Stoking for Snow at Baldy Hill Climb
By Isaiah Frizzell
September 28th, 2024 marked the 46th annual Baldy Hill Climb, hosted by the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation. Returning to the Warm Springs side of Baldy there were easily 75 – 100 people checking in, getting their numbers and signing waivers.
Created in 1979 by Kevin Swigert, the Baldy Hill Climb served mostly as a fundraiser. Swigert had been the cross-country director for the ski program and wanted an event that put the team in front of the community. As more joined in, the Baldy Hill Climb became a symbol of community building.
In the early days turnout was somewhere around 75-100 people. To many it was, and occasionally still is, thought of as too grueling, but is it? In the beginning there was no return lift. After ascending by foot you descended by foot, rounding out nearly 3000 feet of steep mountaineering. Perhaps in those days it was more challenging but with access to a ski lift for the return descent, many now recognize the Hill Climb as a bonding and socially exciting way to challenge oneself and bookmark the commencement of the season. All of this due to the mutually beneficial partnership with Sun Valley Company.
Even with their heavy workload of preparing the mountain, moving earth, taming runs and building infrastructure for the coming snow, Sun Valley Company is gracious enough to donate the use and manpower for the lift at this event square in the midst of their most crucial time of year.
“We can’t say thanks enough to Sun Valley Company for their support with this event, because, you know they’re, right now, hammering to try to get ready for the World Cup finals.” Rick Kapala praises. Kapala managed the Baldy Hill Climb for nearly 35 years. He was the cross-country program director for the Ski Foundation and, now retired, manages education and coach development part-time. He happily stepped in to help with the Baldy Hill Climb this year while their new cross-country program director Becky Flynn was out of the country.
With over 200 people, kids included, coming in recent years on the last Saturday of September, the Hill Climb is an important component of Sun Valley lore.
“It’s that sort of great time of the year where maybe the town’s a little quieter, but everybody’s getting some stoke going about the upcoming ski season. For an event that’s gone on this long this is one of those sort of calls to everybody that, ‘Hey, winter won’t be long, let’s go climb the mountain and support the ski foundation teams.” Kapala waxes enthusiastic.
“What’s really cool about the event is its participatory nature. There are people trying to beat their time, of course, their personal record up to the top, yeah, but what’s really cool is that it’s another one of these community assets that binds us together as a community. I think we can’t have too many of these things. You know, whether it’s the Baldy Hill Climb, the turkey trot on Thanksgiving Day in Hailey, Tuesday Night Alive in Ketchum or the music down in Hailey at Hop Porter Park. These events bind us as a community. The Baldy Hill Climb is about skiing, sure, but it’s more than that, it’s a community building event and what’s cool is how it just connects people as part of a community who like living here and who really value all the great things about this place.” Kapala has dedicated most of his life to skiing and Sun Valley but it’s his love of the broader community that shows in his words and actions.
What type of awards or commemorative trophies can be claimed?
“We do a number of awards at the top. The most obvious awards are first, second, third for the fastest man and woman coming to the top, and then there’s also age class awards but there’s one that we give for the family class which is a big painted plate where we take your three fastest family member times and then we give away an award for that. Those decorative plates are sort of bragging rights.” Kapala laughs. “I think there’s a fair number of people over the years that if they’re doing a backyard deck party and they’ve gotten that plate, you can be sure the chips and salsa or charcuterie will be served on it!”
2024 Overall Race Results
MEN
1—Peter Wolter 26 0:36:04
2—Sam Wood 28 0:38:30
3—Neil Bangs 41 0:39:12
4—Jackson Long 30 0:39:56
5—Duncan Fryberger 15 0:41:19
Women
7—Alexa Turzian 36 0:44:19
8—Mali Noyes 35 0:44:19
16—Taylor Ganz 37 0:48:39
19—Grace Sundali 30 0:51:05
25—Helen Wilson 23 0:53:27
Record Holders
Men’s Record:
35.04 set by Miles Havlick (Warm Springs side)
Women’s Record:
39:51 set by Morgan Arritola (Warm Springs side)
You can visit the race site to see this year’s full results and previous year’s winners at https://svsef.org/baldy-hill-climb/