As a long-time skier with a family dedicated to Tahoe, I’m excited to bring these two remarkable resorts together and we agree that a key element of success is maintaining each resort’s character,” said Todd Chapman, president and CEO of JMA Ventures (JMA), owner of Alpine Meadows
Yeah, we pretty much knew that was not going to happen. With each passing month, some little element of Alpine Meadows is lost. As the Coffee Parable we posted last month predicted, we’re going to be looking more and more like Squaw Valley every time we turn around.
The next loss is pretty big. Plans have been announced for the new ski team uniforms for 2014-15, and in short, teams from Alpine Meadows and Squaw Valley will be wearing the same uniform. It certainly has some team members and their parents riled up. We can guess the coaches may not be so happy either.
Here’s the statement from the email sent to team parents:
All teams will share colors of black and blue with orange accents and a new unified logo. Four variations of style have been selected according to the different groups within the teams. The variations in style will help create a unified front to our guests and competitors while keeping a separate identity of each team. The uniforms will feature a new, combined Squaw Valley | Alpine Meadows logo which will go into effect the 2014-15 winter season. This logo is an evolution of the current logos as we continue on our path to communicate one resort – two great mountains / two great ski teams.
The uniforms look decidedly Squaw Valley. Here’s one sample from the collection:
And that new combined logo mentioned in the email. Here’s the closer look:
Note the traditional circular Alpine Meadows logo is completely gone. That is a pretty bold move, and one we wanted to bring to your attention. There’s already been a pretty big stink over the dual logo appearing on most employee uniforms this year. I can only imagine the thoughts of the Squaw Valley Ski Patrol when forced to stop using their legendary Maltese cross logo, and replace it with the standardized dual logo. It all makes me wish that I could remember who made the new Keeping Skiing Lame logo!
It bears mentioning that one of the most frequent complaints we have seen in emails, comments and surveys at UA this season is the impact of Squaw teams on the mountain at Alpine Meadows. We don’t necessarily want to start that battle again, as it sure generated a lot of hate mail from Squaw teams. I guess we have to applaud the KSL minions that discovered that the simplest solution would be to make the teams all look the same.
It’s also been brought to my attention that there’s a number of Alpine Meadows team parents that have expressed their displeasure with the downhill slide of the programs since the mountain merger. Here’s one comment we got yesterday:
We have U12 (all kids under 11) Far West Championships this weekend at Sugar Bowl and it was almost embarrassing the lack of coaches Alpine had. On the U12 Slalom course today we had ONE coach- ONE. Most teams had one coach at the start, one coach mid course radioing back course conditions to the top and at least one coach prepping skiers and skis. We had ONE — it was awful. We were told Squaw coaches were “covering” our skiers but we did not see a single coach inspect our kids skis or report course conditions….or even know our kids names! Our fastest skier DQd on a disputable DQ but there was not an Alpine coach to be found to file a protest. It was awful. Last we checked we all paid the same fees but are CLEARLY not getting the same services. Parents are pissed but no one care or listens to us. The guy who runs our racing program has kids who ski on Squaw’s teams. Funny that. It’s all so sad and desperate for us.
The good thing about the team uniform program is that it is optional. NO kid is required to purchase a team uniform. We hope that Alpine Meadows team members and parents speak loudly by not purchasing the new uniform. If I had a million dollars, it sure would be cool to come up with the Unofficial Alpine team uniform option! There’s plenty of great choices out there in kids ski wear, and often priced much better than the uniforms, even with the “discount”. We encourage parents to skip the new uniforms and support one of the non-KSL owned local shops for next year’s outfits.
Here’s a copy of the Ski Team Jacket Information e-mail for those that believe we make this stuff up. 🙂
Vote with your dollars team parents!! If you need a uniform option, check out Flylow…
#FreeAlpine.
Morning Mark,
It seems that the folks at KSL should wake up and grasp the some facts. One is that Squaw Valley never has been and, never will be a “destination”resort. They should can their marketing folks for coming up with that myth. The second is that one of the good things of the old days was the individuality of and different characters of the ski hills in the Tahoe area. Each had their own identities and fans. There was good, fun and, friendly competition between them. It was the best of times. However, these carpetbaggers from KSL have failed to recognize what made the Tahoe skiing experience so good.
Frankly, if I was a marriage counselor, it’s time to call it a day. KSL can own them but, let them be themselves.
Interesting. My kids are on the SV ski team and we have not received this communication. I saw the email said from nosoul – so seems like a hoax?
No sorry in an effort to protect the people that had forwarded the email, and the squaw employee that sent it out…. The addressees were changed. Real email I am afraid.
Read the original at https://sites.google.com/site/squawskiteams/home/uniforms-14-15
That logo sucks!
Squaw ski team parent here. We did see the notice, it’s real. Our reaction was that KSL failed miserably with these uniforms. Needless to say we won’t be buying one. Additionally, two teams sharing one identity seems completely stupid. Feels like we are all being prepped for one team which would be a shame.
Management told the Alpine coaches this morning right before the start of the last day of teams. I don’t think there could be any bigger disappointment or downer for us coaches- you could almost feel the outrage building. We were also told to not ‘pass on any negativity about the new uniforms’ to parents and kids. Apparently it ‘isn’t a big deal.’ So what is.? I hope most of my kids don’t get the new uniforms, as we are not Squaw. We’re Alpine Teams in green!
So dumb, no one wants to be squaw valley, especially not alpine kids and coaches. Let’s not let them ruin what we have, parents, make your kids wear their green coats. You bought them, they belong to your kids, encourage them to wear the green coat.
Ugh!
