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HomeAward: Tommy Tyndall
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Tommi Tyndall was one of the first people to develop and install snowmaking equipment on their resort.




Jo Tyndall took over operaitons of Snow Summit at Tommi's death until her sone Dick Kun would join her in running the resort.  Dick is stillin charge today.

Far West Tommi Tyndall Industry Award...

Tommi Tyndall was a prominent force in the promotion of winter sports in the Big Bear area during the late 40s, the 50s and early 60s. He was a one-man whirlwind where skiing was concerned.
Tommi came to the US from Dresden, Germany, in 1939 to demonstrate his father’s machinery at the NY World’s Fair. With the outbreak of WWII, he stayed in the US and joined the Navy. His first paying job in the US was teaching skiing at Sun Valley. He became an American citizen in 1949.

In 1946, he was among the first member of the California Ski Instructors Association. He developed and supervised a group of instructors who formed the Big Bear Ski School. In 1949, he founded the Big Bear Winter Club and hosted Big Bear’s first Winter Carnival.

In 1952, Tommi opened Snow Summit with a mile-long double chair, two major ski runs and several rope tows. In 1961, after a few draught years, Tommi undertook the construction of a major snow making system at Snow Summit, which would be the largest in Southern California upon its completion in 1964.

At age 54, Tommi died in a tractor accident while grooming his beloved mountain.

The Tommi Tyndall Award is given to the ski area, ski area operator; tourism bureau, or the ski area association who has made a distinguished contribution to skiing and/or the Far West Ski Association in the past year or in prior years. This award may be received more than once but not in consecutive years. This award is based on one or two year contribution. The two years of service can be for prior years, not just the past two years.

Year Awardee
2024 Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation
2023
Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area
2022 Aspen Snowmass
2021 Holidaze Ski Tours
2020 No award
2019 Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation
2018 Sugar Bowl, CA
2017 Sports America Tours
2016 Telluride Ski Resort, CO
2015 Whitefish Mountain Resort, MT
2014 Mt. Hood Meadows, OR
2013 Mt. Bachelor, OR
2012 Big White Ski Resort / Silver Star Mountain Resort, BC, Canada
2011 Alpine Meadows, CA
2010 Mammoth Mountain, CA
2009 Big Sky, MT
2008 Vail Resorts
2007 Aspen Skiing Company
2006 Big White Ski Resort,BC, Canada
2005 Breckenridge Ski Resort
2004 Ogden/Weber Convention Visitors Bureau
2003 Big Mountain Resort
2002 Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau
2001 Silver Star Mountain Resort, BC, Canada
2000 Park City Mountain Resort
1999 Ski New Mexico
1998 Aspen Skiing Company
1997 Lake Louise Ski Area
1996 Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau
1995 Boreal Ski Company
1994 Park City Ski Area
1993 Northstar-at-Tahoe
1992 Mammoth Race Department
1991 Bear Mountain Ski Resort
1990 Mt. Bachelor Ski & Summer Resort
1989 Vail / Beaver Creek
1988 Steamboat
1987 Crested Butte Mountain Resort
1986 Mammoth Mountain
1985 Mt. Reba / Bear Valley
1984 Snow Forest
1983 Mountain High
1982 Mammoth Ski Touring Center
1981 Mt. Rose
1980 Alpine Meadows / Nick Badami
1979 Boreal Ridge
1978 Snow Summit / Jo (Tyndall) Alexander
1977 Mountain High
1976 Heavenly Valley
1975 Mt. Reba / Bear Valley
1974 Kirkwood Meadows
1973 Yosemite Mountaineering School
1972 Boreal Ridge
1971 Mammoth Mountain / Dave McCoy
1970 Mt. Rose
1969 Mt. Reba / Bear Valley
1968 not awarded
1967 Mammoth Mountain
1966 Alpine Meadows



Information
Eileen Sanford
Far West Service Awards Chair
858-761-6192 [c]



Tommi Tyndall
Nov 1910 - Dec 27, 1964




Breckenridge (2005)
present by Dick Kun




Big White
(2012 / 2006)
Silver Star (2012 / 2001)




Aspen / Snowmass (2007 / 1998)




Vail (2008 / 1989)




Park City (2000 / 1994)