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The Past, Present, and Future Legends of Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows

The Past, Present, and Future Legends of Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, CA

Spencer Cox

Photo credit: Squaw Alpine

Brought to you by Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows

Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, CA has produced more legendary skiers and riders than practically anywhere else. It’s no wonder why: These California resorts have some of the steepest, most challenging inbounds terrain in the West. Take the cliff-strewn Fingers off KT-22, the vertical chutes off Palisades, and the well-sculpted race courses, and it’s clear how so many talented skiers and snowboarders cut their teeth on these hallowed grounds. On the race and freestyle side, the Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows teams have sent over seventy athletes to the U.S. Ski Team, and of those, around thirty have competed in a Winter Olympic Games. On the big-mountain side, Squaw Alpine skiers and riders have topped podiums and starred in many a ski movie. Let’s take a look at just a handful of these past, present, and future stars.

RIP Shane. Photo: Hank DeVré

#1. Shane McConkey

You can’t talk about the mountain’s most memorable legends without mentioning the late Shane McConkey. He brought a sense of excitement and goofiness back to skiing that had long been absent in ski culture and one that still exists today in his honor. On top of stealing the show in ’90s ski movies, McConkey put down first descents on the Palisades and now has a part of the mountain named after him.

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Posted from SnowBrains