Longboard Ski Races
Gold Mountain, now Eureka Peak, is the site of some of the first organized ski races in the western hemisphere. Ski clubs organized in the 1850’s rode 10-14 foot “longboards snowshoes” down “Lost Sierra” slopes in Plumas and Sierra counties. Here on Eureka Peak, ore car buckets doubled as the world’s first ski lift. “Dope is King” referred to secret ski waxes concocted by dopemakers who split the prizes with the winners. In the 1930’s Johnny Redstreake and the O’Rourke clan crossed the finish line ahead of modern alpine ski racers. Since the 1950’s the Plumas Ski Club has kept skiing alive at “Eureka Bowl.” A few of their number began the “Historic Longboard Revival Series” in 1993. It is the longest running series of races since 1911. Long live the proud tradition of longboard ski racing on Gold Mountain!
Marker can be reached from Johnsville - Eureka Lake Road.
Courtesy hmdb.org
