Disney's 'The Art of Skiing' and the Sugar Bowl Influence

Sugar Bowl Resort is located near Donner Pass in the wake of the old Donner Party that spent some grueling months going over the Sierra Nevada Mountains into California. It holds some of the richest history and secrets of the trade in the skiing world.

The area became increasingly popular when roads and railroads were expanded through the area, and the rise of the middle class with disposable income enabled more people to do silly things like slide on the snow with long wooden sticks.

The area that is now Sugar Bowl was bought for a measly $10 for 700 acres in 1923 by Stephen and Jennie Pilcher. During the following years, skiing became more popular, and several rope tows started to pop up around Donner Pass.

The land was then sold to an Austrian ski champion, Hannes Schroll, in 1938. Schroll was a charismatic character who was known for his thick accent, love of skiing, and beautiful yodelling skills.

Along with Austrian brothers Bill and Fred Klein and a few investors, they started building Sugar Bowl Resort.

As Austrians, they wanted to model the resort after Schrolls’ hometown of Kitzbühel, a medieval mountain town in Tyrol, Austria.

Schroll had been living and working in Yosemite in the years before Sugar Bowl, where he happened to be Walt Disney’s ski instructor. They became friends, and Schroll actually tried to contact Disney to help him buy the land.

Disney happened to be out of town and did not get the request, but ended up becoming an investor shortly after. That’s when Mt. Hemlock became known as Mt. Disney, as it stands today.

Skiing officially began in January of 1940 during a massive snowstorm. It became Sugar Bowl’s first powder day.

Because of its proximity to Hollywood and being the first resort in California with full accommodation and lifts, it was often frequented by movie stars and the who’s who of the time, which only added to its popularity and acclaim.

Sugar Bowl is where Disney got the idea for the Goofy cartoon short, ‘The Art of Skiing (1941),’ pronounced ‘shee-ing,’ a possible homage to Schroll and his accent.

It also stars Schroll and his famous yodelling ability in the opening scenes as the mountains of Sugar Bowl roll on the screen. The short became popular, and it inspired the series of Goofy’s ‘how-to’ shorts.

In an era where the ski world is being dominated by huge conglomerates, Sugar Bowl stands out as a beacon of independence. They have been independent for over 80 years now, and the community holds this close to their hearts.