Memories of past fun

Thirty-fifth Winter Carnival? Probably the 35th sponsored by the chamber of commerce but what about previous winter carnivals?

I happen to have in front of me the printed program for the fifth annual Sandpoint Winter Carnival, Jan. 19-28, 1968. The event was held during National Ski Week and was sponsored by the Schweitzer Ski Bums. If this was the fifth, then the first, also sponsored by the Schweitzer Ski Bums, would have been in 1963.

Over the years, the Ski Bums sponsored the Winter Carnival; some names and events stand out in my mind. Some of the names I remember were Ross Hall, Jack Parker, Jim Parsons Sr., Bud Ayers, Dick Anderson, Sterling Williver and myself. There were others but at this age, the names escape me and I apologize.

Some of the events included naming the king and queen in lights on the ski hill. There were Pacific Northwest Ski Association ski races, free use of the rope tow for beginning youngsters, chili feed at the Elks Club sponsored by the Sandpoint Lions Club, snow sculptures, collegiate ski races, a Winter Carnival parade (I remember being in one of the parades as a headless skier … there was snow on the streets and we were able to wear our skis in the parade, wood skis in those days), baseball games on skis, obstacle course races on skis, three-legged ski races (try that sometime), dance at the Elks Club and snowmombile races sanctioned by the Western Snowmobile Association at the Sandpoint Rodeo Grounds.

One interesting fact is that of the 175 advertisers in the program, 54 of which no longer exists … times do change. Hope this brings back a few memories to those of us who were here 40-some years ago.

JIM PARSONS JR.

Winter Carnival general chairman 1968

Sandpoint