IT’S ALL HANDS ON DECK AT ROTARUN

From Rope Tows To Making Snow

By Heather Foster

Approaching 75 Years

The vision for a local ski hill in Hailey, Idaho was born through ski pioneers up and down the Wood River Valley. People like Jim Hurst, Bob Jackson, Bill Mallory, and Jim Savaria, to name a few. It was 1948 when Swiss Olympic skier, Janett Ann Winn, started teaching Hailey Elementary students how to ski at a little hill west of Hailey outfitted with a tractor-and-pulley rope tow. Ten years later, Hailey’s Rotary Club lent itself to the hill’s name—Rotarun, and by the midsixties, the Arkoosh family had established Rotarun as a 501c3 and presented Blaine County with the gift of a 99-year lease on Rotarun’s 148 acres of land at just $1 per year. A J-Bar lift and the first lights for night skiing came to fruition, soon followed by the original warming hut built with donated lumber by local carpenters.

In the decades to follow, Rotarun fared much like a little engine that could, and relied on the dedication, creativity, and hard work of volunteers to manage operations and keep the vision of their predecessors on track. Looking towards Rotarun’s 75th anniversary in the 2023/24 season, local businesses, families, and individuals continue to invest their time, treasure, and talent to carry forth and expand upon Rotarun’s special place and purpose in the community.

Since the beginning when local residents constructed the first rope tow from used farm equipment, Rotarun has felt the generosity and ingenuity of those who understand and appreciate what the little mountain with a big heart gives back to those who spend time in this place. These friends of Rotarun have come to the table with supplies, labor, skilled workmanship, equipment, and above all, kindness, and a drive to make things happen. In the late nineties it was Red Bloedel who initiated a fundraiser that led to the very Doppelmyr Poma Lift that was relocated from a little ski hill in Austria and repurposed to carry skiers and riders to the top of Rotarun today. The ongoing generosity of countless families, foundations, businesses, volunteer board members, and friends, has in recent years allowed for the installation of a snowmaking system to extend Rotarun’s snowsports season, along with infrastructure to continuously improve overall mountain operations and the skier and rider experience at the ski hill. Rotarun wears the fingerprints of so many in our community, all of whom have poured their giving spirit into the little hill’s ultimate purpose to give back.

Small Mountain Vibes

Rotarun lives and breathes by its values, set forth to inspire a way of life and a way of creating opportunity for the youth and families of the Wood River Valley.

• RESPECT and celebrate our heritage

• Make decisions through INCLUSION

• Embrace and welcome COMMUNITY

• Grow JOY through fun and learning

It is a unique and important opportunity to be a small mountain in the larger wintersport ecosystem, and Rotarun maintains a keen focus on keeping it small on purpose. Delivering exceptional and affordable learn-to-ski-and-ride programming is the heartbeat of Rotarun and celebrating mountain town culture while engaging the entirety of the community drives the mountain’s spirit. Rotarun is the place to gather with friends for a free public ski evening on Wednesdays, set up a tailgate and warm the kiddos’ hands over hot chocolate, and celebrate New Year’s Eve as a part of the torchlight ski-down parade. It’s the place where “Friday Night Lights” means bundling up to take some turns and roasting s’mores fireside by the lodge with the family.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE KIDS

On any given Monday or Tuesday afternoon during the first two months of the year, you’ll witness the magic of Rotarun. This is when the Rota-Rippers take to the snow and learn to find their snow legs. Most of the 5 to 11-yearold kids arrive via the Big Blue Bus, where they’ve come directly from elementary schools across the south valley in Hailey and Bellevue. Some come from as far away as Shoshone, 43 miles away. Like the kids who got their start at Rotarun 74 years ago, the Rota-Rippers today are offered professional instruction by volunteer coaches—and now through a community supported, tuition-free program dedicated to bringing this gift to kids in our community who otherwise wouldn’t have this opportunity. New in 2023, the program is expanding to include the middle school Rota-Ravens—one more opportunity for the valley’s children to experience the wonder of wintersport. One hundred percent of program costs are covered by Rotarun Ski Club, Inc., the John R. Kalik Memorial Endowment Fund, the Kids Mountain Fund, and Rotarun’s incredible community partners and donors.

JOIN IN THE FUN AT ROTARUN!

Rotarun is open to the public for free skiing under the lights on Wednesday nights from 6-9 p.m. Public skiing is also open Friday nights from 5-9 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Holiday hours differ and are posted online. Lift tickets are free for children 5 and under, $10 for those ages 6-17, and $15 for those 18 and older. Youth aged 6-17 may apply online at rotarun.org for a free season pass through Freddy’s Pass Program. Season passes start at $85 through $250 for a family pass. F

For current hours and event calendar, visit www.rotarun.org

On The Canyon Rim

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