John Peyer - Winter Carnival Founder

John Peyer was born in Zurich Switzerland on March 26, 1880 and emigrated to the United States in 1902, settling in Ionia (Jewell County) Kansas.  John eventually found his way to Hot Sulphur Springs on June 1, 1911 as the sales manager of the Hot Sulphur Springs Townsite Company.  John drove a luxury 7-passenger Martini automobile, which was used for transporting prospective land buyers  from the Moffat Railroad train depot. 

In October of 1911, the Moffat Railroad announced that freight operations would be moved from Hot Sulphur Springs to Fraser.  The Middle Park Times published an editorial concerned about the future of Hot Sulphur Springs.  John Peyer responded with a letter that suggested that the town could be a winter  sports tourist attraction. One week later John ran a notice in the paper for all interested parties to meet to plan a winter carnival.  John Peyer was elected Carnival Committee Chairman and the Carnival Day was set for December 30, 1911.

A Denver Post article the day before the carnival quoted “Hot Sulphur Springs Winter Sports Club hopes to make winter sports as popular in Colorado as they are in Switzerland and Norway”. 

The carnival had a great turnout and John Peyer showed he also had athletic skill, placing first in the Fancy Skating Contest and first in the Couples Fancy Skating Contest, along with Mrs. Fuller.  At 9pm at the highlight of the Grand Ball, two strangers appeared on skies, with 35 pound backpacks and rifles.  Carl Howelsen and Angell Schmidt, who had heard about the carnival, boarded the train in Denver at 8 am and detrained at the Corona Station atop of Rollins Pass to ski down the mountains.  They completed this feat of 44 miles on skis in 9 hours.  

The Norwegians set out the next day to build a crude ski jump and by shortly after noon, they gave a jumping exhibition that amazed the spectators.  John  Peyer and the Winter Carnival committee were inspired to plan yet another event in six weeks time to include the spectacular ski jumping.  The second carnival was planned for February 10-12, 1912.

Ski events of cross country, downhill and jumping were added to the skate and sled competitions.  This became the first winter ski carnival west of the Mississippi River.  Entrants came to compete from all over the United States and the Moffat Railroad ran special trains, bringing hundreds of spectators from the Denver area.  John Peyer’s dreams became a reality! The winter carnival was declared a great success and plans were made for the second annual event in 1913.

John Peyer headed up the planning for the Second Annual Winter Carnival and attracted skiers and athletes from all over including the National Ski Association’s professional circuit. The Middle Park Times had ads for the upcoming 2^nd Annual Winter Sports Carnival on January 31, February 1 & 2, 1913.

Skis for sale $2.50 and up. See John Peyer.

Mr. John Peyer has received a consignment of skis from a ski factory in Ashland, Wisconsin and is selling them for Mr. C. Howelsen, our professional ski jumper.

If you don’t believe that Hot Sulphur Springs is the best place in the world for ski jumping, just ask John Peyer. He knows.

The  January 19th 1913 Denver Post, published a half page with photos and headlined “Skijoring, with Horses Hitched to Men on Skis to be seen at Sulphur Springs Winter Carnival.” “Novel Sport will be Witnessed in U.S. for First Time”.  The article explained skijoring.  The January 31^st 1913 Rocky Mountain News headline was, “Ski Jumpers Are Ready For Great Midwinter Sport Carnival”. “Crack Flyers East and West will meet in Program of Daring Feats”.  Five photos appeared with two ski jumpers, persons on a sled, and a toboggan.  In the center photo was John Peyer and a lady demonstrating skijoring  with the caption, “Never before in America, so far as we can learn, has skijoring been attempted”.

The second carnival made history by being recorded in moving pictures which were shown across America. 

John Peyer pursued his real estate career with the Hot Sulphur Springs Company and in July 1913 became Automobile Park Superintendent for the Lincoln Highway Association.  The association was in charge of "The Main Street Across America Campaign".  John later made a living by repairing cars and went on to be a travelling salesman for the Hupp Motor Car Company. Around 1920, John Peyer settled in Brooklyn New York where he married and fathered two children. He continued to visit his bungalow in Hot Sulphur Springs. John became the proprietor of a hotel in DeSoto City Florida and then moved on to Sebring Florida where he opened a machine shop business.  At the outbreak of World War II, John Peyer helped organize and became an instructor at the Sebring Defense School at Hendricks Airfield. 

John Peyer passed away on November 5, 1941 at age 61 years.  He was survived by his wife Elsa, daughter Helen and son Herbert. His obituary said that he was considered to be one of the ablest machinists and manufacturers machinists in the nation.