The 1960 Winter Olympics Games in Squaw Valley

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In press reports of the purchase of Fleur du Lac and in advertising material, second Fleur du Lac owner John DeMaria repeated on many occasions that “Lake Tahoe is no longer a summer resort; we plan to develop this property for use on a year-round basis”.  His claim that Tahoe had become a year-round resort area was based on the success of the 8th Olympic Winter Games, held from February 18 to 28, 1960 in nearby Squaw Valley California. 

Squaw Valley was an undeveloped, struggling ski resort in 1956 when it was miraculously chosen as the host site for the 1960 Olympic Winter Games.  Over the next four years, approximately $80 million ($769 million) was spent on facilities for the Games.  Countless additional millions of dollars were spent in developing the nearby towns of Tahoe City and Truckee to prepare for the event.  These investments were made with the promise to provide a solid foundation for the development of future winter activities at Lake Tahoe. 

Athletes from 30 nations competed in 27 Olympic events, a mere fraction of the events at today’s Winter Olympics.  Walt Disney was the Chairman of the “Pageantry Committee” responsible for the opening and closing ceremonies.  Vice President Richard Nixon was the official United States representative at the Games.  The Games marked a number of “firsts”: the first time artificial ice was used for speed skating events, the first time electronic timing equipment was used that was capable of measuring elapsed times to the 100th of a second, the first time results were tabulated by a computer (IBM) and available immediately, and the first time a sliding roof over an arena could be closed (with ropes and pulleys) during inclement weather.  Television rights for the Games were sold for a whopping $50,000 ($472,703) to CBS, and it was at these Games that the concept of “instant replay” was invented by the network.  Best of all, the US Hockey team won a highly improbable Gold Medal, a feat that would not be duplicated until the “Miracle on Ice” in 1980.

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