Who needs a mountain anyway? Ski stars with humble beginnings...

[Sibhusky]

Well, his dad was on ski patrol here. It looks like his parents got divorced and his mom was living here. Then he got kicked off the team. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1994-02-14-9402140398-story.html

 

[dan ross]

Ellen and Marion Post - Jiminy Peak Massachusetts. The mountain is bigger now then it was in the early 70’s but I saw them nearly every day after school on the then limited night skiing slopes.

 

[James]

Lindsey Kildow with Picabo Street at a store in Minnesota. Skiing at Buck Hill at that time. Early 90’s. Picabo would see Kildow race at 15 and say she’d never seen anyone ski like that.

Don’t know if this is Vail or Buck Hill or where.
Bib 171!! Nice gloves.

Years later chasing the green digits on the biggest stage. On the way to winning gold in downhill. 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

 

[crgildart]

 

[Pete in Idaho]

Love the video!

 

[markojp]

Cary Adgate. Skied World Cup from 1974 thru 1980. Came from Boyne Mountain. Maybe 150 meters of vert.

His dad was the hill manager at either Thunder Mtn or Walloon Hills across the way from Boyne Mt. I think Walloon actually. It's a shame that Boyne put both out of business.

There are a whole bunch of low FIS pt folks from central div region 2 and 3. One guy (Tim Hill, now based in Bend) podiumed at the masters world SL a few seasons back. Jonathan Ballou of PSIA demo team and tech skiing fame is from Ann Arbor and grew up skiing Mt. Brighton, MI.

 

[Bolder]

There are parallels in other sports, too. Kelly Slater and Lisa Andersen were Florida surfers who both won multiple world championships. They grew up surfing mush. The Hobgood brothers, also longtime pro world tour surfers, grew up on the west coast ... of Florida. One possible reason is that athletes who grew up in suboptimal conditions would do anything to get the good stuff, while if you grew up in, say Hawaii or Vail, you might skip the mediocre days. No need to push hard if it's all at your fingertips.