History of the Chalet

The San Diego Ski Club Chalet was born in 1959, from a Quonset hut originally located at the 32nd Street Naval Yard. Club members disassembled the Quonset hut, transferred it to the Mammoth site, and reassembled it, making modifications and improvements to it. Fortunately, the entire process was filmed as a movie, and was later digitized and made available to our current membership, by Jewel Levine.

This film/video (left) “Building San Diego Ski Club Chalet 1959” (digitized by John McFrog) was featured at the 2009 Club Christmas Party at Erin Barber’s house. Jewel LeVine and Ralph Barber, two of the many who were around during the construction of the chalet, were at the party and did their best to recall those in the film who helped build the chalet.

Ralph Barber said he and his wife Nancy Barber participated in the building of the Chalet, but the real powerhouse behind the project was Henry Mandolf, for whom the Chalet is named. Another key player was George Cruse, who obtained the surplus Quonset hut. Both were past presidents of the club. Joe LeVine, also seen early in the video, was also a past president. Ted Baglin, Milt Kackson (past president), Andy Anderson (past president), Jack Skimmin (past president), Art Wuluck, Andy Lucas (past president), Bob Casebolt, Vern Otte (past mountaineering chair and 10th Mountain vet), and Jim Wehsner (past president) were all identified in the video. Last but not least, Gloria Kelly was identified as a former president and top ski racer, who routinely beat members of the “less fair sex”.

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