A first run for ski museum

What you won’t see at the new Mammoth Ski Museum, opening Saturday: kitschy memorabilia in the form of authentic skis, poles and boots. You will see “Introducing the Fine Art of Skiing: A First Run Through the Beekley Collection.” That would be Mason Beekley, founder of the International Skiing History Assn., whose boyhood collection of ski books grew over 50 years to include 10,000 works. Beekley arranged for his obsession to migrate from New Hartford, Conn., to Mammoth after his death in 2001 because he “loved to ski the West,” says T.J. Chase, director of the museum on a community college campus a couple of miles from the slopes in Mammoth. The enterprise is distinguishing itself from the half a dozen other ski museums out there because it showcases art, not artifacts. The works -- from oils and watercolor paintings to lithographs, linocuts, posters and sculptures -- come from 25 countries and form the museum’s backbone. They include a book printed in the 1500s thought to contain the first images of skiers, above, and drawn by a Swedish monk; a painting of a cross-country skier by Andrew Wyeth; and an illustration by Laurent de Brunhoff of Babar the elephant on skis. Also on view: “From Independence to Chair One: Dave McCoy’s Illustrated Journey Through Early Sierra Skiing,” featuring photos from the collection of the man who founded Mammoth Mountain ski resort, and “Spirit of Snow,” a 45-minute video on backcountry skiers that will screen daily at 2 p.m. The museum will be open from noon to 5 p.m. daily except Mondays. Admission: $3, $2 for ages 5 to 18. Call (760) 934-6592 or go to www.mammothskimuseum.org.