Legends of Showdown · The Shareholders Era, 1957–1973

2013 Stan King at Top PatrolGreat Falls Ski Patrol

Stan King

Sixty-two years on the ski patrol

Legend of Showdown

Born: 4 June 1937, Great Falls; grew up in Kevin and Sunburst
First skied at Showdown: the 1961-62 season, with his new wife
First worked here: on the Great Falls Ski Patrol from 1962
Years at Showdown: 1962–2024
Positions: Great Falls Ski Patrol, volunteer, from 1962
Showdown pro patrol, many years
Patrol Director
National Ski Patrol Northern Division Director, a six-year term
Regional Director and Section Chief
Instructor in Outdoor Emergency Care, toboggan transport, Avalanche 1 and 2, Mountain Rescue and ski skills
PSIA Level 1 ski instructor
Awards: Mike Bell Lifetime Service Award — one of the first two, in 1999
National Ski Patrol appointment, number 3810
Purple Merit Star
Two Blue Merit Stars
Many Yellow Merit Stars
Mark Behan Award, NSP Northern Division
Patriot Star Award, NSP Northern Division, 2016-17
Outstanding Patroller, NSP Northern Division

What they did

6 entries

1955–1959Four years a Marine, fourteen months of them in Japan with the Third Marine Division
10 November 1961Married Carol Jean Boughton of Raynesford; that winter she took him up Kings Hill for the first time
1972 and 1976Won the men's over-30 class at the Great Falls Ski Club's annual race
February 1988Worked the ski jumping events at Canada Olympic Park, Calgary, alongside four other Great Falls patrollers working alpine events at Nakiska
Before 2008With Dale Pugh, earned Nordic ski patrol certification after teaching toboggan handling to the Flathead Nordic Club
Cleared a misfired fireworks shell from the mortar bucket during Showdown's early New Year fireworks, establishing the Boom Crew's safety practices

20 in the archive

2 documents

Kings Crier Vol. III, No. IIDecember 1965 · page 6
Kings Crier Unnumbered — last issue of the 1970-71 seasonApril 1971 · page 6

Named for him Kings Ridge, the run opened in February 1968 as the Ridge Run
Named for him the Stan King toboggan, 2021
On the mountain the memorial bench built from eight old skis and a snowboard, outside the lodge
On the mountain the KING OF THE HILL sign, and a painted gnome nailed to a pine and strung with lights