BEAVER CREEK — Since taking over as president and chief executive of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association in 1996, Bill Marolt has built the organization into a model for national governing bodies and a major player going into the Vancouver Winter Games.
Too bad he’s 66 years old, because he’d be the perfect guy to clean up the mess at the U.S. Olympic Committee, if he were so inclined. He’d be crazy to leave USSA now, though.
“This is my 14th year,” Marolt says, “and this is as much fun as I’ve ever had in this.”
Despite having to navigate USSA through challenging economic times, Marolt has seen U.S. Ski Team athletes emerge as Olympic medal contenders in every discipline except ski jumping.
Cross country may produce its first medal since 1976. With two reigning world champions, nordic combined seems poised to claim its first-ever Olympic medal. Snowboarding and freestyle are sure to collect a pile of medals, and alpine has several athletes who could succeed in Vancouver.
Some would debate whether alpine racer Lindsey Vonn or snowboarder Shaun White is likely to be the biggest star of the U.S. Olympic Team — for me it has to be Vonn, because of her charisma and multiple medal opportunities — but both will be representing USSA.
“What’s really cool about that question is, you have two outstanding young people,” Marolt said. “They’re just fun people. They love what they do, they’ve got a passion for what they do, they like being involved, they like being role models.
“We’ve talked a lot about that — the importance of understanding when you’re given special circumstances, you have special responsibility. They get that.”
Since leaving his beloved University of Colorado, where he was a ski racer, coach and athletic director, Marolt has put athletes first, kept USSA on sound financial footing while overseeing the construction of the Center of Excellence, a $22 million, cutting- edge training center in Park City, Utah, completely funded by donations and sponsorships.
The U.S. goes into the Vancouver Games stronger than ever in snow sports.
“I’m excited because we’ve got world-class athletes in every discipline, every sport,” Marolt said. “We’ve got a chance to score in every sport, and I don’t think we’ve ever in the history of USSA gone into an Olympic Games in that position.”
There’s more to it than organization, of course. It takes great athletes. Marolt first saw Vonn at a European training camp the year he returned to USSA.
“There were two kids there who stood out,” Marolt says. “One was Lindsey and the other was Julia (Mancuso). They were 13 or 14 (12, actually), just little girls, but even then you could see that talent. You could see the touch for the snow, the feel for the line.”
Marolt comes from the Vince Lombardi school of coaching, so it must be hard for him to see some of the stunts Bode Miller pulls, but Miller was welcomed back into the team in September after two years on his own.
“It wasn’t a snap decision,” Marolt said. “We talked to every guy on the men’s staff. Then we talked to the whole men’s team. I thought, ‘We preach team, and if we’re going to preach team, then let’s let the team be part of this decision.’ Every guy said, ‘We want him on the team.’ “
Miller could well be one of the stars of the Vancouver Games. Vonn certainly will be, if she’s healthy. But snowsports involve so many variables, favorites often falter and flukes sometimes prevail.
There’s no doubt, however, that USSA teams will go to Vancouver loaded with talent.
“I think we have a good plan, I think we’ve worked hard, we’ve had good focus, and when we get there we’re going to be prepared,” Marolt said. “Then we just have to execute. You never know what’s going to happen. We’re going to give it our best shot.”
