Ron Richards Sr.

Ron Richards has left an exceptional and lasting legacy to skiing in Canada, particularly in ski jumping. He first became involved in the sport in 1963 as a competitor, winning the Southern Ontario Ski Jumping Championships eight times between 1963 and 1972. During the same period, he was Ontario champion five times and twice North American Senior “B” champion.

In 1970 Ron became chairman of the Canadian Ski Association’s Ski Jumping Committee, a position he held until 1976. He managed the Canadian ski jumping team at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan, and the 1976 Games in Innsbruck, Austria. As manager of the Canadian junior world team, Ron guided Horst Bulau to international prominence when Bulau won gold at the 1979 World Junior Ski Jumping Championships in Quebec City. The program’s success was confirmed in 1980 when Steve Collins repeated Bulau’s feat. Other notable ski jumpers — including Zdenek Mezl and Ron Richards Jr. — also emerged from Ron’s Ontario team program launched in 1978.

From 1976 onwards, Ron continued to serve on the national Ski Jumping Committee as chairman of the finance committee for two years (helping increase the national team’s budget from $7,000 in 1977 to $500,000 in 1983) and as officials’ chairman for three years. He also sat on the International Ski Federation (FIS) judges and technical delegates committee for three years and the ski jumping management committee for one year.

Appointed an FIS ski jumping judge in 1980 and a technical delegate in 1985, Ron officiated at world championships in Sweden, Italy, Norway and Czechoslovakia. From 1980 to 1985 he chaired the Southern Ontario Division of the CSA’s jumping committee, and at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics he served as chief of distance measurers.

Arguably Ron’s most significant achievements were the creation and development of a national winter training centre for underfunded winter sports and the building of the world-class ski jumping complex in Thunder Bay, Ont. He was also involved in the construction of ski jumping facilities at Mont-Sainte-Anne, Que., and other Canadian locations.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• 1963–1972 — Eight-time Southern Ontario ski jumping champion; five-time Ontario champion; twice North American Senior “B” champion
• 1970–1976 — Chairman, CSA Ski Jumping Committee
• 1972 & 1976 — Manager, Canadian Olympic ski jumping team (Sapporo and Innsbruck)
• 1978 — Founded Ontario ski jumping team program producing Horst Bulau, Steve Collins, Zdenek Mezl and Ron Richards Jr.
• 1979 & 1980 — Managed Canadian junior world team producing back-to-back world junior champions
• 1976–1983 — Chair, finance and officials’ committees, national Ski Jumping Committee; helped grow budget from $7,000 to $500,000
• 1980 — Appointed FIS ski jumping judge
• 1985 — Appointed FIS technical delegate; officiated at world championships in Sweden, Italy, Norway and Czechoslovakia
• 1980–1985 — Chair, Southern Ontario Division Jumping Committee
• 1988 — Chief of distance measurers, Calgary Winter Olympics
• Legacy — Created National Winter Training Centre; helped build ski jumping facilities in Thunder Bay, Ont., and Mont-Sainte-Anne, Que.

Note: Information compiled from several sources; may not include all accomplishments. © Canadian Ski Museum & Hall of Fame. For personal/educational use only. All rights reserved.