder Days” should appeal to anyone living or working in this community. The issues discussed in the book definitely resonate.
The purpose of One Book One Community is to get the community reading and discussing the same book and having meaningful discussions about it. Look for upcoming events supporting One Book One Community in August, ending with a visit from author Heather Hansman on Tuesday, August 29 at 7 p.m. in the Jim Santy Auditorium at the Park City Library.
“Powder Days” can be found in our local libraries. For KPCW this is Dan Compton with the Summit County Library.