Hall of Famer
Robert Gooch
Affiliated Discipline(s):
Alpine
Date of Birth / Death:
1921 - 1998
Hometown:
Agincourt, ON / Toronto, ON
Active Career Period:
1942 - 1972
Induction CSHF:
1984
Induction Category:
Builder, Official
By his own admission, Robert W Gooch was “…never a great racer”. He competed four-way from 1938 to 1951, his best results being a 3rd place in the Southern Ontario Zone Alpine Championships in 1948 and a 2nd in the Ontario Inter-Collegiate Cross-Country Championships in 1940. His real interests were in the organizational and development aspects of skiing and in these areas his contribution to the sport was substantial at both the local and national levels.
The diversity of his contribution is evident in the following achievements:
1942 – 1965
Chairman of Trail Planning at the Blue Mountain ski area, Collingwood, Ontario.
1940s – 1972
Director, sometime President (1963 – 1966)
Honorary Life Member of the Toronto Ski Club with an interest in and responsibility for planning and clearing the Club’s principal ski runs and trails.
1946 – 1954
Alpine race and press liaison coordinator, Blue Mountain ski area, Collingwood, Ontario.
1955 – 1964
Editor, Toronto Ski Club’s magazine “Ski Runner”.
Within the Canadian Amateur Ski Association, his dedication and enthusiasm led to a number of responsible positions in the administration of skiing:
1953 – 1959
Technical Chairman, Southern Ontario Ski Zone, Canadian Amateur Ski Association (CASA)
1963
Chairman of Publications, Canadian Amateur Ski Association (CASA)
1964
Chairman, National Ski Tests, Canadian Amateur Ski Association,(CASA)
1965 – 1968
National Recreation Chairman, Canadian Amateur Ski Association (CASA)
He produced the CASA Manual on all aspects of recreational skiing and, in 1967, in cooperation with Kell Antoff and Al Raine, implemented nationally the Nancy Greene League (for aspiring junior alpine competitors). In this role, he also helped realize the first Canadian Marathon Ski Tour.
The following awards attest to the recognition that he received from a lifetime of dedication to his sport:
1952
Julian Sale Trophy Award
1959
The Osler Bluff Ski Club Award
1967
Scarborough Township Centennial Award for establishing the areas local ski schools and designing a ski hill constructed from the region’s garbage.
Please Note: The ski information gathered here is compiled from a number of sources; it may not be inclusive of all accomplishments.
Copyright © 2021, Canadian Ski Museum. For Personal/Educational use only.
1988 Canadian Ski Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony [L to R]: Robert Gooch, Ross Larway, Fred Hall. CSHFM Collection.
1988 Canadian Ski Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony [L to R]: Robert Gooch, Ray Grinnell, Ross Larway, Fred Hall, Mrs. Pangman, Harry Pangman, Louis Grimes. CSHFM Collection.
[L to R]: ?, Rae Grinnell, Bob Gooch, Nancy Greene at 1988 Canadian Ski Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. CSHFM Collection.
[L to R]: Louis Grimes, Bob Gooch,?, Nancy Greene, Rae Grinnell 1988 Canadian Ski Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. CSHFM Collection.
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