|
|
|
|
|
| |
|||
Badger Pass is without its Saint Nic
Failing health keeps ski instructor Nic Fiore, 84, away from the resort.
by
Marek Warszawski
Fresno Bee - December 17, 2004
Legendary ski instructor Nic Fiore, a fixture at Yosemite's Badger Pass since 1948, will not bring his trademark enthusiasm and personality to the slopes this year because of failing health. The 84-year-old Fiore underwent heart surgery in February and is living in a Fresno retirement community, said Cindy Volpa, Fiore's daughter.
Badger Pass operations manager Colin Baldock said Fiore's absence was felt most deeply when the ski instructors met Tuesday for their annual orientation.
"We definitely paid tribute to him because the guy is Badger Pass," Baldock said. "Most people that return here year after year are looking for Nic Fiore. Even though he's not here anymore, he will always be here in spirit."
Yosemite director of guest relations Stewart Collins called Fiore's absence an "end of an era."
"We miss his presence and all his great stories," Collins said. "He brought a lot of life to a place that hasn't changed a lot in recent years.
"This is a big adjustment for us. It isn't a new lodge or a new chair; it's the loss of a personality, and we're all going to feel that loss in our own way."
Fiore arrived in Yosemite from his native Montreal on Dec.8, 1948, intending to spend a few months in California learning the ski instructor's craft from Austrian maestro Luggi Foeger.
Instead, Fiore was captivated by Yosemite's towering cliffs, spectacular waterfalls and breathtaking backcountry, staying 56years and carving out a career as one of America's most influential ski instructors.
Fiore is credited with helping establish national standards for the industry while modernizing ski-instruction techniques. Many of his students went on to establish ski schools at resorts throughout California and the Western states.
"Nic is one of the pioneering ski teachers in this country," said John Armstrong, president of the Professional Ski Instructors of America. "He was one of the first people to call for nationwide certification and was always pushing us to maintain our standards, to make sure people worked very hard to get that gold [PSIA] pin on their sweaters."
In 2001, Fiore stepped down as Badger Pass ski school director and into a new role as ski ambassador, where his job description included mingling with guests and interpreting Yosemite's rich history.
Chuck Carter, who worked alongside Fiore for 35 years at Badger Pass, since has assumed the role as ski school director.
"It's a changing of the guard," Baldock said. "Nic Fiore is a legend at Badger Pass and Yosemite and will never be forgotten."
Small, friendly and unpretentious, Badger Pass is considered one of California's top ski and snowboard resorts for families.
Thanks to last week's storm, which brought 2 feet of snow, Badger Pass opens today with better-than-average coverage for mid-December. Base depths range from 2 to 5 feet, Baldock said.
| IF YOU GO... BADGER PASS SKI AREA |
| Where: Yosemite National Park |
| Hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. daily through mid-March; lift-ticket sales, equipment rentals and ski school opens 30 minutes earlier |
| Rates: All-day lift tickets are $35 for adults and $18 for children 12 and younger; seniors ski free midweek and nonholidays |
| Deals: "Guaranteed Learn to Ski Package" is $59 for adults, $49 for children and includes lift ticket, equipment rental and instruction; snowboard packages also available |
| More information: badgerpass.com or (209) 372-8430 |
| Road conditions: (209) 372-0200 |
The ski area
will be fully operational, including the adjacent Glacier Point cross-country
track system that leads to such sought-after destinations as Dewey Point and
Ostrander Hut. Glacier Point Road will be groomed today to the Bridalveil
Creek Campground.
|
|
|
|