by R A N DY W Y R ICK
M O U N TA I N M A N A G E R
SARGE BROWN He built a mountain man’s mountain able,” said Joel Fritz, a ski patroller in Vail’s early years. was a mountain man “I think he was a genius in and Vail was his mountain. that way. The Army pounded When Sarge won Colointo him the things needed rado Ski USA’s lifetime to make this place go.” achievement award, there He demanded that workwasn’t enough room on the ers be on time, cut their award for a life that large. beards and dress neatly. As mountain manager for “I’m not running a populartwo decades, Brown expected ity contest,” he used to tell his excellence in everything on crew. “You are going to follow the mountain. He expected my example and do what I do, no less from himself. and we’re going It seemed like to have the best he worked seven ski area in the days a week, 365 world. If you days a year the I WAS can’t do that, 20 years he was SKIING there’s the door.” Vail’s mounEVERY TIME But there was tain manager I WASN’T much more to — probably an FIGHTING Brown than exaggeration, WARS. his bark. but maybe not. “He had the He ran Vail most wonderMountain fully beautiful soft side to him,” like a military operation. He said former Vail Associates was there at 5:30 a.m. every owner George Gillett. “He was day and when you needed a a real man, and, to me, a real leader, it was Sarge Brown. man isn’t just a tough guy. ” “He did change the culture Sarge grew up in McCall, and he changed it for the Idaho, where he went to and positive and made it respectILL “SARGE” BROWN
The annuals Bartenderce Ra
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VAIL 50TH ANNIVERSARY G 2 012 K E E P S A K E E D I T I O N
Sarge Brown
from school on skis. He was a star guard on the football team at the University of Idaho. His country called and he answered, fighting in World War II and the Korean War, earning five Purple Hearts, two Silver Stars and three Bronze Stars. Imagine a crew of ski bums, outdoor freaks and adrenaline junkies from all over the United States gathered
in one place in the heart of the Colorado Rockies. Today, we call it the X Games. In 1942 it was the 10th Mountain Division at Camp Hale near Leadville. And Sarge was on the forefront. “I was skiing every time I wasn’t fighting wars,” he said. Brown installed the first snowmaking equipment on Vail Mountain and he favored cutting wide trails that could accommodate lots of skiers and a luxurious skiing surface. He started overnight grooming, making sure slopes were smooth first thing in the morning. And he helped secure the 1989 World Alpine Championships for Vail, then ensured the mountains were ready to host the landmark races.
P H OTO C O U R T E S Y VA I L T R A I L
A N S W E R S F R O M VA I L T R I V I A G A M E , C I R C A 19 8 5 : G R A N D J U N C T I O N C A T WA L K . P E P I G R A M S H A M M E R . F O O L’ S G O L D . B O N D . C R O S S A PA I R O F S K I S I N T H E S N OW. N O .
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