Robert Swan

Bob Swan competed at the 1964 and 1968 Winter Olympics. One of the original members of Canada’s national ski team when it was solidified in Nelson, B.C., in 1964, he spent five years with the program. Bob focused almost entirely on technical events, especially slalom. He won the 1962 Canadian junior slalom championship and posted five top-10 finishes in slalom and giant slalom on the World Cup circuit in 1967 and 1968.

He remained on the national team until 1968 before competing on the pro tour, winning three U.S. Masters championships and eight Canadian Masters championships.

Known as “Swabber” to his teammates in the 1960s, Bob has been skiing nearly every day of every winter since he was a teenager growing up near Ottawa. He and his fellow competitors didn’t know it at the time, but by racing to then-spectacular results they were carving the way for the legendary Crazy Canucks such as Ken Read and Steve Podborski and laying the groundwork for the future of Canadian alpine ski racing.

Bob’s passion for ski racing led him down a different path than many of his contemporaries. While many of his teammates became successful businesspeople, he never left the ski hills. He enjoys the quiet of his self-built cabin in the woods near Salmo, B.C. On his 13-acre property, he sets up a slalom course each winter to practice his technique, hiking up and then racing the 15-second course.

Now in his mid-70s, Bob still trains and races, maintaining the lifelong dedication to skiing that has defined his career and lifestyle.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• 1962 — Canadian junior slalom champion
• 1964 & 1968 — Competed at the Winter Olympic Games
• 1967–68 — Five top-10 finishes in slalom and giant slalom on the World Cup circuit
• Post-1968 — Competed on the pro tour
• Masters titles — Three U.S. Masters championships and eight Canadian Masters championships
• Lifetime — More than six decades of skiing and training almost daily, maintaining a personal slalom course near Salmo, B.C.

Note: The information gathered is compiled from a number of sources; it may not be inclusive of all accomplishments. Copyright © 2023, Canadian Ski Hall of Fame & Museum. For Personal & Educational use only. All Rights Reserved.