November 08, 2018 (Banff, AB) – Marty Hall will join a handful of Nordic inductees in the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame when he officially enters as part of the class of 2018 during a ceremony on November 21 at the Banff Park Lodge in Banff, Alta. Earlier in the year, Hall was inducted into the US Ski Hall of Fame, based on his contributions south of the border.

A New Hampshire native, Hall grew up skiing alpine, cross-country and jumping and had a very successful college career in several sports including football and track and field, before moving on to the US Army Biathlon team for two years in the mid 1960s.

Hall joined the US Ski Team as a coach for nine years, and in that time developed the US women’s program with great success. He was the men’s coach at the 1976 Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, when Bill Koch won the first medal (silver) for a North American in our sport.

In 1981 Hall brought his coaching leadership north of the border when he signed on as the head coach of the Canadian program. He was very influential in building a strong National Team foundation that led to some excellent performances by skiers such as Pierre Harvey (three World Cup wins), and multiple other podiums along with Marie-Ander Masson.

Hall’s relentless commitment to his work, and program development, was integral to providing a platform for Canada’s successes at the international level for the last two decades. Hall retired from the national program in 1992, and developed the race trails in Thunder Bay that were used for the 1995 World Championships where he brought forward the short-loop concept which is still being used today at World Championship and Olympic competitions. He continued as a coach in the U.S. for eight more years, helping to build a strong program at Bowdoin College.

One to never shy away from speaking his mind, Hall’s sparked a controversy at the 1988 Olympics when he suggested that blood doping may be a reason for the Russian’s totally dominant performance. He is also the first person to stop and give advice and suggestions to those just starting out in coaching or skiing, always making time to share his passion for the sport with anybody who is interested.

Hall has been a tireless advocate for athletes, setting high standards and expectations for every team he coached. He has been an innovator and master promoter of our sport on both sides of the border. His entry into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame is a well-deserved honour.

Congratulations from CCC and thanks for all your phenomenal contributions to the development of our sport.

Induction Ceremony:
Banff Park Lodge, Banff, Alberta
Wednesday November 21st, 2018
5:30 PM – 9:00 PM

Ticket Information: here