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Over decades CU-Boulder has earned a supreme reputation in skiing, starting with its first national championship, in 1959. In 1964 Billy Kidd (Econ’69) and Jimmie Heuga (±Ê´Ç±ô³§³¦¾±â€™73) became the first American men to win Olympic medals in the Alpine sport, a silver and bronze in the slalom. Time and again the university has reaffirmed its prowess on the slopes, winning 20 NCAA skiing championships, most recently last year.

But CU’s contribution to the sport extends beyond athletic feats: Countless alumni are big wheels in almost every aspect of the business and culture of skiing. Here we highlight a tiny sample.

  = Known for
  = First Job in Ski Industry

Bill Marolt (Mktg'67)

 Former chief executive of U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association; coach of U.S. national and CU-Boulder ski teams; CU-Boulder athletic director; four-time NCAA skiing champion

  Head ski coach, CU-Boulder

Nicky DeFord (Jour'99)

 Director of community engagement, Vail Resorts

 Communication assistant, Vail Mountain

Chris Davenport (Hist'93)

 Extreme skier; Hiked up, skied down Colorado's 100 highest peaks

 Race crew at Snowmass

Chris Jarnot (Bus'89)

 Executive vice president and chief operating officer, Vail Mountain

 Guest services at Beaver Creek

Seth Masia (MJour'07)

 President, International Skiing History Association

 Ski shop in Cleveland

Rod Slifer (Bus'56)

 Former mayor of Vail who was instrumental in its development as a major ski resort

 Ski instructor, Aspen Ski School, 1960

Keri Bascetta (Art'08)

 Director of photography, SKI and Skiing magazines

 Assistant photo editor, SKI Magazine

Billy Kidd (Econ'69)

 First American man to win an Olympic medal in Alpine skiing (1964, with Heuga); now director of skiing, Steamboat Ski & Resort

 Ski shop in Stowe, Vt.

Michael Jaquet (Jour'93)

 Chief marketing officer, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association

 Founder of Freeze magazine and the U.S. Freeskiing Open (with Jarnot)