Steeped In Tradition Episode 12 – Ski School.
In celebration of Learn To Ski Month, Alta Ski Area and Sweetgrass Productions teamed up to tell the story—the origins and the ethos—of the Alf Engen Ski School.
"Skiing is for everyone. At any point in anyone's life, they should have the opportunity to go skiing."
- Alf Engen
For nine decades, skiers have benefitted from the instruction and expertise of Alta's Ski School. Tradition, alongside decades of innovation, makes Alta Ski Area a premier destination for skiers seeking progression. From never-evers to off-piste experts, the variety of classes and quality of instruction will forever change the way you ski.
As one of the only ski schools in the nation that requires PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America) Certification for every instructor, the lessons imparted by our staff teach skiers to challenge and overcome their fears on the slopes—and in their lives beyond the mountains. Is skiing hard? Yes, but Alf Engen Ski School Director, Scott Mathers, says that "learning to ski can be enjoyably challenging," Throughout this journey, the role of Ski School can guide skiers to newfound growth and self-discovery.
View our Steeped In Tradition Video Series
The Origins of Alta's Ski School
Alta’s first single-person chairlift sputtered to life on January 15th, 1939. It comprised a jumble of surplus equipment and parts salvaged from the abandoned silver mines scattered around Little Cottonwood Canyon. For just 25 cents per ride, skiers could experience the “grand and glorious thrill of dashing over the snow." However, “dashing over the snow” requires precision, control and finesse to safely master. Enthusiasm for snow sports was running high in the early 1940s amid the ski area’s inception. It wasn’t long before Alta’s first affiliated ski school was created to meet the needs of novice skiers looking to refine their skills.
Alf Engen with a class of Forest Service personnel | Photo: Alan Engen Ski History Collection—circa early 1939
Champion skier and Olympian, Dick Durrance took the reins of the new ski school in 1941 with the attitude that “basically everybody could ski.” To this day, our ski school operates with the same philosophy, guiding skiers to new heights thanks to decades of tradition and innovation. Durrance was struck by the quality of snow and the long seasons at Alta. Amid nationalistic attitudes of impending war, he and others determined that the established European techniques developed by French, Swiss, Austrian and Norwegian skiers didn’t quite suit the snow conditions found in America. An American teaching methodology was needed.
Dick Durrance instructs the 503rd Battalion at Alta | Photo: Alan Engen Ski History Collection
Durrance helped to build the Alta Lodge and spent his short tenure training the 150 paratroopers of the 503rd Parachute Battalion. For Durrance, this feat crystallized the need for an effective and efficient teaching curriculum. He and his fellow instructors developed a simpler technique for deep powder skiing that would eventually be dubbed the “dipsy-doodle.”
At the conclusion of WWII, the most skillful skiers were still the Europeans and they had their own approach in teaching the sport of skiing. When legendary Norwegian skier Alf Engen took over the ski school in 1948, he would forever change the face of skiing in North America and beyond.
Alf’s experience as a champion ski jumper and racer allowed him to hone progressive and successful techniques during the forty-plus years he served as the Ski School Director. Engen hosted the inaugural meetings of the PSIA organization at Alta to formalize and document the development of the American Teaching Method. In 1962, the PSIA published its first instructor’s manual with the help of Engen and his peers.
Left: Alf Engen, DW Nichol and Sverre Engen in the early 1970s | Photo: Alan Engen Ski History Collection
Necessity is oft-cited as the mother of invention. With unsurpassed amounts of dry powder snow blanketing Alta each winter, Alf Engen worked tirelessly to distill a smooth and elegant turning style for navigating Alta’s deep bounty. His graceful skiing prowess and ingenuity earned Alf the nickname, “The Father of the Powder Skiing Technique.”
To this day, there is no more reliable place to learn the art of powder skiing than at Alta, which averages 548 inches of snowfall each winter.
Over the decades, Engen became a beloved and renowned ambassador for snow sports. He was a force of nature and an athletic phenomenon whose large frame barrelled through the powder snow as if floating on air. Engen introduced thousands of skiers to the sport through the Alf Engen Ski School and his participation in teaching Utah’s children at the free Deseret News Ski Schools. Engen’s son Alan would go on to take over the Ski School Director position from 1992–1999.
Alf Engen with some of his favorite people—young skiers | Photo: Alan Engen Ski History Collection–circa late 1980s
Alf Engen Ski School Today
While the equipment and technology around skiing has evolved a great deal since 1939, the old principles and traditions of the Alf Engen Ski School continue to guide the ski school today. Current Ski School Director, Scott Mathers, professes “We really do have the methodology to teach anybody to ski, at almost any physical fitness level, at any level of coordination—or lack of it. Some people can take a little longer, some might take a little less time. But we can teach them.”
Scott Mathers—current Alf Engen Ski School Director | Photo: Rocko Menzyk
Just like Durrance and Engen, Mathers guides his instructors to impart their love of skiing to each and every student they connect with. The unique community of like-minded ski instructors at Alta and their elevated skiing prowess unites them in their task of sharing great skiing with others in one of the world’s best powder skiing locales.
Katie Hitchcock practicing the Powder Skiing Technique | Photo: Chloe Jimenez
To take a lesson with the Alf Engen Ski School is to step into the respected traditions of a venerable mountain. You become a part of the decades of legends, the stories and the joy that skiing can foster.
Mathers puts it all in perspective with the purpose and mission of his 130+ instructors:
"We have a theme at the Alf Engen Ski School—Fun, Control and Freedom. That’s the experience each student should have in any lesson they take here at Alta. Students will discover and learn new aspects of control over their skis, with an emphasis on fun. The result is a newfound freedom that allows them to ski new terrain or practice foundational techniques that continue to promote their progression.”
The ultimate goal of the Alf Engen Ski School is to build confidence. Confidence imparts courage. The courage to access new terrain, brave more challenging conditions and enjoy new sensations. Veteran Ski School Instructor Mike Noble summarizes it best:
“I can promise you this, this could be an interesting afternoon or it might change your whole perspective about life."
- Mike Noble, Alf Engen Ski School Instructor
Ski School Directors at Alta Ski Area:
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1938–39: Karl Fahrner
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1940–41: Bert Jensen
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1941–42: Dick Durrance*
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1942–43: Friedl Pfeifer*
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1943–44: Martin Fopp
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1944–45: Karl Fahrner
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1945–48: Sverre Engen*
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1948–89: Alf Engen*
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1989–92: Paul “P.J.” Jones
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1992–99: Alan Engen*
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1999–2020: David “Hoopa” Robinson
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2020–present: Scott Mathers
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