July 17, 2000
Any day now, a new name is expected to be announced for Snowbasin Ski Resort.
And if a certain name is chosen it could cause sparks from here to Idaho.
Environment Specialist John Hollenhorst has details.
The new name might be Sun Valley. We don't know if the owner has gotten cold feet about choosing that name. But we sure got an earful up in Sun Valley.
They feel very protective of the name.
But they admit, Earl Holding owns both resorts, Sun Valley, Idaho, and Snowbasin, Utah. So maybe it's his name to steal.
Big changes at Snowbasin, as owner Earl Holding tries to revamp it into a world-class resort.
Ski champ Picabo Street is impressed with the new Olympic downhill course.
VOICE OF PICABO STREET/OLYMPIC MEDALIST: "HILL THAT QUITE FRANKLY COMPETES WITH SOME OF THE BEST DOWNHILLS ON THE WORLD CUP."
But if Holding grabs the name from his other resort, Sun Valley, and hangs it up in Utah, it won't be a popular move in Idaho.
DAVID HILTEY/TOURIST: "INTERLOPER, PIGGYBACKING OFF THE GOOD NAME."
LOIS ANDERSON/SUN VALLEY: "THIS IS, YOU KNOW, UNIQUE, SUN VALLEY, IDAHO. IT'S A UNIQUE CITY. AND HE WON'T DO IT. HAA, HAA."
JEANNIE CATCHPOLE/SUN VALLEY: "I THINK IT'S KIND OF LUDICROUS, MAYBE A LITTLE SILLY. I DON'T AGREE WITH IT. BUT IT DOESN'T BOTHER ME."
Did we mention? Picabo Street grew up near Sun Valley?
PICABO STREET/OLYMPIC MEDALIST: "TO GO AHEAD AND JUST UPROOT IT AND CHANGE IT LIKE THAT, YOU'RE REALLY SLAPPING A LOT OF LOCALS IN THE FACE. SO, I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY DISRESPECTFUL, TO MAKE THAT MOVE."
On the highway to Sun Valley, a University of Idaho crew was pulling over motorists for a public opinion survey.
POLLSTER: "WHAT IS YOUR IMAGE OF THE SUN VALLEY AREA AS A SUMMER TOURIST ATTRACTION?"
Many surveys have shown, it's one of the best-known names in the ski biz.
BRAD FARLINGER/HIGHWAY POLLSTER: "THEY KNOW IT, BECAUSE PEOPLE ESTABLISHED IT AS THE FIRST MAJOR SKI RESORT IN THE UNITED STATES."
JOHN HOLLENHORST, REPORTING: "IN FACT THE PLACE AND THE NAME ARE SO OLD, THERE'S A SKI LIFT HERE THAT LOOKS EVERY BIT LIKE A MUSEUM PIECE."
When it all began in the 30's, you could get off the train into a sleigh, or even a dogsled... at least in Hollywood's version.
The film was Sun Valley Serenade.
With all that history to chew on,
folks in nearby Ketchum just have a bad taste in their mouths.
SUN VALLEY RESIDENT: "I WOULD BE APPALLED THAT SOMEONE WOULD TAKE AND NAME AN AREA SUN VALLEY, UTAH."
Sun Valley City officials are being polite. After all, Earl Holding is a prominent citizen.
ROBERT VAN NORT/SUN VALLEY CITY ADMINISTRATOR: "JUST, I'M A TRADITIONALIST. AND I GUESS I'D JUST LIKE TO SEE SUN VALLEY JUST REMAIN SUN VALLEY, AND SNOWBASIN, SNOWBASIN."
Song: "And it happened in Sun Valley, when you slipped and fell and so did I."
REPORTER: " I GUESS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE SUN VALLEY, UTAH, SERENADE." ROBERT VAN NORT/SUN VALLEY CITY ADMINISTRATOR: "PROBABLY. WHO'D SING IT?"
An announcement of a new name had been expected last week. It's delayed. But spokesmen say they don't know if Mr. Holding is feeling the heat from Idaho, or if it's delayed for some other reason.
