Guttorm BERGE

Guttorm Berge was born in Vardal just outside the town of Gjøvik, and showed an early talent for alpine skiing. In 1948, still a teenager, he was Norwegian champion in downhill and combined. In 1951 he went to the USA to study business economy, first at Whitman College, from 1954 at Middlebury College, and he finished his studies at Harvard. In 1952 he skied well in North America before winning his Olympic bronze medal in slalom. He ended the season by winning both slalom and giant slalom at the Holmenkollen Kandahar, organized in Voss. In 1953 he won three titles at the open Canadian Championships. In 1956 he was back in Norway, and became national champion in slalom and giant slalom. However, he failed to finish any of his Olympic events in Cortina. In 1958 he won his fifth and last national championship, this time in giant slalom. Berge worked as an economist in the Norwegian ski wax industry until his retirement.