On April 13-14, 1935, Paradise at Mount Rainier was home to the greatest sporting event ever held in the Northwest. It was the location for the national downhill and slalom championships. Also at stake were positions on the 1936 US Olympic ski team. Parking for spectators, and the final stop for mass transit, was located at Narada Falls. 7,000 spectators then hiked to Paradise in 12 - 20 foot deep snow to view the matches. It was about 2 miles one way to the slalom course and 1 mile to the downhill course. By the mid 1930's alpine skiing had exploded in growth as a US leisure sport, boasting almost a million skiers across the country. Radio broadcasters carried reports of the tournament and the ski conditions of the Northwest to ski enthusiasts all across the US. Stock negative.

Skiers--Tacoma--1930-1940; Skiing--Tournaments--1930-1940;

In April of 1935, Paradise at Mount Rainier was home to the national downhill and slalom championships. It was the first time that this contest had ever been held in the west. This photograph, taken during the tournament held April 13-14, showed the Paradise Lodge and the Paradise Inn surrounded by deep snow despite the spring date. Skiers and spectators dot the snow. Stock negative.

Skiers--Tacoma--1930-1940; Skiing--Tournaments--1930-1940;

On April 13-14, 1935, Paradise at Mount Rainier was host to the biggest sporting event ever held in the Northwest. It was the site of the national downhill and slalom championships with positions on the US ski team for the 1936 Olympics also at stake. Skiers and spectators were photographed lined up on either side of a ski run watching tournament skier number 20 maneuver down the slopes. This was most likely a portion of the slalom course that ran down the east side of Alta Vista, a zig zag descent of 1500 feet. Spectators had to hike two miles one way from Narada Falls to the slalom course. Stock negative.

Skiers--Tacoma--1930-1940; Skiing--Tournaments--1930-1940;

Close-up portrait of unidentified teen skier wearing the number 63 during the 1935 National Women's Downhill and Slalom championship held at Paradise, Mount Rainier. This was the first national championship for women in these two events. Varying newspaper sources number the female entrants from 11-14, including the Smith sisters from Tacoma and Grace Carter from Seattle, who placed second in the combined. Stock negative.

Skiers--Tacoma--1930-1940; Athletes--Tacoma--1930-1940; Skiing--Tournaments--1930-1940;

Over 7,000 spectators turned out April 13-14, 1935 to view the national downhill and slalom championships held at Paradise, Mount Rainier. This was the first time this event had been held in the west. Fifty-nine male skiers were registered to race, along with eleven women. The downhill started at Sugar Loaf, 8,500 feet above sea level, and dropped to Panorama Point and then to Edith Creek Basin, a 3,000 foot drop (35%) downward to the finish. On the day of the race, mist and fog shrouded the course in the morning. The top part of the course was icy and the lower part fast and treacherous. As the sun came out, the snow at the bottom of the course began to melt making it soft. Winner Hannes Schroll ran the course at an estimated speed of 75 mph.

Skiers--Tacoma--1930-1940; Skiing--Tournaments--1930-1940;

Winning skiers claim their trophy at the Paradise Winter Sports Carnival on Sunday, February 13, 1938. First place winner in the Service Club downhill race is Orville Stewart, center, representing the Junior Chamber of Commerce. On the left is Leonard Berglund of the Young Men's Business Club. The woman is unidentified. (photo is misnumbered) (TNT 2/14/1938, pg. 1)

Skiers--Tacoma--1930-1940; Winter sports--1930-1940; Skiing--Tournaments--1930-1940; Stewart, Orville; Berglund, Leonard;

On April 13-14, 1935, the nation's premier alpine event was held at Paradise, Mount Rainier. The Northwest slopes were the site of the national downhill and slalom championships. Also at stake were positions on the 1936 US Olympic team. This was the first time that a major US skiing event had been held in the west. Skier number 59 was photographed maneuvering through the competition course. Over 70 skiers, 59 men and 11 women, threw their hats into the ring for a chance at the national title. Hannes Schroll of Austria won the men's downhill, slalom and combined. Ellis-Ayr Smith of Tacoma won the women's downhill and combined with her sister Ethlynne (Skit) taking the prize in the slalom. Stock negative.

Skiers--Tacoma--1930-1940; Skiing--Tournaments--1930-1940;

Tacoma's best hope for a medal in the Men's National Championships in downhill and slalom in 1935 was Carlton Wiegel. The competition was held April 13-14, 1935 at Mount Rainier. The contest also served as the finals in the US Olympic trials and it was the greatest sporting event ever held in the Northwest. Wiegel was a native Norwegian who inherited his love of the sport. At the time of the competition however, he was hampered by an old ankle injury and finished 13th in the Downhill and failed to finish in the first 20 of the slalom. (TT, TNT, TDL 4/12-15, 1935)

Skiers--Tacoma--1930-1940; Athletes--Tacoma--1930-1940; Skiing--Tournaments--1930-1940; Wiegel, Carlton;

