Christin Cooper
Encyclopedia
Christin Elizabeth Cooper (born October 10, 1959, in Los Angeles
, California
) is a former alpine ski racer
and Olympic medalist
from Ketchum
, Idaho
.
, Cooper raced on the World Cup circuit from 1977
-84
. Her World Cup debut was at age 17 on January 26, 1977, a tenth place finish in the slalom
at Crans-Montana
, Switzerland
. Best in the technical events, she raced in all five disciplines, achieving World Cup podiums in four.
Cooper's best season in international competition was in 1982
, when she won three medals (two silvers and a bronze) at the World Championships
at Haus im Ennstal
, Austria
. She also had three World Cup victories and placed third in the 1982 World Cup
overall standings. The previous year, 1981
, she finished fourth in the women's overall and second in slalom.
After a broken tibia
sidelined her for much of the 1983
season, Cooper won the silver medal in the giant slalom
at the 1984 Winter Olympics
, finishing 0.40 seconds behind teammate Debbie Armstrong
at Jahorina
. Soon after, a run at her hometown resort of Sun Valley
was named in her honor: the run "Silver Fox" on Seattle Ridge was renamed "Christin's Silver." Nearby on Seattle Ridge is "Gretchen's Gold," a run named after Gretchen Fraser
, a gold medalist in the slalom
at the 1948 Winter Olympics
and a mentor to Cooper.
Cooper retired from international competition following the 1984
season, in which she was the runner-up in the season's giant slalom standings. She completed her racing career at age 24 with five World Cup
victories, 26 podiums, and 65 top tens.
and NBC
, covering alpine ski racing, including the 2010 Vancouver games
. She teamed with Tim Ryan
, a fellow Ketchum
resident, during the 1992
, 1994
, and 1998 Winter Olympics
. Christin and her husband, former U.S. Ski Team member Mark Taché (of Aspen
, CO
),
are co-founders of Montana Ale Works, a public house and restaurant in Bozeman
, Montana
.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
) is a former alpine ski racer
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
and Olympic medalist
Alpine skiing at the 1984 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1984 Winter Olympics consisted of six events, held near Sarajevo, Yugoslavia .The men's races were held at Bjelašnica, the women's at Jahorina from February 13-19, 1984....
from Ketchum
Ketchum, Idaho
Ketchum is a city in Blaine County, Idaho, United States, in the central part of the state. The population was 3,003 at the 2000 census. It is in the Wood River Valley, adjacent to Sun Valley; the two communities share many resources and both sit in the same valley beneath Bald Mountain, with its...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
.
Racing career
As a member of the U.S. Ski TeamUnited States Ski Team
The United States Ski Team, operated under the auspices of the United States Ski and Snowboard Association , develops and supports men's and women's athletes in the sports of alpine skiing, adaptive alpine, freestyle skiing, cross country, adaptive cross country, ski jumping, and nordic combined....
, Cooper raced on the World Cup circuit from 1977
1977 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 11th World Cup season began in December 1976 in France and concluded in March 1977 in Spain. Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden won his second of three consecutive overall titles. Lise-Marie Morerod of Switzerland won the women's overall title.-Calendar:...
-84
1984 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 18th World Cup season began in December 1983 in Kranjska Gora, Yugoslavia , and concluded in March 1984 in Oslo, Norway. The overall champions were Pirmin Zurbriggen and Erika Hess, both of Switzerland....
. Her World Cup debut was at age 17 on January 26, 1977, a tenth place finish in the slalom
Slalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
at Crans-Montana
Crans-Montana
Crans-Montana is a ski resort in western Switzerland, in the heart of the Swiss Alps in the canton of Valais. It is located on a plateau above Sierre at an elevation of about 1500 m above sea level, allowing good view over the Valais Alps and Weisshorn in particular...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Best in the technical events, she raced in all five disciplines, achieving World Cup podiums in four.
Cooper's best season in international competition was in 1982
1982 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 16th World Cup season began in December 1981 in France and concluded in March 1982, also in France. Phil Mahre of the U.S. repeated as overall champion, the second of his three consecutive titles. Erika Hess of Switzerland won the women's overall title....
, when she won three medals (two silvers and a bronze) at the World Championships
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1982
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1982 were held in Schladming, Austria, between January 31 and February 7, 1982. The women's races were held in Haus im Ennstal....
at Haus im Ennstal
Haus im Ennstal
Haus im Ennstal is an Austrian village, located in the Liezen district of Styria. As of 2001 it has a population of 2,526 in an area of 8.177 km². The town is an important town on the Enns river....
