2023 - 2024 Far West Skier's Guide - 60

Tommi Tyndall Award
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FWSA President's Award
teacher, pilot, and ski patroller.
As a photographer in the Air National
Guard, Omar developed an interest in aviation.
He became a flight instructor and spent
summers as a lead plane pilot for the BLM Office
of Fire and Aviation.
He retired from
teaching to work full-time as a pilot for the US
Department of the Interior.
Lest you think Omar was all business, he
had a fun side too! Omar was a dear friend to
many, a teacher and mentor to hundreds of
Bogus Basin Patrollers. Bogus Basin was his
home away from home and the Bogus crew
was his family!
FWSA is honored to present a posthumous
Bill Mackey Award to this Ski Patrol
Legend. Omar Fricke died of natural causes
at his family's home on December 14, 2022.
He was 88 years old. ss
Linda Westlund, FWSA President,
presented Todd Hood, National
Brotherhood of Snowsports Western
Region, with the President's Award,
for his program contributions and outstanding
support during the past year.
Bogus Basin got its name during the Gold
Rush, when swindlers were making fake gold.
Alf Engen, the father of the American powder
technique, selected the site for the ski area at
Bogus Basin in 1939. The resort opened to the
public in December of 1942 with a 500 foot
rope tow, and the first chairlift was installed in
1961.
Brad Wilson, General Manager, accepted the
Tommi Tyndall Award on behalf of Bogus
Basin Mountain Recreation Area from Linda
Westlund, FWSA President. The award
recognizes a ski area that has made a
distinguished contribution to skiing.
photo by Steve Strickland / Strictly Photography
Bogus Basin Mountain
Recreation Area
Receives the Tommi
Tyndall Award
by Jennifer Coutts, President
Intermountain Ski Council
and Jane Wyckoff,
Past President, FWSA
Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area
in Idaho, was the 2023 recipient of the Tommi
Tyndall Award, presented to an industry
member that has made a distinguished contribution
to skiing. The award was announced
at the FWSA Annual Convention in
Boise.
Located just 16 miles from Boise, Bogus
Basin Mountain Recreation Area has been the
Treasure Valley's year-round destination for
mountain recreation, education, and community.
Bogus Basin is a not-for-profit resort,
with a mission to make the outdoors accessible
today, tomorrow, and for generations to come.
We do not often associate the word " nonprofit "
with skiing and ski resorts, due to the
high costs of development and operations.
Many ski areas are a part of a conglomerate of
ski resorts. However, there are some ski areas
throughout North America, that are making it
work as a nonprofit ski area, and Bogus Basin
is one of them. While always a nonprofit,
Bogus Basin was given 501(c)(3) status in
2005, which made it not only a nonprofit but
also a charitable organization, so visitors can
make a tax-deductible donation. The Bogus
Basin Recreation Association (BBRA) operates
the ski area.
Under the leadership of Brad Wilson, the
current General Manager, the mountain has
had substantial improvements in recent years,
such as increased terrain and new high speed
quad lifts. Snowmaking operations guarantee
a November opening every year. This system
covers over half of the total runs on the mountain,
and are also illuminated for night skiing.
It is the largest non-profit recreation area in
6O Far West Skier's Guide 2O23 - 2O24
Jessie Diggins received the President's Award
in recognition for her cross-country athletic
achievements, including the FIS CrossCountry
World Championship Gold
Medal in 2023.
photo provided by U.S. Ski and Snowboard
the U.S., and Southern Idaho's largest mountain
of skiable terrain at 2,600 acres, with
1,800 feet of vertical, 10 lifts (including 4 highspeed
quads), and 90 runs.
The summer operations include a mountain
coaster, tubing hill, aerial adventure park,
mountain biking, music festivals, yoga on the
mountain and many youth inspired programs.
Season pass ticket holders increased from
15,000 in 2015 to over 40,000 in 2022. This
year alone, Bogus Basin will exceed over
500,000 skier visits and over 100,000 visitors
for the summer operations.
Bogus Basin has been a strong supporter
of the Bogus Basin Ski Club and other local
clubs, the Intermountain Ski Council and the
Far West Ski Association.
The resort was a
Silver Sponsor of the Far West Ski Association's
85th Annual Convention in 2017 and
hosted the Fountain Party prior to the Silent
Auction at the Boise Centre. Many attendees
had never been to Boise before, and thoroughly
enjoyed the many outdoor activities
offered, and welcoming spirit of the area. As
a result, we returned to Boise in June for the
90th Annual FWSA Convention, with Bogus
Basin providing support for this Convention,
as well.
Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area
is a model for other resorts as a nonprofit.
The resort has steadily developed to enhance
the customer experience, and remains dedicated
to providing quality service, outdoor
recreation, and programs to enhance the local
community. For these reasons, Bogus Basin
was highly deserving as a recipient of the
Tommi Tyndall Award. ss
2023 - 2024 Far West Skier's Guide

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