Amidst the majestic snow-capped peaks of Tahoe City, a time capsule of exhilarating schusses and Olympic triumphs awaits at The Boatworks, where a remarkable ski history and the epic saga of the 1960 Winter Olympics come alive in a captivating museum experience.
The SNOW Sports Museum at The Boatworks joins together rare artifacts from private collections and the Auburn Ski Club. Originally the brainchild of Granite Bay surgeon Stan Batiste and his wife Maryann, Batiste wanted the public to see his extensive collection of rare 1960 Winter Olympics artifacts and memorabilia. Exhibits from Auburn Ski Club, longboard skier Craig Beck, and David Antonucci’s collection of artifacts from the Olympic cross-country ski venue on Tahoe’s Westshore later joined Batiste.
Others quickly added their contributions, with memorabilia from World Cup skiers Daron Rahlves, Julia Mancuso, and Travis Ganong. Sugar Bowl and Granlibakken joined the effort with exhibits on their history and artifacts, including an original set of Olympic rings that hung at the cross-country venue. A scale model of the much-loved and now-gone Blythe Memorial Arena will be displayed this fall. Here, two Americans won gold medals in figure skating, and the first “Miracle on Ice” occurred when the USA took gold in ice hockey.
The SNOW Sports Museum at The Boatworks is a cooperative venture with the Batiste Family, the Boatworks owners, and the SNOW Sports Museum Foundation. The foundation is pursuing constructing a modern ski history and Winter Olympics museum at the entrance to Olympic Valley.
