Athletes of the Year
SCHNEEHEXE PHOTOGRAPHY
MEN Tim Hill
U.S. MASTERS ALPINE SKIER OF THE YEAR
Growing up just outside of Detroit, Tim Hill naturally became
a slalom specialist. “Skiing on a hill with only 180 vertical feet,
what else are you going to do?” said Hill, who now practices
medicine in Bend, Ore.
But based on his results from the past season, Hill is no longer just a one trick pony. With a focus on just the major events
this season, Hill won both the slalom and GS at the Skoch Cup
in Sun Valley, finished second overall to Matt Savage in three
events at the Western Regionals at Mammoth Mountain, was
on the podium in all three events at the FIS Criterium races in
Andorra, and then swept his Class 5, as well as Group B, at
Nationals at Copper Mountain, Colo.
From a tiny bump of a ski area in Michigan, Hill went on to
Burke Mountain Academy as a high school sophomore, graduating in 1982. He was competitive at the J1 Championships
and skied well in a few NorAms, but he soon realized that the
U.S. Ski Team was not in his future, and enrolled at Williams
College. Medical school soon followed, and with a specialty
in psychiatry, he settled in Bend, under the shadow of Mt.
Bachelor.
“About 10 years ago with the coming of shaped skis, I got
back into masters ski racing,” said Hill. “There’s a great training program at Mt. Bachelor, and we get to train at least twice
a week.”
Hill has always been competitive in masters ski racing, but
this year he raised the ante. “I’ve been lucky not to get injured,
I’ve been able to train on a regular basis, and I’m comfortable
with my equipment,” said Hill in attempting to explain his success. “So much is about opportunity and commitment. I’ve
been lucky to be able to stick with it.”
