The Hailey Ski Team still has a future on Bald Mountain.
In a meeting Thursday, March 15, Wally Huffman, general manager of Sun Valley Co., met with representatives of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation and the Hailey Ski Team to discuss the future of the Hailey Ski Team and training opportunities on Bald Mountain.
Huffman said that while he would have preferred Hailey Ski Team to fold into the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation because of terrain limitations on the mountain, he was nonetheless moved by a recent outpouring of public support for the Hailey team. After it was reported in the Mountain Express that the Hailey team might not have its lease to train on Baldy renewed, a series of newspaper ads and letters praised the team's role in teaching youths how to race.
"Who wouldn't be moved?" Huffman said. "I tried hard to make it happen (consolidation), but failing that, we still have to do the best we can to accommodate them. I think it will eventually come to loggerheads, but we are not there yet.
"I left the details up to Hans Muehlegger (Sun Valley Ski School director) and Mike Federko (mountain manager). I told them we would figure out a way to have (Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation and Hailey Ski Team) share the mountain for the foreseeable future."
According to a news release issued by the parties involved, it was mutually agreed upon at the meeting that both the Sun Valley Ski Education and the Hailey Ski team would have their license agreements renewed to use Bald Mountain and Dollar Mountain for training purposes for next year and future years without substantive changes. This will be subject to finalization of the agreements.
"All members in attendance agreed to work together in a good-faith, positive effort to support ski racing, the children of this community and minimize logistical problems on the mountain," said Hailey Ski Team board member Nina Fox, who was present at the meeting.
"I am relieved the issue is resolved," said Hailey Ski Team board president John Sweek. "I appreciate Wally's time and we will do our best to work with Sun Valley Ski Education and the mountain. We know it is a privilege to use the terrain and we will be respectful of that."
