[PRpond: Img - Squaw Valley 1960 - Alpine Skiing Venues]
On Thursday, February 22, 2018, David C. Antonucci, author of Snowball's Chance: The Story of the 1960 Olympic Winter Games Squaw Valley & Lake Tahoe, will discuss the 1960 Winter Olympics, with a special focus on the games that took place in El Dorado County.
Alpine skiing at the 1960 Winter Olympics consisted of six events, held in the United States at Squaw Valley, California, from February 20–26, 1960. Competitions took place at Squaw Peak (Men's downhill), KT-22 (Women's downhill, Men's slalom and giant slalom) and (Little) Papoose Peak (sub-peak of KT-22) (Women's slalom and giant slalom).
Attendance and parking are free.
February 22, 2018, 06:00PM
Fausel House Gallery
772 Pacific Street, Placerville
The 1960 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event held between February 18–28, 1960 in Squaw Valley, California, United States. Squaw Valley was chosen to host the Games at the 1956 meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It was an undeveloped resort in 1955, so from 1956 to 1960 the infrastructure and all of the venues were built at a cost of US $80,000,000. It was designed to be intimate, allowing spectators and competitors to walk to nearly all the venues. Squaw Valley hosted athletes from thirty nations who competed in four sports and twenty-seven events. Women's speed skating and biathlon made their Olympic debuts. The organizers decided the bobsled events did not warrant the cost to build a venue, so for the first and only time bobsled was not on the Winter Olympic program.
Snowball’s Chance: The Story of the 1960 Olympic Winter Games is the only book devoted solely to chronicling the historic events at Squaw Valley and Lake Tahoe. From 30 countries around the world, 665 athletes gathered over 11 days to engage in five recognized Olympic winter sports contested in 27 events. These sports and events included alpine skiing, Nordic combined, cross-country skiing, biathlon, figure skating, speed skating, ice hockey and ski jumping. You-are-there accounts of all competition events with top scores and medal results for each sport are included. Readers will learn about the extensive pageantry and artistic expression of the opening and closing ceremonies produced by the legendary Walt Disney. The 200-page book includes 80-plus photographs by official photographer Bill Briner and others showing historic Olympic venues and athletes in the heat of competition.
About the Author
This book features rare images taken by official Olympic photographer Bill Briner that are complemented with images from public and private collections, some never before published. Using extensive research and oral histories from Olympic athletes and officials, award-winning author David C. Antonucci brings the VIII Olympic Winter Games to life.
