ISHA and U.S. Hall of Fame partner to increase member benefits

Tue, May  11, 2010 - By ISHA

The International Skiing History Association (ISHA) and the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum (Ski Hall) have agreed to a partnership that will allow members to enjoy benefits common to both organizations for the same $50 fee.

At the same time ISHA is locating its administration in the national ski museum building of the Hall of Fame in Ishpeming, Michigan, the historic center of organized skiing in the United States. ISHA’s fund-raising will be conducted out of New York City by newly appointed vice-president Timothy L. Hogen.

Members of ISHA and the Hall of Fame already share a common interest in the sport’s heritage. The two organizations will now share membership revenues. Individuals who pay to join ISHA will be contributing to the financial welfare of the Hall of Fame, and vice-versa.

The joint revenues will continue to make possible the publication of ISHA’s outstanding magazine Skiing Heritage, the operation of the sport’s hall of fame and the national ski museum, and the operation of www.skiinghistory.org, the world’s largest website dedicated to ski history.

In Ishpeming, the Ski Hall will carry out membership fulfillment operations for both ISHA and itself. These services, to be implemented in stages between June and the end of 2010, will be carried out under the day-to-day direction of the Hall of Fame’s President and CEO, Tom West.

“In challenging times such as these,” said ISHA chairman Barry Stone, “it makes sense for both organizations to collaborate in the interest of becoming more cost-efficient, while strengthening their capacity to serve their constituents.”

“This arrangement will create opportunities for joint efforts and projects of mutual interest, ” said the Hall of Fame chairman Bernie Weichsel. “Each organization will now benefit from the growth of the other.”

The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum in Ishpeming, is the home of the first continuously operated ski club in America and birthplace of the national ski association. For 54 years the Hall of Fame has been the ultimate recognition for the contributors and achievers in skiing in America. Its 20,000 square-foot museum contains 75,000 artifacts and archival materials related to the history of skiing and snowboarding.

The International Skiing History Association, founded by Mason Beekley in 1991, promotes the sport’s history through its journal Skiing Heritage. With its website, its awards program and an international subscriber base, its mission is to “preserve and advance the knowledge of ski history and to increase public awareness of the sport’s history.” ISHA’s supporters include Jean-Claude Killy, Stein Eriksen, Billy Kidd, Nancy Greene Raine, Penny Pitou and Warren Miller.

A committee of six representing both organizations has been created to oversee and guide the new partnership. John Fry, who originated the agreement, chairs ISHA’s Transition Committee, which includes directors Einar Sunde and Robert Orbacz. Bernie Weichsel will head up the Hall of Fame’s transition team, which includes directors David Holli and Jerry Groswold.

Dean Ericson, President of ISHA for the past two years, has resigned. Robert Orbacz of SnowSports Industries of America, in addition to serving as Treasurer, is now President of ISHA.

ISHA and the Ski Hall are both qualified 501(c)(3) charitable organizations, and each will continue to raise money to carry out its mission -- in Ski Hall’s case to operate the national museum, in ISHA’s case to publish Skiing Heritage. Membership dues, while they’re expected to rise in the new collaboration, presently do not cover all of these costs.

Bottom line: This arrangement will create opportunities for joint efforts and projects of mutual interest. More importantly, each organization will now benefit from the growth of the other—a win-win situation for both.