Lives

Dick Durrance, American skiing icon

Dick Durrance
Passing Date: June 14, 2004

By Morten Lund America's first skiing superstar, Dick Durrance, died in Carbondale, Colorado of natural causes on June 1, 2003 at the age of 89. Durrance broke into national prominence by placing 8th in the slalom and 10th in alpine combined at the 1936 Winter Olympics at Garmisch-Partenkirchen,...

Clarita Heath Bright, ’36 Olympian

Clarita Heath Bright
Passing Date: October 18, 2003

Clarita Heath Bright, '36 Olympian, dead at 87 US Ski Team report BROOKLINE, MA  - Clarita Heath Bright, a U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame member who raced on the first U.S. Olympic alpine ski team in 1936, died at the age of 87. Born in Pasadena, CA, she was an 18-year-old named Clarita Heath when...

Leni Riefenstahl, Ski film star, Nazi director

Leni Riefenstahl
Passing Date: September 17, 2003

Leni Riefenstahl Controversial Journey from Ski Film Star to World Renowned Director By Morten Lund The late Leni Riefenstahl was an extraordinary actress in ski and mountain adventure films. She rose in power to become an even more extraordinary director of documentary film spectaculars. Her two...

Max Marolt, Aspen icon

Max Marolt
Passing Date: July 28, 2003

By Jennifer Davoren Aspen Times Staff Writer Max Marolt — an icon of skiing and politics in Aspen — died after suffering a heart attack while skiing in Argentina. Marolt, 67, was making his final run of the day at Las Leñas ski resort when the heart attack struck. He died doing what he loved, his...

Olav Ulland, jumper, retailer

Olav Ulland
Passing Date: June 16, 2003

Kongsberg ski jumper became great coach, pioneering retailer in Seattle. By Mira ObermanSeattle Times staff reporter Olav Ulland, a champion ski jumper and Olympic coach and judge probably best known locally for the "Sniagrab" sales at his now-defunct sporting-goods stores, died in his sleep June 7...

Robert Young, Freestyle pioneer

Robert Young
Passing Date: May 16, 2003

  April 10, 2003 -- Robert Knight Young died on April 7, 2003 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico at the age of 51 after fighting cancer for several years. He was born in Brigham City, Utah in 1951, but grew up in Ogden. He graduated from Ogden High School and was an honor student at Weber State College....

Stephen Bradley, father of snow grooming

Stephen J. Bradley
Passing Date: November 13, 2002

Steve Bradley Stephen J. Bradley, former executive director of Winter Park Resort, Colo., died November 13, 2002, in Longmont, Colo. Born in Chicago on November 12, 1916, Bradley was a top competitive skier and a member of Dartmouth's invincible 1939 ski team. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts...

Miggs Durrance, photographer

Miggs Durrance
Passing Date: November 12, 2002

Miggs Durrance Photographer covered the world By Dick Dorworth Margaret “Miggs” Jennings Durrance passed away peacefully in Carbondale, Colorado on Monday, November 11, 2002 at the age of 85. She had suffered from Mylar dysplasia for the past 10 years and was diagnosed with leukemia in August. She...

Real Charette, Snow Eagle Ski School, St. Jovite, Que.

Réal Charette,
Passing Date: October 24, 2002

Réal Charette was born in Ste. Agathe and began teaching at Gray Rocks at age 18. During World War II he was sent to Jasper, Alberta, to teach skiing to an alpine warfare unit. Returning to Gray Rocks in 1945, he became the first instructor to receive certification in Canada, and was named director...

Boots Blatt, ’48 Olympian, dead at 79

Boots Blatt
Passing Date: August 5, 2002

Boots Blatt, 79, dies of cancer WWII fighter pilot was member of '48 Olympic ski team John M. "Boots" Blatt, age 79, died at his home in Indio, CA on July 10th 2002, after a brave battle with cancer. Boots was born on May 14, 1923 in Hamburg, Germany, of naturalized American citizens, Robert Blatt...