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. She also had three World Cup victories and placed third in the 1982 World Cup
1982 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 16th World Cup season began in December 1981 in France and concluded in March 1982, also in France. Phil Mahre of the U.S. repeated as overall champion, the second of his three consecutive titles. Erika Hess of Switzerland won the women's overall title....
overall standings. The previous year, 1981
1981 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 15th World Cup season began in December 1980 in France and concluded in March 1981 in Switzerland. Phil Mahre became the first American to win an overall title, the first of his three consecutive overall titles....
, she finished fourth in the women's overall and second in slalom.
After a broken tibia
Tibia
The tibia , shinbone, or shankbone is the larger and stronger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates , and connects the knee with the ankle bones....
sidelined her for much of the 1983
1983 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 17th season of World Cup competition began in December 1982 in Switzerland and concluded in March 1983 in Japan. For the first time, the overall titles were won by two Americans, Tamara McKinney and Phil Mahre, who won his third consecutive overall title...
season, Cooper won the silver medal in the giant slalom
Giant Slalom skiing
Giant slalom is an alpine skiing discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles spaced at a greater distance to each other than in slalom but less than in super G....
at the 1984 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1984 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1984 Winter Olympics consisted of six events, held near Sarajevo, Yugoslavia .The men's races were held at Bjelašnica, the women's at Jahorina from February 13-19, 1984....
, finishing 0.40 seconds behind teammate Debbie Armstrong
Debbie Armstrong
Deborah Rae Armstrong is a former alpine ski racer from Seattle. She was the first gold medalist from the U.S...
at Jahorina
Jahorina
Mount Jahorina , is a mountain in south-eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, located southeast of Sarajevo within Republika Srpska. It borders fellow Olympic mountain Trebević...
. Soon after, a run at her hometown resort of Sun Valley
Sun Valley, Idaho
Sun Valley is a resort city in Blaine County in the central part of the U.S. state of Idaho, adjacent to the city of Ketchum, lying within the greater Wood River valley. Tourists from around the world enjoy its skiing, hiking, ice skating, trail riding, tennis, and cycling. The population was 1,427...
was named in her honor: the run "Silver Fox" on Seattle Ridge was renamed "Christin's Silver." Nearby on Seattle Ridge is "Gretchen's Gold," a run named after Gretchen Fraser
Gretchen Fraser
Gretchen Kunigk Fraser was an alpine ski racer. She was the first American to win an Olympic gold medal for skiing....
, a gold medalist in the slalom
Slalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
at the 1948 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1948 Winter Olympics
At the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland, the six alpine skiing events were held from Monday, February 2 to Thursday February 5, 1948.After these games, the combined event was dropped as an Olympic medal event for four decades, until 1988...
and a mentor to Cooper.
Cooper retired from international competition following the 1984
1984 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 18th World Cup season began in December 1983 in Kranjska Gora, Yugoslavia , and concluded in March 1984 in Oslo, Norway. The overall champions were Pirmin Zurbriggen and Erika Hess, both of Switzerland....
season, in which she was the runner-up in the season's giant slalom standings. She completed her racing career at age 24 with five World Cup
Alpine skiing World Cup
The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France and the USA...
victories, 26 podiums, and 65 top tens.
World Cup podiums
Season | Date | Location | Race | Place |
---|---|---|---|---|
1981 1981 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 15th World Cup season began in December 1980 in France and concluded in March 1981 in Switzerland. Phil Mahre became the first American to win an overall title, the first of his three consecutive overall titles.... |
21 Jan 1981 | Crans-Montana Crans-Montana Crans-Montana is a ski resort in western Switzerland, in the heart of the Swiss Alps in the canton of Valais. It is located on a plateau above Sierre at an elevation of about 1500 m above sea level, allowing good view over the Valais Alps and Weisshorn in particular... , Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
Slalom Slalom skiing Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :... |
2nd |
Combined Alpine skiing combined Combined is an alpine skiing event. Although not technically a discipline of its own, it is sometimes referred to as a fifth alpine discipline, along with downhill, super G, giant slalom, and slalom.-Traditional & Super-Combined:... |
3rd | |||
31 Jan 1981 | Les Diablerets, Switzerland | Slalom | 2nd | |
03 Feb 1981 | Zwiesel Zwiesel Zwiesel is a town in the district of Regen, in Bavaria, Germany.-Geography:Zwiesel is situated in the Bavarian Forest, lying south of Bodenmais and to the northwest of Grafenau... , West Germany West Germany West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990.... |
