Steve Podborski

Steve Podborski — nicknamed “Pod” — was born in Toronto and strapped on skis for the first time at age three and a half.

A pivotal moment came in 1968 after Nancy Greene won gold at the Olympic Winter Games in Grenoble. Steve’s ski team (the first ever Nancy Greene Ski League team) participated in the ticker tape parade along with Nancy, waving to the massive crowds on Bay Street in Toronto, an experience that left a lasting impression.

By 13, Steve was already climbing the podium at the Canadian and North American juvenile and junior championships, winning on several occasions. In January 1973, at just 16 and newly named to the national team, he signalled his international podium potential with a second-place finish in his first race for Canada in Can-Am downhill at Whistler Mountain, B.C.

A two-time Olympian, Steve made history at Lake Placid in 1980 when, at 22, he became the first North American to win an Olympic medal in downhill, taking bronze. Two years later, he was crowned the world’s best downhill skier as the first, and still only, non-European male to win the World Cup, becoming the 1982 World Cup downhill champion.

As a member of Canada’s fabled Crazy Canucks, Steve was appointed to the Southern Ontario Ski Team in 1972 and the national alpine team in 1973. He retired in 1984 after a brilliant career that included 44 World Cup top-10 finishes — 20 of them podiums and eight wins, including two at the legendary Hahnenkamm downhill in Kitzbühel, Austria. That same year he was named an Officer of the Order of Canada, the country’s highest peacetime honour.

Steve was inducted into several halls of fame, including the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1985, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1987, the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame in 1988, the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2004, the International Ski Racing Hall of Fame in 2010 and Canada’s Walk of Fame (The Crazy Canucks) in 2006.

Steve has also served as a director of the Canadian Olympic Committee, and in leadership roles with Team Canada, first as assistant Chef de Mission for the 2010 Vancouver Games, then as Chef de Mission for the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games. He has given back to sport in Canada through many leadership roles and charity efforts domestically and internationally, with the FIS, VANOC, the CSA and others and continues to act as an ambassador for Canadian sport.

He also worked as an Olympic commentator, covering alpine skiing in Calgary in 1988, snowboarding at Nagano in 1998, freestyle skiing at Salt Lake City in 2002 and Turin in 2006, and cycling and taekwondo at Athens in 2004.

Steve has given back to his sport through countless volunteer efforts, and continues to act as an ambassador for Canadian sport. But it was Steve’s achievements on the slopes were most impressive. He blazed a trail for the next generation while dominating international competition with fearless determination.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• 1970s — Rose through Ontario and Canadian alpine ranks; multiple wins and podiums at Canadian juvenile championships; joined Southern Ontario Ski Team (1972); named to national alpine team (1973); 2nd, Can-Am downhill, Whistler (1973)
• 1979 – 1st, downhill, World Cup Morzine Avoriaz, France
• 1980 — Bronze, Olympic Winter Games, Lake Placid (first Canadian male to win an Olympic medal in downhill)
• 1980-81 –Eight podium finishes in 10 World Cup races including wins in St. Moritz, Kitzbühel and Garmisch-Partenkirchen; John Semmelink Memorial Award;  Ontario Athlete of the Year
• 1981-82 — 1982 World Cup Downhill Champion; won in Crans Montana, Kitzbühel and Garmisch-Partenkichen. Hahnenkamm downhill win was second of two career victories there, twice second ; Norton Crowe Award, Canadian athlete of the year;  Ontario Athlete of the Year;  named Officer of the Order of Canada
• 1982-83 – Multiple World Cup podiums, including second-place finishes in Sarajevo and Kitzbühel
• 1983–84 — Win at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, setting course record for the third time; Canadian downhill champion; Sport Excellence Award, Government of Canada; retired from international competition (1984)
• 2010 — Assistant Chef de Mission, Vancouver Olympic Winter Games
• 2014 — Chef de Mission, Sochi Olympic Winter Games

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.