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Still Going Downhill

Legends of Showdown · The George Willett years, 1973–2020

1977 John Kowalski — The Mountain — Happy ski day

1977 John Kowalski — The Mountain — Happy ski dayGeorge Willett Collection

Johnny and Renee Kowalski

Showdown's kitchen from 1974 — twenty-seven seasons, with Renee

Legend of Showdown

Born
First skied at Showdown: March 1970, a day of spring skiing
First worked here: 1974, running the food service with Phil Kiser — George Willett's second season
Years at Showdown: 1974–c.2003, twenty-six or twenty-seven seasons
Positions: Food service, with Phil Kiser, 1974 to about 1977
Cook and proprietor, Johnny K's Cook Shack — the lodge grill, to about 2003
The summer concession on the hill, with Renee Kowalski
Ski-show booth for Showdown, 1990s

What they did

9 entries

March 1970First day at Showdown, spring skiing, while teaching school in Helena
1974Took over Showdown's food service with his college friend Phil Kiser, in a deal with George Willett in his second season as owner
c.1975-76Brought Taco Treat-style tacos to Showdown's menu — Phil Kiser's father had founded Taco Treat in Great Falls
1977Traveled to Switzerland with George Willett and Joe Pinski to buy the machine that became the Payload triple chair
April 1983Filmed teaching as a Showdown instructor for the television show Ski West
10 April 1983Skied the downhill leg for Big Horn Wilderness's fifth straight win in the Belt Creek Headwaters Relay, with Doug Darko, Gene Stewart and Todd Onker
15 April 1984Ran for Showdown in the first Corporate Cup race, with George Willett, Jamie Willett and Mark Skinner; the team finished second
c.2002-03Last season running the kitchen, after twenty-six or twenty-seven years
Worked the Montana ski-promotion shows for Showdown, once driving alone overnight across North Dakota from Bismarck to Dickinson

Photographs

26 in the archive

1976 Katie Boedecker, Johnny Kowalski — 1976 Katie Boedecker, Johnny KowalskiGeorge Willett Collection

1976 John Kowalski, Renee Kowalski — On the mountain — Summer hike — 1976 John Kowalski, Renee Kowalski — On the mountain — Summer hikeGeorge Willett Collection

1977 John Kowalski, Gus the Dog — The Lodge — Enjoying the snow — 1977 John Kowalski, Gus the Dog — The Lodge — Enjoying the snowGeorge Willett Collection

1977 John Kowalski — The Mountain — Happy ski day — 1977 John Kowalski — The Mountain — Happy ski dayGeorge Willett Collection

1988 John Kowalski, Margie Willett, Butch Nebel — The Mountain — Happy ski day — 1988 John Kowalski, Margie Willett, Butch Nebel — The Mountain — Happy ski dayGeorge Willett Collection

1988 John Kowalski — On the Mountain — Happy ski day — 1988 John Kowalski — On the Mountain — Happy ski dayGeorge Willett Collection

1996 George Willett, Renee Kowalski Saint Patricks Day — 1996 George Willett, Renee Kowalski Saint Patricks DayDiane Carter Collection

1996 Johnny K's Cook Shack 2 — 1996 Johnny K's Cook Shack 2Diane Carter Collection

1996 Johnny Kowalski in kitchen — 1996 Johnny Kowalski in kitchenDiane Carter Collection

1996 Johnny Kowalski, Heidi Amels — 1996 Johnny Kowalski, Heidi AmelsDiane Carter Collection

1996 Margie Willett, Shane Dempsey, Johnny Kowalski — 1996 Margie Willett, Shane Dempsey, Johnny KowalskiDiane Carter Collection

1996 Renee Kowalski St. Patricks Day — 1996 Renee Kowalski St. Patricks DayDiane Carter Collection

1996 Renee Kowalski, Margie Willett — The Lodge — Green Beer for St — 1996 Renee Kowalski, Margie Willett — The Lodge — Green Beer for StDiane Carter Collection

1999 Scott Mosher, Dick Mosher, Johnny Kowalski — Top of the mountain — 1999 Scott Mosher, Dick Mosher, Johnny Kowalski — Top of the mountainDiane Carter Collection

1970s Johnny Kowalski — Summer Concert — 1970s Johnny Kowalski — Summer ConcertGeorge Willett Collection

1990s Johnny Kowalski Cooking — 1990s Johnny Kowalski CookingGeorge Willett Collection

1990s Johnny K's Cookshack — 1990s Johnny K's CookshackGeorge Willett Collection

1990s Johnny Kowalski, Chris Quinn, Pat Rice, Bill Holzeimer Ski patrol — 1990s Johnny Kowalski, Chris Quinn, Pat Rice, Bill Holzeimer Ski patrolGeorge Willett Collection

1990s Johnny Kowalski and unknown in back on Deck — 1990s Johnny Kowalski and unknown in back on DeckGeorge Willett Collection

1990s Johnny Kowalski cooking on deck — 1990s Johnny Kowalski cooking on deckGeorge Willett Collection

1990s Johnny Kowalski on deck stairs — 1990s Johnny Kowalski on deck stairsGeorge Willett Collection

1990s Johnny Kowalski, Pat Rice, Chris Quinn and others — 1990s Johnny Kowalski, Pat Rice, Chris Quinn and othersGeorge Willett Collection

2000s Johnny Kowalski and Sandy Solberg Tacky Attire in kitchen — 2000s Johnny Kowalski and Sandy Solberg Tacky Attire in kitchenGeorge Willett Collection

1970s Johnny Kowalski — 1970s Johnny KowalskiGeorge Willett Collection

1990s Johnny Kowalski — 1990s Johnny KowalskiWillett Family Photos

1990s Margie Willett, George Willett, Renee Kowalski — 1990s Margie Willett, George Willett, Renee KowalskiDave Elmquist Collection

All photographs of Johnny and Renee Kowalski in the search →

In the papers

5 documents

The Showdowner Fall of 90 IssueFall 1990 · pages 2, 3
The Showdowner Winter of 90 IssueWinter 1990 · page 2
Sixty Years at Showdown The 60th-anniversary brochure1996–97 season · page 4
Let’s Rec-reate The Showdown Solution1997–98 season · page 5
Come Ski the Heart of Montana Trail map and area brochure1999–2000 season · page 5

Search the papers for Johnny Kowalski →

Also

Named for him Johnny K's Cook Shack, the lodge grill — on Showdown's trail maps from 1996-97 to 2000-01, and the Kings Hill Grill by 2003-04

Added by the people who were there