Three women set for induction into ski Hall of Fame
The Flathead Ski Heritage Center and The Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation this week will honor three women for their combined 120 years in shaping the history of Big Mountain/Whitefish Mountain Resort and Flathead Valley Youth Skiing.
Sandi Unger, Giselle “Jesse” Harring and Stacey Bengtson are the 2018 inductees into the Ski Heritage Center Hall of Fame. The three women have incredibly diverse backgrounds and all had a vital impact on the Whitefish ski scene from the 1960s to today.
The Induction Ceremony and Reception honoring them is Friday, Jan. 19 at the new Ski Heritage Center in Whitefish. Doors open at 6 p.m. with the Induction Ceremony at 7 p.m., followed by presentation from FVSEF coaches and Olympians Hilary Lindh and Julie Parisien.
Tickets are $20, available at Glacier Bank, downtown Kalispell and Whitefish, and on line at FVSEF.org and include appetizers, beer and wine.
The trio will join the elite group of 16 prior inductees.
Events for Ski Heritage Days begin on Wednesday, Jan. 17 and continue through Saturday, Jan. 20.
For more information contact Tim Hinderman at 406-885-2730, or visit www.fvsef.org.
Sandi Unger
Sandi Unger was born and raised in Whitefish, graduated from Whitefish High School in 1959, and continued her education at Kinman Business College in Spokane. After graduating, she returned to Whitefish and began working at Big Mountain Ski and Summer Resort, where she held many positions during the next 45 years.
She was known as the resort’s problem solver, keeping tabs on everyone and everything. Skiers would bring her parkas with lift grease on them, and magically, the next day the parkas were returned stain-free. As noted by employees, Unger was the “keeper of resort history, a straight talker and the long-time heart and soul of Big Mountain ... whether you knew her or not, you have benefited from her dedication to this place in many ways.”
During the majority of her career, Unger served as administrative assistant to the resort managers, including many years under resort developer and long-time General Manager Ed Schenck. She also served as administrative secretary to the Winter Sports Inc. Board of Directors throughout her career. Her background and institutional knowledge was invaluable to all administrations for many years.
Unger was a wonderful friend to all who knew her and would do everything she could for others in her life. She served on the Board of Directors for Whitefish Credit Union for several years, and her love of gardening ensured family and friends were surrounded by flowers on their deck. She helped to create a haven for the deer and birds in their back yard, taking the occasional visits by occasional bears, skunks and turkeys in stride. Unger passed away in 2010.
Giselle “Jessie” Harring
Giselle “Jessie” Harring was born on May 17, 1923 in Budapest, Hungary. Her father was a Hungarian Diplomat which had her living all over Europe as well as South Africa where she attended an all-girls school for several years. During World War II she had to live as a prisoner of Hitler’s regime until the war ended and she was able to return to University in Budapest and complete her lab technician degree. She immigrated, alone, to Canada in 1949 as there was no work in Europe and all of her family had perished during the war.
Harring moved to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, in 1953 when she married Don Harring, an avid skier, and became a National Ski Patroller. The family moved to Whitefish in 1971 to follow Don’s dream of moving to a western ski town.
Harring’s passion for volunteering led her to the Soroptimists, the Hospital Guild and the U.S. Forest Service as their representative on Big Mountain. She also became a life-long member the Big Mountain Ski Club where she ascended to “Lady on the Board” — in this case meaning scoreboard, where she posted ski race results for over 30 years. The Harrings served on the ski club for many years, and hosted the summer ski club barbecue at their home every summer.
Harring, a two-time recipient of the First Lady of Whitefish award, continued to be the Scoreboard Lady at Big Mountain races through 2005, well into her 80s. She went sky diving on her 80th birthday and enjoyed skiing Big Mountain “for free” through her 84th year. Harring lives in Whitefish.
Stacey Bengtson
Stacey Bengtson grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, skiing for the first time on a family outing to Mt. Telemark, Wisconsin. After skiing with friends a few times in high school, she went on a senior trip via Great Northern Railway to Big Mountain, taking three days of ski lessons while staying and dining at the “Chalet.”
“When that train went through Glacier Park and I saw the mountains and all the snow I knew I was going to come back,” she said.
After a year at the University of Minnesota, Bengtson took the train back to Big Mountain where she spent half a season as a waitress and then a year “doing the ski bum thing.”
In 1973 Bengtson got a job in the ski school, then owned and operated by Martin Hale. She taught mostly kids and loved it.
“Martin was so good about letting me work just part time and even let me trade my labor for my girls to be in the programs,” she said.
Bengtson worked for Hale until Big Mountain acquired the ski school in the early 1990s, and has been there ever since.
She never dreamed when she got her ski teaching job that she would still be at it over 40 years later. She always said if she didn’t enjoy it she would find something else, but today she is still teaching and loving it. And now she teaches children of the children she taught before. Over the years, there weren’t many Big Mountain Race Team Alumni that didn’t spend a year or two skiing with Bengtson at the beginning of their careers.