This winter millions of Americans will hit the ski slopes around the country, and according to data from the Ski & Snowboard Resorts Industry, annual revenue is now about $4.3 billion. Even as many hit the powder, few likely realize that the American winter sports industry really only came about because of a few daring World War II veterans who simply loved skiing.
Prior to the war, there were few actual “ski resorts” in the United States, and just a handful of instructors who were Austrian, German and Swiss immigrants – and some of the former two were veterans of the Alpine units that fought in the First World War. Yet, in the early 20th century, skiing was rising
