Hall of Famer
Todd Brooker
Affiliated Discipline(s):
Alpine
Hometown:
Paris, ON / Collingwood, ON
Active Career Period:
1975-1987
Induction CSHF:
1991
Induction Category:
Alpine: Downhill
Throughout a short but distinguished international career, Todd Brooker, the last of the “Crazy Canucks”, exemplified a true competitive spirit over a 10-year career with the national ski team (1977-87) where he earned seven World Cup medals including three victories (Kitzbuehel, Austria, Aspen, USA, Furano, Japan).
Born in Waterloo, Ontario, Brooker learned to ski and ski race at Blue Mountain, near Collingwood and qualified for the national ski team in 1977. In his first-ever World Cup race in Val Gardena, Italy, Brooker finished an impressive 14th, launching a career which included the 1984 Winter Olympic Games in Sarajevo, and the World Championships at Schladming, Austria, in 1982 and Bormio, Italy, in 1985. Brooker entered 28 World Cup downhill races, earned points in six World Cup overall standings, and finished in the top 15 on 15 occasions.
Brooker greatest achievement – and most gut-wrenching accident – both happened during the Hahnenkahm races in Kitzbuehel, Austria, the most physically and mentally demanding alpine race on the World Cup circuit. Brooker conquered The Streif in 1983, winning the race – which was also the third in a row for the Canadian team (Ken Read in 1980, Steve Podborski in 1981) – breaking the European dominance at the event. But the difficult race course ended his career four years later when he crashed at the top of the Zielschuss in January 1987 during a training run, with the most gut wrenching spectacular ragdoll head-over-heels cartwheeling fall ever captured on film. The crash ended his season and ultimately his racing career.
Brooker was recognized and awarded the Johnny F. Bassett Memorial Award in 1987, recognizing a Canadian “Champion of Champions”, for his competitive achievement and caliber of character.
Todd Brooker went on to become one of the most celebrated and respected commentators in television, working with major networks over numerous World Cup, Olympic and World Championship events where he provided colour commentary and analysis. He returned to his roots in southern Ontario and today manages a real estate company in Collingwood, Ontario.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- 1975: 1st place, Downhill, Canadian Junior Championships; 2nd place, slalom, Canadian Junior Championships; 3rd place, Giant Slalom, Canadian Junior Championships.
- 1976: 1st place, Downhill, Ontario Championships.
- 1977: 2nd place, Downhill, Pontiac Cup, Mont Ste Anne, Quebec.
- 1982: 2nd place, Downhill, World Cup, Aspen, Colorado, USA.
- 1983: 1st place, Downhill, World Cup, Kitzbuhel, Austria; 1st place, Downhill, World Cup, Aspen, Colorado, USA; 2nd place, Downhill event, World Cup, Val Gardena, Italy; 2nd place, Downhill, World Cup, Val d’Isere, France; Recipient of a Sport Excellence Award; Winner, Canadian Alpine Skier of the Year Award.
- 1985: 1st place, Downhill, World Cup, Furano, Japan; 3rd place, Downhill, World Cup, Kitzbuhel, Austria; Recipient of a Sport Excellence Award.
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Todd Brooker autographed postcard. CSHFM Collection. Photo – Gianni Constantino.
National Alpine Men’s Ski Team c. 1983 [L to R]: Scott Shaver, Steve Podborski, Todd Brooker, Robin McLeish, Felix Belczyk, Chris Kent. Alpine Canada Alpin / Alec Pytlowany.
Todd Brooker 1986. Alpine Canada Alpin.
Todd Brooker. Alpine Canada Alpin.
National Alpine Men’s Ski Team c. 1984 [back row]: Paul Boivin, Don Stevens, Alain Villiard, François Jodoin?, Mike Tommy, Todd Brooker [front row]: Felix Belczyk, ?, Chris McIver, Gary Athans, Jim Read. Alpine Canada Alpin.
1982 National Alpine Ski Team [back row]: Athans, Brooker, Stylan, McLeish, O’Rourke, Kerr, Belczyk, Kent, Irwin, Read [front row]: Lehodey, Robbins, Gougeon, Savijarvi, Knight, Bédard, Lacasse. Alpine Canada Alpin.
Men’s National Alpine Ski Team c. 1980 [top row]: Bob Styan, Gary Athans, Brian O’Rourke [bottom row]: Todd Brooker, Doug Kerr, Jim Kirby. Alpine Canada Alpin.
