The Sun Valley Ski Pin was awarded for a specific level of sportsmanship. To get this pin, you must complete a run on Baldy from top to bottom without falling. Skiing on Baldy in the 1940s was as challenging as it is today and the mountain itself was a great teacher. You might have run into Olympians, Gretchen Fraser and Jeanette Burr Johnston skiing. There were some differences. There were fewer runs, and if you skied the Warm Springs side, you caught a bus back to the River Run lift. The River Run lift started on the East side of the Big Wood River, where the parking lot is now.
Beginner skiers who took lessons at the Sun Valley Ski School started on Dollar and Proctor mountains, just like today. In 1936, Dollar and Proctor had the very first chair lifts in the world. And, like today, upon improvement, the skier graduated to skiing on Baldy.
In 1948, when Denny Henkel won this pin, she made it from the top of Baldy to the bottom on the River Run side. Henkel had ski instructor, Andy Hennig, skiing with her and then awarding her with the prized pin.
Wood River Museum of History and Culture, 2007.13.01
