Tsaina Lodge & The Press
Making Headlines in 1991| 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1997 | 2001
From this point we will let the professional writers started in 1991. We hope all enjoy these memories. We hope to add to these stories and hope these are great resources. We now turn the history over to the writing professionals who experienced and witnessed the birth of an industry in Valdez. In 1991 Michael also based the World Extreme Snowboarding Championships(WESBC) out of Tsaina.
This is a picture with the original helicopter Alaska West Air tried to fly at Tsaina. Chef Simmons, their pilot, would crash this helicopter with three people in it overloaded. Alaska West Air would then give Chet another helicopter which he then crash several years later on Mt. Spur. (link to Anchorage times story). Tsaina lodge fired Alaska West Air after one year of operating at the Tsaina.
1991
Skiing Magazine: A New Heli Frontier | This story was written by Eric Perlman who was also a Judge at the 1st World Extreme Skiing Championship. Eric return to the Tsaina to film and write about Scott Schmidt after WESC. Scott was also a Judge at the 1st WESC. Great reading.
Anchorage Daily News: Snowboarder's Fire Dance Wows Extreme Skiers
1992
Powder Magazine: Big Game Hunting | The first is a great story written bt Wade McCoy titled “Big Game Hunting. Wade wrote about the Valdez Helicopter Snowboard and Ski Club which was the first organized ski operation in the Chugach. It was formed by Michael Cozad and Bill Bixby. Wade identifies the Tsaina spirit. Powder only identified Tsaina as Alaska’s only heli-ski operation in 1992.
Skiing Magazine : Scot Tells All | This is a great article covering ski films of the year. Tsaina overall was selected as the top resort that professional skiers wanted to visit early in that decade.
Skiing Magazine : Too Much of A Good Thing | Just nice mentions about the Tsaina and the Chugach in the ski movie world in 1992. Tsaina was in 22 movies between 1991 and 1993
Alaska Magazine : Head For The... | This is an early article on the Tsaina placing it at the top of Alaska Skiing.
Skiing Magazine: Ecstasy 101 for Mere Mortals Cover Shot
Alaska Airlines Magazine : Winning Runs | This is a great article interviewing the top skiers of the time about their favorite place to ski. Tsaina added up to the top resort picked by the top skiers in the world in 1992.
Powder Magazine Advertisements | Many companies quickly wanted to associate themselves with Tsaina and Alaska. Here are some of the ads.
1993
SnoBoard Magazine : Editor's Note | Just great words about the Tsaina.
Transworld Snowboarding : Northern Lights | This is an excellent story that really nailed the Tsaina and Alaska skiing and snowboarding. Danno Donally, who ski with Scott Schmidt at the Tsaina in Greg Stumps movie Groove Requiem is on the cover.
Warren Miller Ski World 1993-1994 : This story was written by John Erben and photos by Ken Weatherly for Warren Miller’s print magazine at the time that accompied its movie. Tsaina was profiled as “Alaska’s only heli-ski resort in 1993-94”. There is a great picture of the exterior of lodge during ski season. Jon was from Juneau and knew Alaska as well as any professional writer. From 1991 to 2000 Jon wrote many stories on the Tsaina Experience. This is one of the early ones(need two pictures scanned.
1994
Transworld Snowboarding : Photo Album | This just has great pictures of boarding at the Tsaina. One of the best pictures ever was taken by Eric Burger of Victoria Lealouse of Canada.
Snowboarder Magazine : Photo Annual 1994 | The issue recognizes Tsaina and covers the Liskas who were frequent visitors to the lodge.
Snow Country Magazine : Places to go Now!
1997
Alaska Airlines : To Extremes | This terrific article 7 year after the first WESC was written by John Erben who was at almost every event since its conception.
Powder Magazine: Tsaina Lodge Story | This is the premier issue of Powder in Japan. This story was written by Keiichi Ozaki. If anyone knows where he is please send him this was. Keiichi was at the Tsaina from the time the lodge began.
2001
Powder Magazine: The Next Big Step in the Last Frontier | This is a pretty good article but didn’t even know how to spell the founder of WESC name. So the accuracy of the article may not be off but just not perfect. Good reading to see Valdez 10 years later. Jim Conway is profiled and Jim has been in Valdez as long as anyone besides the locals who were there first.