Ski industry pioneer Richard Kun, who saved Snow Summit, dies at 76
LA TimesWhen Mother Nature failed to deliver snow to the often-arid mountains above San Bernardino, Richard “Dick” Kun did. The innovative ski resort operator found ways to power water up the hill, turn it into snow and, in the end, rescue and grow an industry that always seemed to struggle against the California sun. Kun, former chief executive officer of Snow Summit Ski Corp. and a pioneer in outdoor recreation, died Nov. 27 at his home in Big Bear Lake after a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s disease. But with his stepfather’s death in 1964, Kun returned from his studies at the University of Colorado to help his mother, Jo, run the family ski resort 100 miles east of Los Angeles. “Dick just went into Southern California, in this mild and sunny climate, and created a reliable and consistent product for millions of people,” said friend and former colleague Tim Cohee, who now runs China Peak Mountain Resort near Fresno.
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