The 1970s saw a counter-culture revolution not just in American society, but also in the world of skiing. Gone were the conventions of the day, defined by international standards committees or the instructor certification level you could boast – at least for the long-haired, pot-smoking, alternative lifestyle crowd, that is. As journalist and author John Fry put it, “they aimed to reinvent skiing.”[1]
The new style was a precursor to modern freestyle skiing and consisted of aerial tricks and acrobatics, ballet skiing, and flying down heavily moguled courses at the fastest speeds possible. Competitors were judged on such things as imaginative use of the course and excitement. It was called “hot dog” skiing, not after the sometimes sinfully delicious Fourth of July BBQ picnic dinner, but a 1970s slang phrase for showing off.
Freestyle skiing was a uniquely American venture at first; competitions had been held throughout the country since the 1960s, though the sport later took off in the so-called “ski-happy” countries like Austria and Switzerland. Hot dogging had been on the slopes in Park City for years. The more adventurous skiers of Park City used to take old barrel slats and ski wax and fly down the mountain, “fooling around” and drawing attention from the less courageous. Sometimes, as Mel Fletcher once put it, it was “more like ice skating.”[2]
Credit: Park City Historical Society and Museum, Patrick Cone Digital Collection
Park City was treated to a world class hot dog event in March 1974 with the arrival of the Beconta Cup World Super Hot Dog Championships. As the Park Record reported, “250 of the best freestyle skiers in the world will be coming to Park City Resort to compete for $35,000.00 in prize money.” With the winnings pool that large, the event would be “the richest hot dog ski event ever.” The event stood apart from previous years not just in terms of cash prizes but also live audience and television audience. It was filmed by ABC to be aired later that same month. Most importantly, though, the event was to be, as the Park Record proclaimed, the most exciting hot dog competition in history.[3]
The event was indeed exciting; Bob Salerno of Ogden, Utah took home the Beconta Cup and over $8,000 by placing well in all three events, ballet, aerials, and freestyle, and winning the combined. Skiers from Colorado, California, and Alaska took home top honors in individual events.[4]
Park City is no stranger to skiing competitions, but for three days in March 1974, Parkites were party to a revolutionary movement within the skiing world. Daring to shake off restrictions, embracing challenges and excitement, and incorporating a larger counter-culture revolution, those early hot doggers paved the way for the modern freestyle skiing we see today at competitions worldwide.
[1] John Fry, The Story of Modern Skiing, Hanover: University Press of New England (2006), 219.
[2] “Early Hot Doggers,” Way We Were, Park Record, Jan 11, 1990.
[3] “Beconta Big Event,” Park Record, Mar 7, 1974
[4] “Ogden Skier Winner of 1974 Beconta Cup,” Park Record, Mar 14, 1974.