Slalom | 3rd | |
08 Feb 1981 | Combined | 3rd | ||
13 Mar 1981 | Furano Furano Ski Resort , also known as Furano Ski Area, is a resort in Furano, Hokkaido, owned and operated by Prince Hotels. One of the leading ski areas in Hokkaido, the resort became famous for its long-standing relationship with the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup. In more recent years, it has held the mid-February... , Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
Giant Slalom Giant Slalom skiing Giant slalom is an alpine skiing discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles spaced at a greater distance to each other than in slalom but less than in super G.... |
3rd | |
15 Mar 1981 | Slalom | 2nd | ||
25 Mar 1981 | Wangs Bad Ragaz Bad Ragaz is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Sarganserland in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.It is the home of a famous natural spring and is a popular spa and health resort destination. Bad Ragaz is also surprisingly known as one of the best pizza towns in all of Europe... -Pizol Pizol The Pizol is a mountain in the Glarus Alps, overlooking Bad Ragaz in the canton of St. Gallen. At 2,844 metres above sea level, it is the highest summit of the chain separating the valleys of the Seez and the Tamina and the highest mountain lying entirely within the canton of St... , Switzerland |
Giant Slalom | 2nd | |
1982 1982 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 16th World Cup season began in December 1981 in France and concluded in March 1982, also in France. Phil Mahre of the U.S. repeated as overall champion, the second of his three consecutive titles. Erika Hess of Switzerland won the women's overall title.... |
21 Dec 1981 | Saint-Gervais Saint-Gervais-les-Bains Saint-Gervais-les-Bains is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The village is best known for tourism, and has been a popular holiday destination because of its beauty and location since the Early 1900's.... , France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
Combined | 1st |
23 Jan 1982 | Berchtesgaden Berchtesgaden Berchtesgaden is a municipality in the German Bavarian Alps. It is located in the south district of Berchtesgadener Land in Bavaria, near the border with Austria, some 30 km south of Salzburg and 180 km southeast of Munich... , West Germany |
Slalom | 1st | |
1982 World Championships | ||||
9 Feb 1982 | Oberstaufen Oberstaufen Oberstaufen is a municipality in the district of Oberallgäu in Bavarian Swabia, Germany, situated on the B 308 road from Lindau to Immenstadt.-History:It is first mentioned as Stoufun in AD 868... , West Germany |
Giant Slalom | 2nd | |
21 Mar 1982 | Alpe d'Huez Alpe d'Huez L'Alpe d'Huez is a ski resort at . It is a mountain pasture in the Central French Alps, in the commune of Huez, in the Isère département in the Rhône-Alpes region.-Tour de France:L'Alpe d'Huez is one of the main mountains in the Tour de France... , France |
Giant Slalom | 3rd | |
25 Mar 1982 | San Sicario, Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
Giant Slalom | 3rd | |
27 Mar 1982 | Montgenèvre Montgenèvre Montgenèvre is a commune of the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France.-Geography:Montgenèvre is located in the French Cottian Alps. It is on the Franco-Italian border at the top of the Col de Montgenèvre.... , France |
Slalom | 1st | |
1983 1983 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 17th season of World Cup competition began in December 1982 in Switzerland and concluded in March 1983 in Japan. For the first time, the overall titles were won by two Americans, Tamara McKinney and Phil Mahre, who won his third consecutive overall title... |
17 Dec 1982 | Piancavallo Piancavallo Piancavallo is a ski resort in the Dolomites of northeast Italy. It is a frazione of the comune of Aviano, in the province of Pordenone in Friuli-Venezia Giulia.- Geography:... , Italy |
Slalom | 3rd |
Combined | 1st | |||
23 Jan 1983 | Saint-Gervais Saint-Gervais-les-Bains Saint-Gervais-les-Bains is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The village is best known for tourism, and has been a popular holiday destination because of its beauty and location since the Early 1900's.... , France |
Combined | 2nd | |
1984 1984 Alpine Skiing World Cup The 18th World Cup season began in December 1983 in Kranjska Gora, Yugoslavia , and concluded in March 1984 in Oslo, Norway. The overall champions were Pirmin Zurbriggen and Erika Hess, both of Switzerland.... |
14 Dec 1983 | Sestriere Sestriere Sestriere is an alpine village in Italy, a comune of the Province of Turin. It is from the French border. Its name derives from Latin: ad petram sistrariam, that is at sixty Roman miles from Turin.... , Italy |
Combined | 3rd |
22 Dec 1983 | Haus im Ennstal Haus im Ennstal Haus im Ennstal is an Austrian village, located in the Liezen district of Styria. As of 2001 it has a population of 2,526 in an area of 8.177 km². The town is an important town on the Enns river.... , Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
Giant Slalom | 3rd | |
15 Jan 1984 | Maribor Maribor Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia with 157,947 inhabitants . Maribor is also the largest and the capital city of Slovenian region Lower Styria and the seat of the Municipality of Maribor.... , Yugoslavia Yugoslavia Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century.... |
Slalom | 3rd | |
