George HOVLAND

George Hovland competed in the 1952 Winter Olympics, but has really never stopped competing. He has raced in every American Birkebeiner, save one, since its inception in 1973, and has won his age group over 10 times. He also was the first non-European to compete in the Vasaloppet Race in Sweden, over 90 km. Hovland founded the Spirit Mountain Ski Area and the Snowflake Nordic Ski Center in Duluth, Minnesota. An all-around skier in his youth, he was a four-time winner of the Central US four-event championship.