In the 1920s, three sports became mainstream in the nation’s recreation sector—golf, snow skiing and tennis. By the 1930s, in the region there were nearly a half dozen ski clubs, that were very active and creative, too.
In 1936, the Mt. Lassen Ski Club of Mineral created a mid-summer ski tournament. It was held on Lassen Peak, Lake Helen being the base, during the Fourth of July weekend,. However, depending on conditions, it was sometimes held a bit earlier or later than the patriotic date. The club introduced a new event, known as the Inferno Race. This was no ordinary race, and definitely not one for novice skiers. The course was interesting and required a great deal of stamina just to reach the starting point, the summit of Lassen Peak, a climb of 2,200 feet. Usually only a dozen or more skiers participated in this slalom race, which had four gates, and two turns and one jump across the park highway. The event continued through 1941, but conditions created by World War II brought an abrupt halt. This is one of many prime examples that after World War II was never resurrected.
It should be noted that there some individuals who climb the peak to the top and ski down during the summer months.