23 Jan 1984 | Limone Piemonte Limone Piemonte Limone Piemonte is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 100 km south of Turin and about 20 km south of Cuneo, on the border with France... , Italy |
Slalom | 3rd | |
29 Jan 1984 | Saint-Gervais Saint-Gervais-les-Bains Saint-Gervais-les-Bains is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The village is best known for tourism, and has been a popular holiday destination because of its beauty and location since the Early 1900's.... , France |
Giant Slalom | 2nd | |
1984 Winter Olympics | ||||
04 Mar 1984 | Mt. Ste. Anne Mont-Sainte-Anne Mont-Sainte-Anne is a ski resort in the city of Beaupré, Quebec, Canada, located about northeast of Quebec City. The mountain has a summit elevation of 800 metres above sea level and a vertical drop of 625 m . There are 66 trails covering on three different sides of the mountain... , QC Quebec Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level.... , Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
Super G Super Giant Slalom skiing The Super Giant Slalom is an Alpine skiing discipline. It is usually referred to as Super G and is a "speed" event, along with the faster Downhill event; the Giant Slalom and Slalom events are known as the "technical" disciplines.-History:... |
3rd | |
07 Mar 1984 | Lake Placid, NY New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... , USA |
Giant Slalom | 1st | |
11 Mar 1984 | Waterville Valley Waterville Valley Resort Waterville Valley is a ski resort in the White Mountain National Forest of New Hampshire. The resort's motto is "Altitude without the Attitude". Built on Mount Tecumseh, with a summit elevation of above sea level, the ski trails extend to a high point on the south ridge of the mountain at ,... , NH New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian... , USA |
Giant Slalom | 3rd | |
17 Mar 1984 | Jasná Jasná Jasná is a small village situated in central Slovakia, in the Low Tatras mountains. It is a part of the municipality Demänovská Dolina.Jasná ski resort has over twenty four lifts on both sides of the Chopok Mountain – including six chair lifts and a cable car... , Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992... |
Giant Slalom | 3rd |
Post-racing
Cooper has worked as a television broadcaster for CBSOlympics on CBS
The Olympics on CBS was a sports telecast that aired on CBS Sports. The last airing of the telecast was for the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano.-1960s coverage:...
and NBC
Olympics on NBC
NBC Sports' coverage of the Olympic Games consists of broadcasts on the various networks of NBC Universal in the United States, including the NBC broadcast network, Spanish language network Telemundo, and many of the company's cable networks....
, covering alpine ski racing, including the 2010 Vancouver games
Alpine skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics was held at Whistler Creekside in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. The ten events were scheduled for February 13–27, 2010; weather delayed the first event, the men's downhill, two days until Monday, February 15....
. She teamed with Tim Ryan
Tim Ryan (sportscaster)
Tim Ryan is an American sportscaster, currently a resident of Ketchum, Idaho.-Early life and career:Raised in Canada, Ryan graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1960, and took a job the newly-formed CFTO as an assistant sports director...
, a fellow Ketchum
Ketchum, Idaho
Ketchum is a city in Blaine County, Idaho, United States, in the central part of the state. The population was 3,003 at the 2000 census. It is in the Wood River Valley, adjacent to Sun Valley; the two communities share many resources and both sit in the same valley beneath Bald Mountain, with its...
resident, during the 1992
Alpine skiing at the 1992 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1992 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events at three venues, held near Albertville, France. Val-d'Isère hosted the men's events, except the slalom, held at Les Menuires; all five of the women's alpine events were held at Méribel...
, 1994
Alpine skiing at the 1994 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1994 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events held near Lillehammer, Norway. The speed events were held at Kvitfjell and the technical events at Hafjell, from February 13-27, 1994.-Downhill:February 13, 1994-Super G:February 17, 1994...
, and 1998 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1998 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1998 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events held near Nagano, Japan. The speed events were held at Hakuba and the technical events at Shiga Kogen. There were a number of postponements due to weather; the races were run from February 10-21, 1998.-Downhill:The event was held...
. Christin and her husband, former U.S. Ski Team member Mark Taché (of Aspen
Aspen, Colorado
The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005...
, CO
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
),
are co-founders of Montana Ale Works, a public house and restaurant in Bozeman
Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The 2010 census put Bozeman's population at 37,280 making it the fourth largest city in the state. It is the principal city of the Bozeman micropolitan area, which consists...
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
.
External links
- FIS-ski.com - World Cup season standings - Christin Cooper - 1977-84
- Sports Illustrated - 1984 Winter Olympics - 20-Feb-1984