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Colorado
Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame Earl E. Clark - 1919 Inducted into the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame 2001 | Home | Back to Alphabetical List | Year of Induction List Back to Athlete | Back to Ski Sport Builder | Back to Inspirational |
Earl
Clark started his skiing career at age thirteen on toe straps and galoshes for
boots. His first formal ski experience was on Wilmot Hills near Chicago and Rib
Mountain at Wausau, Wisconsin.
In the summer of 1936 after high school graduation, he traveled to Rocky
Mountain National Park, Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone Park where his
mountaineering life began. During the spring of 1941, as a charter member of
the Chicago Mountaineering Club, Earl helped set up a high mountain ski camp in
the Alaska Basin, the western back country of the Grand Teton National Park.
In the fall of 1941 he enlisted in an experimental ski/mountaineering unit by
the United States Army, later known as the 1st Battalion, 87th Mountain
Infantry, the mother unit of the 10th Mountain Division. His first assignment
as a Lieutenant at Camp Hale was as an officer supervisor of military ski
training where he greatly improved his own skills by skiing with some of the
world’s finest skiers and instructors. He left active duty early in 1946.
Following the war, Earl moved from Chicago to Denver where he became a member of
the National Ski Patrol and volunteered to lead the ski patrol at Arapahoe Basin
during weekends. Earl was also a ski patrolman at Loveland, Berthoud Pass and
occasionally at Winter Park.
In 1971
Earl was instrumental in creating the National Association of the 10th Mountain
Division and became its first National President. He held the position for
seven years and then was honored to become the Chairman, Emeritus. He organized
the “Pando Commandos”; a demonstration group on skis in the battle whites of the
10th Mountain Division for the Rocky Mountain Area.
From 1979 to 1985 Earl played a major role in bringing together the mountain
soldiers of Germany, Austria, Italy and France with the veterans of the 10th
Mountain of the United States into the “International Federation of Mountain
Soldiers” (I.F.M.S). For his valuable contribution Earl was decorated by both
the German and Austrian associations with their “Goldene Ehrenadel”, their
highest post-war award.
Presently, Earl serves as the Senior Vice President for the 10th Mountain
Division Foundation. The foundation was responsible for placing the 10th
Mountain Division Memorial Monument on the summit of Tennessee Pass, Colorado.
Earl also serves as an Honorary Board Member at the Colorado Ski Museum-Ski Hall
of Fame.
In 1985 Earl and group of five persons purchased the assets of the Over-The-Hill-Gang, a National Senior Ski Club. Earl served as President two years later. The organization grew to almost 2500 members. Over-The-Hill-Gang has introduced senior skiers to many American ski resorts as well as traveling to Europe and New Zealand ski areas. In 1992, the Over-The-Hill-Gang was passed on to a new corporation group. Earl and his wife Betty are active members and continue to host many trips.
The ski world, in all of its many facets, has been Earl’s life for 67 years.