Want to get tips from the very best athletes to improve your skiing and riding? Want to hear insider stories about what it’s like to compete for a gold medal? Former Olympians dedicate most of their early life to becoming the best in their class. After the ceremonies, they often return to work at ski resorts to share with others the love they have for their sport. Here’s where you’ll find them.
British Columbia
Big White Resort – Gary Athans, who competed in the ’84 Sarajevo Olympics in the Downhill and has skied as a stunt man for various international movie productions, is now their Goodwill Ambassador.
Fernie Resort – Emily Brydon, who won bronze at the ’84 Sarajevo Olympics in Downhill, now runs the Emily Brydon Youth Foundation, which supports getting youth involved in sports like skiing.
Panorama Mountain Village – Doug Anakin, a member of Canada’s gold medal-winning four-man bobsleigh team at the ’64 Olympics, serves as Mountain Host.
Sun Peaks Resort – Nancy Greene, who won gold in the Giant Slalom and silver in the Slalom at the ’68 Grenoble Olympics, is Director of Skiing. She meets guests for mountain tours on weekends.
California
Squaw Valley – Tamara McKinney, who placed fourth in the Giant Slalom at the ’84 Sarajevo Olympics, coaches the junior race program and gives clinics for women.
Squaw Valley – Jonny Moseley, who won gold in the moguls event at the ’98 Nagano Olympics, is Chief Mountain Host and gives free “Ski with Jonny Days.”
Colorado
Aspen/Snowmass – Gretchen Bleiler, silver medalist in the halfpipe at the ’06 Turin Olympics, is Mountain Ambassador and hosts the annual Snow Angels Invitational all-female invitational superpipe competition.
Aspen/Snowmass – Chris Klug, sixth-place finisher in snowboarding at the ’98 Nagano Olympics, won bronze in Salt Lake City in ’02 just 18 months after receiving a liver transplant. Chris runs a snowboarder camp every spring.
Copper Mountain – Phoebe Mills, who won bronze on the balance beam at the ’88 Seoul Olympics, went on to coach the US Junior National Snowboard Team. She is now a professional snowboard judge and Program Manager for the Woodward at Copper indoor ski and snowboard training facility.
Eldora Mountain Resort – Ann Battelle, a four-time Olympian who competed in moguls at the ’92, ’94, ’98 and ’02 Winter Games, instructs at the Advanced Skier Clinic.
Howelsen Hill – More than 30 former Olympians serve as full-time, part-time or guest coaches for the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, where more than 64 Olympians (who have accounted for over 90 Winter Olympic appearances) have trained.
Steamboat Ski Area – Billy Kidd won Olympic silver in Slalom at the ’64 Innsbruck Olympics. He and Jimmy Heuga (bronze in the same event) were the first American males to win Olympic medals in alpine skiing. Always seen wearing his 10-gallon cowboy hat, Billy is Director of Skiing and resort ambassador. He hosts performance camps, vip/media groups and free clinics most afternoons.
Steamboat Ski Area – Debbie Armstrong, who won gold in the Giant Slalom at the ’84 Sarajevo Olympics, is Alpine Technical Director. Debbie grew up skiing near Seattle at Alpental where a chairlift, Debbie’s Gold, honors her Olympic accomplishments.
Winter Park – Bob Holme, who competed in the Albertville ’92 and Lillehammer ’94 Games in Nordic Ski Jumping and was Olympic team captain in ’94, is Program Director and Head Coach for the Competition Center Snowboard Team. He’s also Manager for Terrain Parks, Bike & Youth Marketing.
Idaho
Bogus Basin – Lacey Heward, who competed in the Slalom and Giant Slalom Sit-Ski events at the ’02 and ’06 Paralympics, won two bronze medals at Salt Lake City. She is the Mountain Ambassador and available to take groups on tour.
Brundage – Lyle Nelson, a four-time Olympian, competed in biathlon in the ’76, ’80, ’84, and ’88 Olympics. Lyle was Team Captain and U.S. Flag Bearer for the ’88 Olympic Games in Calgary and today leads tours.
Sun Valley – Sun Valley is home to more than three dozen former Alpine and Nordic Olympians who are frequently spotted on the slopes. John “Johnny Iceland” Gudmundsson, who coached Iceland’s alpine team at the ’68 Grenoble Olympics, is a part-time coach.
Oregon
Ski Bowl – Petr Kakes, representing the Czech Republic, placed sixth in speed skiing, a demonstration sport at the ’92 Albertville Olympics. He runs the ski school in winter and mountain bike park in summer.
Phil and Steve Mahre, Olympic medal winners from White Pass, now host the Deer Valley Mahre Training Camps. Photo courtesy of Deer Valley
Utah
Deer Valley – Stein Eriksen, who won gold in the Giant Slalom and silver in the Slalom in the ’52 Helsinki Olympics, is Director of Skiing and leads tours every Sunday. He also serves as host of the Stein Ericksen Lodge.
Heidi Voelker, a three-time Olympian who competed in Giant Slalom and Slalom in the ’88, ’92 and ’94 Winter Games, is the resort’s Ski Ambassador.
Phil Mahre finished fifth in the Giant Slalom in the ’76 Innsbruck Olympics, won silver in Slalom in ’80 at Lake Placid and captured gold in Slalom in ’84 at Sarajevo where his brother Steve Mahre won silver in the same event. The twin brothers, who grew up skiing at White Pass Ski Area near Yakima where their father was mountain manager, run the Mahre Training Center for recreational skiers and racers.
The Canyons – Holly Flanders, who competed in the downhill in ’80 at Lake Placid and ’84 at Sarajevo, runs three-day women’s clinics.
Two freestyle skiers, three-time Olympian Fuzz Feddersen and two-time Olympian Trace Worthington, run Flying Ace Productions and Ski SuperStars to bring together former Olympians to ski and board with guests at Deer Valley or anywhere in the world. They also coordinate with the First Tracks program led by Olympians on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Chris Waddell, who won one bronze, six silver and five gold medals in 12 winter and one summer Paralympics, conducts ski camps for the disabled.
Libby Ludlow leads ski tours at Crystal Mountain. Photo courtesy of Libby Ludlow
Washington
Crystal Mountain – Libby Ludlow, who competed in the Super G in the ’06 Turin Winter Games, is Mountain Ambassador back on her home mountain. She leads tours and works with Crystal Mountain Alpine Club’s race program.
Scott Macartney – Take advantage of “Ski with Scott Day” at Crystal Mountain.
Photo courtesy of Scott Macartney
Scott Macartney, who competed in the Super G and Downhill in the ’02 Salt Lake City and ’06 Turin Olympics, is Mountain Ambassador on his home mountain where his mother and father, both ski patrollers, taught him to ski. He offers a “Ski with Scott” day where he guides groups around the mountain, giving feedback and ski tips.
Wyoming
Jackson Hole – Tommy Moe, who won gold in the Downhill and silver in the Super G events at the ’94 Lillehammer Olympics, serves as a ski guide and the resort’s Special Ambassador.
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