Newland from Italy Ski Base Layers
Newland from Italy ski wear salutes the ladies of the snow, please take note. As we layer up for another enriching winter in the mountains, spare a thought for the plucky pioneering gals who laid those first tracks for us all. Well before big lines and extreme skiing came into fashion, and not that long after ladies were first seen sporting trousers, a fearless set of identical twins from Canada were trailblazing a swath through the world of ski racing.
Born in 1922, Rhona and Rhoda Wurtele were as inseparable as they were unstoppable. Keeping pace with their equally athletic brothers, the indomitable twins would dominate nearly every race they entered in the 1940s. Heroics that began with ski jumping in Montreal by age 11, eventually led to international racing celebrated with après-ski soirees among the likes of Salvador Dalí. Together they comprised the first — indeed, the entire — Olympic Women’s Alpine Team for Canada in 1948 and would subsequently spend decades coaching and inspiring generations of new skiers, female and male.
For their contributions, a litany of awards has included the prestigious Order of Canada, honors from the Canadian and the US Sports Halls of Fame, and starring roles in newsreels, ski films, and countless photographs. Turns out, one particular image is enjoying a renaissance. In search of an evocative vintage picture to reproduce on their luxury ski wear, the Italian firm of Newland alighted on two smiling girls sailing through cool mountain air. “We didn’t know the identity of the girls in the picture,” explained Newland’s Anna Dareggi. “We were excited to see a real photo of two girls who, so many years ago, and in such a different historical and social context, were so obviously brave and exceptional at the sport we love.” Newland from Italy ski base layers are thrilled to “sponsor” the ladies.
By chance, the daughter of one of the twins saw the resulting sweater in Ski Town Boutique, in Brossard, Québec. The shop owner contacted Newland on behalf of the sisters — now 97 years old, avid cross-country skiers and by all accounts tickled pink to see their exploits touching yet another generation of mountain lovers. A special order, including a set of custom created sweaters for the models themselves, was delivered to the boutique.
Fleshing out a rich history woven right through the garment, Rhoda and Rhona shared its provenance. The photo was shot in Banff, Alberta in 1947 for an advertisement for the Canadian Pacific Railway and also graced magazine covers and a biography of their lives on skis, No Limits, by Byron Rempel. The perfectly coordinated jump captured in the photo, we’re not surprised to hear, was achieved in just one take. Clearly, the Wurtele sisters had places to go.
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