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(More customer reviews)Bina Robinson's lively book tells the story of how she and her husband Dave, building by building, piece by piece of equipment, built a ski area. But, it turns out that she is really saying that it took more than their four hands. She gives credit to their neighbors, their employees, their banker, their family and friends , who gave heroic help along the way. She tells how their four children grew up to be invaluable helpers. Each of the children has a chapter in the book, giving his or her own story of what it was like to grow up on a ski slope.
The Robinsons made history in New York State when during the second World War, they dreamed up the idea of having a ski area for western New York. One night when he was on bow watch on his tanker in the Merchant Marines, it struck Dave that Rochester had a lot of snow, but no ski areas. He and Bina decided to "look for a hill, buy it, and put up a rope tow." They did find out later that there were indeed several small ski slopes in western New York, and the owner of one of them, Bill De Wolfe, later ran the Swain Ski School for ten years.
Their ski area grew because they provided what their customers needed. A ski shop happened because the Robinson's customers needed supplies and equipment, and there was no ski shop within a fifty mile radius. Skiing was more complicated in the days when the Robinsons were creating a ski area. There were no Teflon bottoms on skis, so skiers had to have help having their skis waxed and lacquered. Leather boots had to be fitted and laced up. Cable bindings were adjusted to fit each individual pair of boots. So, a ski repair shop became a necessity. Skiers wanted hot food, so the cafeteria and restaurant grew and grew. Ski slopes had to be groomed continually, so equipment and machinery were added.
Since from the first a Ski Patrol was a necessity, Dave, Bina and friend Dick Clark, took first aid classes and made up the first Ski Patrol. Dick's sons were added. Co-workers of Dave's from Kodak joined. One ski patroller, Harry Stoneham, is one of the longest-serving patrollers in the country with over sixty years of service. The Robinson's all-volunteer Swain Ski Patrol is "one of the oldest continually operating chapters of the National Ski Patrol in the country."
The Swain Ski School was at first just Bina teaching local children or an occasional customer, but as the need for ski instructors grew, so did the Swain Ski School. In 2004, it had grown to 120 instructors, who taught from 6,000 to 20,000 skiers a year. The school provided specially-priced packages for school students that included everything they needed: lessons, equipment rental, lift tickets, and chaperones.
Another accomplishment for them was that they were one of the first ski areas to make snow. The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle described, on January 22, 1956, in an article by Floyd King, " a successful weekend made possible by man-made snow at Swain." He stated, "Almost every ski area in Northeastern United States and Canada was washed out of business last weekend by the prolonged January thaw"..."One of the exceptions was Swain Ski Slope where the largest crowd in its history enjoyed skiing on corn snow, framed by a Grandma Moses winter wonderland"... Floyd gives us his explanation of how it was done, and Bina gives us the real, personal nitty-gritty.
So, the Swain Ski Center grew and grew. Bina shows the hard work, the long hours, the money worries. But, she says, "It wasn't all tragedy and heroism...", and she tells us of the good times, too. A few of the problems were some of the funniest moments. Take the bat in the attic, or the indoor rain barrels.
Dave and Bina's story shows us that they not only built a Ski Center that provided fun and healthy exercise for thousands of people, but they also changed the hamlet of Swain and Allegany County, New York, forever.
Photos in the book include before and after shots of the barn that became the base lodge, one of daughter Janet skiing with family dog, Killy on her back, and family and friends.
Click Here to see more reviews about: With Our Own Four Hands: and a lot of help from our friends and new neighbors Swain Ski Area came to be
"With Our Own Four Hands" is the account of how a young couple, grubbing away with hand tools back in the 1940's, brought reality to their wartime dream of creating a ski area for western New York skiers. It also touches on the history of skiing and the development of ski equipment starting with a single toe strap to hold the boot against the ski.The book is also an authentic chapter in history of the hamlet of Swain in Allegany County which had been largely by-passed by 20th century developments. It describes the actions of the real people who contributed to the project in various ways, and the effects, both good and bad, of the ski area on the community itself.Also covered are formation on one of the oldest ski patrols in the country and the launching of an Olympic gold medal winner plus a Ski Hall of Fame World Cup Champion along with the actions - some heroic, some hilarious - of more ordinary mortals.The couple's four children have each contributed a chapter of some of their recollections (which run the gamut from endearing to humorous to hair-raising) of growing up on the ski area. The book starts with an account of "the early years" that Dave wrote in response to a request from newer members of the ski patrol for information about the area's origins. Realizing that she was the last person alive to know the whole story, Bina has woven it all together: the ski area, the community and its people.
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