William KIDD

Billy Kidd first gained world-wide attention when he finished eighth in slalom and 12th in giant slalom at the 1962 FIS World Championships. Although he had to sit out much of the 1963 season with a sprained ankle, he came back in 1964 to win the first U.S. medal ever in alpine skiing, when he finished second in the slalom at Innsbruck. In the next few years, Kidd laid claim to the title of America’s greatest ski racer in that era. In 1965 he won eight consecutive races in the United States and in 1966 he won several European races, dueling head-to-head with the great Jean-Claude Killy. However a broken leg in 1967, and sprained ankles prior to the 1968 Olympics, hampered his chances at Grenoble. After the Olympics, Kidd competed as an amateur for two more years, during which time, in 1970, he won the first U.S. gold medal at the FIS World Championships. Kidd then turned pro and won the 1970 World Professional Championships in giant slalom and combined. Billy Kidd has had a very successful career in the ski industry. He has been ski director at Steamboat Springs, Colorado, for many years, represented various ski industry manufacturers as a spokesman, been a ski commentator for television, written columns for ski magazines, and written two books on skiing. He also has served on the President’s Council for Physical Fitness and Sports and been a part-time coach to the U.S. ski team.