Hannes Schroll, the Austrian daredevil on skis, came to the Northwest in April of 1935 to compete in the US national men's downhill and slalom competition. He finished the competition by winning both events as well as the combined. A member of the European ski racing elite, he was the holder of 87 European titles when he came to the US. He remained to become the director of the Badger Pass resort in Yosemite. In 1937, he and an Austrian copatriot purchased 696 acres at Donner Summit in California. The pair, with a group of investors including Walt Disney, developed the Sugar Bowl resort and ski area. But Tacoma will always remember him best as the Wild Man who yodeled as he hurtled down the mountain at 75 mph. (TT, TNT, TDL 4/12-15, 1935)

Skiers--Tacoma--1930-1940; Skiing--Tournaments--1930-1940; Schroll, Hannes;

Bellarmine High School Midget Football Team. Bellarmine, coached by Leo Eckstein, won the city championship in 1938, 14 to 7 against Lincoln High School. Midget class players were 132 pounds and under. The last city midget championship was played in 1940. Back row, tossing footballs left to right, Bud Peluso, Jim Fitzpatrick, John O'Brien and Roccy Spadafore. Front row, left to right, Dick Hutt, Joe Dargan, John Grasy, Pete Pagni, Joe Devlin, Caesar DeVita and Jack Pickard. (T. Times, 11/22/1938, p. 11).

Football players--Tacoma--1930-1940; Football--Tacoma--1930-1940; Private schools--Tacoma--1930-1940; Students--Tacoma; Bellarmine High School (Tacoma)--Sports;

Baseball team posed for group portrait on playing field. Three two-story brick houses in background, possibly officer's quarters. (Bremerton Sun).

Baseball players--Bremerton--1930-1940;

At the May 5, 1938 opener of the Tacoma Tigers season, Mayor George Smitley throws out the first ball. Over 6,000 fans turned out to watch the defending champion Tigers meet the team from Yakima. In 1937, organized baseball had returned to Tacoma after a 15 year absence.

Baseball--Tacoma--1930-1940; Baseball players--Tacoma--1930-1940; Tacoma Tigers (Tacoma)--1930-1940; Tacoma Athletic Park (Tacoma); Smitley, George A., 1872-1956; Mayors--Tacoma--1930-1940;

ca. 1937. City League Baseball Team in uniforms standing in front of bleachers, ca. 1937. According to Richards Studio notes, the team represented Naubert's. Naubert's Recreation is listed in the 1937 City Directory as a billiard hall at 945 Commerce, managed by Frank C. Naubert. (filed with Argentum) same group pictured in series D101 image 1.

Baseball players--Tacoma--1930-1940; Baseball--Tacoma--1930-1940;

ca. 1937. City League Baseball Team in casual clothes, batboy in front, circa 1937. Team is listed in Richards Studio notes as the Peninsula Baseball Team from Long Branch. (filed with Argentum)

Baseball--Tacoma--1930-1940; Baseball players--Long Branch--1930-1940;

ca. 1935. City League individual pictures, baseball player on the Cammarano Brothers team; possibly Gus Paine (TNT 4/29/1949, pg. 22)

Cammarano Bros. (Tacoma); Baseball players--Tacoma--1930-1940;

ca. 1935. City League individual pictures, baseball player on the Cammarano Brothers team.

Cammarano Bros. (Tacoma); Baseball players--Tacoma--1930-1940;

ca. 1937. Russell (Russ) H. Michael's Service Station baseball team; the 1937 Twilight League Baseball Champions. The players wear long sleeved shirts that say "Russ Michael's Service, 38th & M." The man in the bow tie is Russ Michael, the owner of the service station. In the 1930's, baseball was the true American sport and most Americans played. City leagues were numerous and many businesses sponsored a team. (Michael's identification supplied by a family member)

Russ Michael's Service (Tacoma); Baseball players--Tacoma--1930-1940; Automobile service stations--Tacoma--1930-1940; Michael, Russell H.;

The count is two and two on the batter as three unidentified women, attending the "vacation camp" being held at Lincoln High School, enjoyed a rousing baseball game in July of 1925. An annual camp, sponsored by the Washington State College extension service, offered western Washington farm women classes to help them manage their homes and farms including courses in cooking and sewing; they had plenty of time for fun too. The women slept on cots in the school gym and used the classrooms for course work and the playfields and pool for recreation. (WSHS) (TNT 7/28/1925, pg. 1)

Baseball--Tacoma--1920-1930; Games--1920-1930;

The O'Donnell Market women's bowling team from Bend, Oregon. Five women dressed in matching outfits representing O'Donnell's Market. Three women in back row have names embroidered on shirts, left to right: Reba, Olga, Evelyn. The team was competing in the annual Western Women's Bowling Congress at the Play Mor alleys April 24- May 5th, 1940.

Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Women--Tacoma--1940-1950; O'Donnell's Market--Bend, Oregon--People;

Sherman Tackle Co. women's bowling team, Tacoma City Girls Class B bowling champs. Five women dressed in skirts and blouses gathered around scoring table in bowling alley. They are, left to right, Delores Coleman, Winnifred Rowe, Nell Bowman, Sigrid Anderson and Cecelia Rowe. (T. Times 4/25/1940, pg. 17)

Bowlers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Women--Tacoma--1940-1950; Sherman Tackle Co. (Tacoma)--People; Coleman, Delores; Rowe, Winnifred; Bowman, Nell; Anderson, Sigrid; Rowe, Cecelia;

ca. 1939. Hockey players performing drills at Lakewood Ice Arena circa 1939. One player is down on ice with puck under him; Griffin Fuel Company player above him with stick raised.

Ice hockey players--Lakewood; Ice hockey--Lakewood--1930-1940; Lakewood Ice Arena (Lakewood);

Joe Paglia, St. Martins College grid coach, explains how to hold a football in the art of kicking to three unidentified teenage boys in October of 1938. Noting the lack of powerful kickers in college football, Coach Paglia is seeking to bring back the "foot" in football. A series of football kicking classes, sponsored by the Tacoma Times and Washington Hardware, were given by Coach Paglia at Jefferson playfield over five Saturdays. Mr. Paglia, a great kicker at Santa Clara University, was known as "Coffin Corner Joe" for his extremely accurate placement of the football at the corners of the football field between the end zone and the five-yard line at each end of the field. (T. Times 10-20-38, p. 14-article; T.Times 10-21-38, p. 14-photograph of Mr. Paglia)

Paglia, Joe; Football--Tacoma--1930-1940; Coaches (Athletics); Coaching (Athletics);

ca. 1939. Three female skiers at Mount Rainier, possibly Annie Wright students. They are tentatively identified as, left to right, Anne Chapman of Tacoma, Marie Eckstrom of Tacoma and an unidentified skier.

Skiers--1930-1940; Skiing--Mt. Rainier--1930-1940;

ca. 1939. Three female skiers at Mount Rainier, possibly Annie Wright students. They are tentatively identified as, left to right, Anne Chapman of Tacoma, Marie Eckstrom of Tacoma and an unidentified skier.

Skiers--1930-1940; Skiing--Mt. Rainier--1930-1940;

ca. 1939. Three Roy news carriers enjoy a day on skis in the snow. Fir trees in background are heavily laden with snow. (T. Times)

Skiers--1930-1940; Snow; Newspaper carriers--Roy;

Standing in stark contrast with the white snow, a large group of skiers are pictured outside the lodge at Paradise where the February, 1938, ski races and winter carnival are being held. This would be the seventh annual Tacoma winter sports carnival of ski races held at Paradise Valley. Olympian Don Fraser and Virginia Bowden (Boden), both of Seattle, would be the respective men's and women's slalom champions. Thousands of spectators and skiers would enjoy not only the races of varying categories, but also exhibition skiing by Austrian Otto Lang, skiing under floodlights, and a free carnival dance. Trophies and prizes would be awarded the victors. (T.Times 2-14-38, p. 1, 11)

Skiers; Athletes;

Ski races at Paradise Valley, Mount Rainier National Park. Spectators wait for the February 13, 1938, races to begin, surrounded by the scenic, snow-covered valley, lodges and mountains. The events were expected to attract 5000 skiers and spectators from all over the Pacific Northwest. Eventual winners of the open slalom races would be Don Fraser in the men's category for the second straight time and University of Washington student Virginia Bowden (Boden) in the women's. Future Olympic gold medalist Gretchen Kunigk (later Fraser) would vacate her Carnival Queen throne to place 5th.

Skiers; Athletes;

February, 1938, ski races and winter carnival at Paradise Valley, Mount Rainier National Park. A long line of skiers gather near the lodge. Trees and lodge roof are laden with fresh snow. 5000 skiers and spectators were expected to gather for the seventh annual Tacoma Winter Sports Carnival held during two days in February, 1938. Besides races for different abilities, there was exhibition skiing and skiing under floodlights.

Skiers; Snow;

On March 27, 1938, the Silver Skis race was cancelled due to a 60 mile an hour gale wind whipping snow particles into the skiers' faces above McClure's Rock on Mt. Rainier. It was a second year in a row that the race was cancelled and its future did not look promising. A near record crowd of 8,000 settled in to watch an exhibition slalom race that promoters put together as a substitute, as well as stunt antics of some of the ski stars on a special jump. The Silver Skis was a grueling race that required skiers to trek by foot at daybreak up to Camp Muir, 10,000 feet above sea level, and ski down. The survivor with the best time won. (T.Times, 3/28/1938, p.1).

Skiing--Mt. Rainier--1930-1940; Paradise Inn (Wash.); Skiers; Winter sports;

Burr Anderson, promising new skier, skis over crest of hill at Mount Rainier. Mountaintop in distance. (T.Times 1/18/1939, p. 7).

Skiing--Tacoma; Skiers; Anderson, Burr; Rainier, Mount (Wash.);