The Maple Leaf Trail
The Laurentian region of Quebec is known as the “cradle of skiing” in North America because of its rich history as one of the oldest ski regions in Canada.
Hall coached the U.S. cross-country ski team (1968-1978) and the Canadian team (1982-1992). He elevated both programs to world-class
levels and developed two outstanding skiers, one in each country – American Bill Koch who won a silver medal in the 1976 Olympics and
Canadian Pierre Harvey who scored Canada’s first three (3) World Cup cross-country victories in 1987 and 1988.
Martin Hall stands out through his achievement in progressing our crosscountry Sport and Science program to a higher standard. He definitely
was the right coach for the right time for Canada. Also, noteworthy was his lay-out and design of Thunder Bay’s facilities and trails for the 1995
FIS Nordic World Ski Championships.
Hall was a disciplinarian as a coach and an innovator with waxing techniques. In 1981, he published a book, One Stride Ahead: An Expert Guide to Cross Country Skiing. Opinionated and controversial, he caused an uproar at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary when he accused the Russian team of doping.
Hall skied for the University of New Hampshire before turning to coaching. He spent eight years as head coach of the Bowdoin College Nordic
program, 2000-2008 before retiring. Inducted to the US Ski Hall of Fame in 2018.
Please Note: The ski information gathered here is compiled from a number of sources; it may not be inclusive of all accomplishments.
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Marty giving a clinic… do as I do AND as I say. Nordic USA.
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