National Olympic Men’s Alpine Ski Team 1984 [top row]: Gary Athans, Todd Brooker, Steve Podborski [bottom row]: Jim Read, Mike Tommy. Alpine Canada Alpin.
Men’s National Alpine Ski Team 1984-85 [top row]: Todd Brooker, Gary Athans, Felix Belczyk, Chris Kent [bottom row]: Paul Boivin, Scott Shaver, Chris McIver, Don Stevens. Alpine Canada Alpin.
National Alpine Ski Team 1985 [top row]: Currie Chapman (head coach), Jim Kirby, Gary Athans, Chris McIver, Scott Shaver, Glenn Wurtele [2nd row]: ?, Don Stevens, Felix Belczyk, Paul Boivin, Todd Brooker, Chris Kent [3rd row]: Laurie Graham, Andréa Bédard, Karen Percy, Karen Stemmle, Josée Lacasse [bottom row]: Liisa Savijarvi, Diana Haight, Kerrin Lee Gartner. Alpine Canada Alpin.
National Alpine Ski Team 1985-86 [top row]: Todd Brooker, ?, Mike Tommy, Derek Thussler, Gary Athans, Alain Villiard, Paul Boivin, Don Stevens, Don Lyon (coach), Currie Chapman (coach), Max Gartner (coach), Carl Petersen (Fitness Co-ordinator) [2nd row]: Piotr Jelen (coach), Germain Barrette (coach), Bruce Henry (coach), ?, Felix Belczyk, Rob Boyd, Istvan Balyi, Glenn Wurtele [3rd row]: Jim Kirby, Andréa Bédard, Jim Read, Chris Kent, Brian Stemmle, Dan Moar, Chris McIver, Diana Haight, Scott Shaver [4th row]: Karen Stemmle, Laurie Graham, Kerrin Lee Gartner, Liisa Savijarvi, Kellie Casey, Josée Lacasse, Karen Percy. Alpine Canada Alpin.
National Alpine Ski Team 1986 [back row]: Todd Brooker, Mike Tommy, Jim Read, Felix Belczyk, Don Stevens [front row]: Brian Stemmle, Rob Boyd, Chris Kent. Alpine Canada Alpin.
National Alpine Ski Team 1986 [Back row]: Chris Kent, Gary Athans, Chris McIver, Dan Moar, Mike Carney, Rob Bosinger [Front row]: Don Stevens, Felix Belczyk, Brian Stemmle, Todd Brooker. Alpine Canada Alpin.
National Alpine Ski Team 1986 [back row]: Glenn Wurtele (coach), Don Stevens, Rob Boyd, Todd Brooker, Mike Tommy, Carl Pettersen (fitness co-ordinator) [middle row]: Diana Haight, Andréa Bédard, Felix Belczyk, Chris Kent, Jim Read, Brian Stemmle, Kellie Casey [bottom row]: Karen Percy, Josée Lacasse, Laurie Graham, Karen Stemmle, Liisa Savijarvi. Alpine Canada Alpin.
Men’s National Alpine Ski Team 1986 [L to R]: Brian Stemmle, Rob Boyd, Gary Athans, Chris McIver, Dan Moar, Mike Carney, Rob Bosinger, Todd Brooker, Chris Kent, Don Stevens, Felix Belczyk. Alpine Canada Alpin.
National Alpine Ski Team 1986 [back row]: Paul Boivin, Chris Kent, Don Stevens, Felix Belczyk, Daniel Moar, Gary Athans [front row]: Brian Stemmle, Chris McIver, Scott Shaver, Jim Kirby, Rob Boyd, Todd Brooker. Alpine Canada Alpin.
![1982 Canadian National Championships - Men's downhill [L to R]: Ken Read (2nd), Raiber (1st), Brooker (3rd).](https://skimuseum.ca/app/uploads/2020/09/sm_x2006-60-1-107_Read_Raiber_Brooker_DH-200x300.jpg)
Todd Brooker's 1983 World Cup Downhill Victory in Kitzbuehel | CBC Sports
The Legend of the Crazy Canucks Olympic Alpine Skiing Team | On the Line
The story of how a group of Canadian daredevils Olympic skiers broke the European stranglehold on downhill skiing and became the talk of the alpine circuit at and around the Innsbruck 1976 Winter Olympic Games.
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