Local Historian & Author To Lead Olympic History Walking Tour

Local Olympic historian David C. Antonucci will lead a lecture and walking tour of the 1960 Winter Olympics sites on Saturday, September 19 as part of the continuing Squaw Valley Institute speaker series.

Titled “Remembering the 1960 Winter Olympics,” the event will begin at 9:00 AM at the Squaw Valley Chapel with a multi-media presentation covering the 1960 Winter Olympics. Following the presentation, a tour on foot will take participants on an exploration of a variety of Olympic venues and sites in the Squaw Valley base area.

The Squaw Valley walking tour will cover the Squaw Valley Chapel, Olympic Village Inn, California and Nevada Welcome Centers, as well as race courses, the site of Blyth Arena, ski jump hill remnants and other historic sites.

In addition to the locations in Squaw Valley, an optional picnic and hike of the Olympic Biathlon site, in Tahoma, on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe, will be offered in the afternoon. This tour begins with a picnic lunch and will last approximately two to three hours and cover about five miles total.  Hikers should come prepared with water, sunscreen, a hat, and appropriate hiking/walking shoes. Sorry, no dogs will be permitted on this hike.

Squaw Valley Chapel is located at 444 Squaw Peak Road.  A $10 donation to Squaw Valley Institute is requested for Squaw Valley portion of the day. There is no charge for children and students with ID. There is a separate 15.00 charge for West Shore afternoon hike, which includes a picnic box lunch and parking at Sugar Pine Point State Park.

Antonucci, 59, has been a resident of Lake Tahoe for over 34 years. He is the founder of the Olympic Trails Restoration Committee, serves on the board of the Squaw Valley Ski Museum and is a member of the Olympic Heritage Celebration Committee. He regularly gives multi-media presentations to visitors and conference groups on Lake Tahoe interpretive history, Mark Twain at Lake Tahoe and the 1960 Winter Olympics.

Antonucci is also the author of the upcoming book, Snowball's Chance: The Story of the 1960 Olympic Winter Games -- Squaw Valley & Lake Tahoe. The book, which is scheduled for release in November, features exclusive photos by official Olympic photographer, Bill Briner. The book details the bid to host the Games, competition venues, "you-are-there" accounts of the competitions, opening and closing ceremonies, and many other fascinating aspects of this historic event. Many never-before-seen photos of Olympic events captured by photographer Briner help tell the story in the only book devoted exclusively to the history of the VIII Olympic Winter Games.

Upcoming Squaw Valley Institute events include:  a presentation on Hetch Hetchy on September 24; Fire and Ice: The Story of Tahoe's Ancient Volcanoes, a lecture and hike at Northstar led by professor Frank DeCourten on September 27, and the second annual Toast to Tahoe Skiing on November 7th at Resort at Squaw Creek. In October, the Institute brings Greg Mortenson, co-author of the New York Times #1 bestsellerThree Cups of Tea to Lake Tahoe for two presentations at the Hyatt Lake Tahoe.
 
Squaw Valley Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to presenting programs having artistic, cultural and educational values. The Institute presents lectures, performances, forums, exhibitions and classes in the unique mountain environment of Squaw Valley, North Lake Tahoe, Truckee and surrounding communities. For event tickets and other information, visit SquawValleyInstitute.or.