The Utah Ski Archives, established in 1989, is housed in the Manuscripts Division of Special Collections at the University of Utah Marriott Library. Created to preserve a comprehensive history of skiing in Utah and the Intermountain region, the archives offer a unique opportunity for historical and contemporary research into Utah's prospering ski industry. The archives document the evolution of the sport and industry, including the history of ski competition on local, national, and international levels. The archives have been designated as the repository for the Salt Lake Winter Olympics Games Bid Committee records.

Although the Ski Archives, a self-funded program, is in its infancy, the S. J. & J. E. Quinney Foundation has recognized the importance of the project and has provided critical seed money. In 1993, the Ski Archives were incorporated into the newly established Joe Quinney Recreation Archives, which also contain material on river running, hiking clubs, and other activities. Future additions of material and development of the Utah Ski Archives will continue to strengthen its importance as a repository of primary-source research materials for use both now and in the future. In addition to scholarly research of skiing as a sport, these materials are valuable resources for research into skiing-related industries such as public relations, transportation, resorts and their amenities, equipment, and clothing.

Material formats in the various collections include correspondence, competition rosters, organizational minutes, architectural drawings and site plans, news clippings, and miscellaneous items ranging from lift tickets to scrapbooks. Sound and visual recordings, graphic presentations, photos and oral histories are frequently found in almost all of the collections. The oral histories are an especially useful and fascinating section of the holdings, and number over 100 interviews. Most of these oral histories listed in the guide are processed and ready for researcher use. Other interviews listed are expected to be available shortly. Additional holdings include 89 textual, photographic, and audio-visual collections. In selecting collections for the guide, it was decided to be inclusive rather than exclusive; therefore, some collections listed here may contain only a small amount of information about skiing, but it is information that otherwise might not be known.