We’re an Alpine Meadows Team family and appreciate and like the culture and separate identity of Alpine Meadows Team. It really doesn’t make sense for two different teams to have the same look even if the mountains are owned by the same company.
From a safety stand point, I want my kids to be identifiable on the mountain (love the green jackets!) not to blend in with the many skiers on the mountain wearing blue/black.
My kids will be wearing green jackets. And, Sad Alpine Coach created the next bumper sticker I want – Alpine Teams Wear Green!
Silly me – I should have double-checked.
That great bumper sticker should be – Alpine Teams In Green!
411 – the psychographic profiles of each mountain are diametrically opposed. There is neither one heart nor one mind, ksl. Thanks for reducing the alpine brand identity to a greyed out mouse sized font and eliminating our logo
Per Sf alpine still drops more dynamite
Not sure what sickens more this blue meanie jacket or the replacement of warming hut two with Le canyon lodge. Free alpine, free alpine, free alpine
We pack our lunches and don’t care about wearing bogner. We like the lift operator with the dreads and body piercing and miss our beloved Kate. Replacing the wood shack with that flat star plastic crepe stand was lame
What next beaver creek purgatory
Boooooooooo
Re: covering our kids
I rode up summit with a squaw kid last year. He was 5 and I asked him who was skiing with. His coach. — who shall remain nameless — but has seasoned tenure had lost the little guy.
I was in the lodge at alpine — not crowded — and a blue jacket wearing coach ran into me knocking my tray onto the floor without any hint of remorse nor respect of personal space
Let’s just say I’d rather pound sand than have a squaw coach watch or foster Olympic spirit
I’d be ok with heavenly, sugar bowl, etal and I’ve met numerous other parents from neighboring resorts that concur.
Who wants to ski on the death star when we’re on endor
I want to compliment our Alpine coaches who were at the U12 Championships this weekend, including the ones who heroically filled in (John, Anne, Donna). They are great coaches who love our kids and did the best they could with the limited resources available. Their hands were tied from the beginning of the season. Alpine U12 Teams were grossly understaffed from the get go. This is especially true considering it is the youngest kids in the Far West programs need the most feedback and coaching. Two coaches to cover the U10 AND U12 programs is not enough and it was painfully obvious on race days when there was only one Alpine coach per race. I’m hoping management realizes this, but it might be too late as we heard many rumblings of defections to Sugar Bowl for next year. These are GREAT families & we would hate to see them go.
If Squaw / Alpine actually paid coaches a livable wage for the Tahoe area, they might have more qualified people willing to work.
Hey Mark,
I agree, the proposed team jackets are lame. It’s safe to say I will not be purchasing them for my U-10 son or U-14 daughter. Some other parents and I have been talking about getting custom speed suits for the alpine kids. If Bear Valley’s team can make it happen, I think Alpine can too. It’d be a great opportunity to keep the original logo alive and well…maybe a great opportunity for an unofficial/free alpine logo too.
I’m surprised to read the sharp criticism of Alpine coaches at the Sugar Bowl Championships. My U-10 son had the full attention of two coaches all day long for the entire series. It all boils down to numbers. If we had 80 kids competing like Squaw, we’d have more coaches at the races. In my opinion, the races were well staffed by Alpine. That said, Erhard, John, Donna and Ann deserve high praise for an excellent season, and excellent results! Alpine race team kids get way more personal attention than kids at Squaw, Mammoth and Sugar Bowl…it’s a fact.
Smaller teams similar to Alpine ie, Diamond Peak, Kirkwood, Northstar, Dodge Ridge, Snow Summit and Heavenly etc… only had two coaches per team at the event…just sayin’
Alpine’s Race program is alive and well, even if it’s in the shadow of Squaw. That said, it’s a much better value than Squaw as your child actually gets personalized coaching.
We’ll keep you posted re speed suit logos!
I saw those comments more at being the number of coaches at the event versus the quality of coaches at the event. Alpine has so many good coaches, but making sure they are getting paid and travel funded for the events is critical. We have been big supporters of the SVAMF as they have made a lot of dreams come true for both the big mountain and race programs.
Better yet – let’s have a local clothing company (or close to local…) make us custom uniforms with the Alpine logo on it.
Kids and parents could vote on design and colors. Love it. Can’t be more expensive than what Squalpine charges us.
Great ideas…….keep them coming! What an opportunity…….to make a change!
Great idea! We’re in.
Is it really over a jacket? This is thd libe in the sand? The only kids I saw in team jackets are Sugar Bowl and Alpine. It was nice. Unified, but not at all telling of the racer and spirit housed under the down feathers. Alpine and Squaw have great terrain. I use great in both senses of the word. Great – awesome at alpine with natural terrain that still makes me pull my bindings one click tighter “just in case”. Great – vast at Squaw. Something for everyone and a lot for me. Even on a horrible snow day, winter, year, I can still find a good line at Squaw. I am thankful for my child’s opportunity to train at both hills. In the end, all parents, even us extremely competitive type A, just want quality training from World class coaches ( former World Cup and US team members I might add) , good people, people who “get” their kids, and people who are happy at what they are doing. That’s shat I have found at both mountains – regardless of the coat they wear. I think paying more attention to our kids training, asking questions of your child’s coach, being slightly involved VS. simply dropping them off at team will do wonders for your perspective. Just my thoughts. Oh and most importantly – POW. See you on the hill!
One more note – I polled a few 12 yr olds and asked “Do you feel like Squaw and Alpine are separate teams or one team?”
The answer was ONE.
Further, the camaraderie among competitors from all mountains is something some of the commentators could take a lesson from. One big ski team family, one big skiing community, one big great group of people. Life is good as long as the snow falls and the lifts roll. : )