John Steele (April 9, 1909 – June 7, 1996) was an American
ski jumper.
Steele was born in
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
, and moved with his family to
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
The City of Steamboat Springs is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Routt County, Colorado, United States. Steamboat Springs is the principal city of the Steamboat Springs, CO Micropolitan Sta ...
in 1918. When he was 12 he ski jumped at the local Winter Carnival, and continued to jump at the carnival for 20 years. While employed shovelling snow off a bank roof, he built a ski jump on the bank, which he used until the sheriff made him stop because of fears he would jump in front of passing traffic. In 1924 he broke the world record in ski jumping for boys 14 and under. He went on to attend the University of Denver, where he founded the Pioneer Ski Club.
Steele was selected as a member of the U.S. team for the
1932 Winter Olympics
The 1932 Winter Olympics, officially known as the III Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Lake Placid 1932, were a winter multi-sport event in the United States, held in Lake Placid, New York, United States. The games opened on February ...
at
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,303.
The village of Lake Placid is near the center of the town of North Elba, southwest of Plattsburgh. ...
and competed in the
ski jumping individual event there.
'' Steamboat Pilot'', January 29, 1932, p. 8
References
External links
*
1909 births
1996 deaths
American male ski jumpers
Olympic ski jumpers of the United States
Ski jumpers at the 1932 Winter Olympics
Skiers from Minneapolis
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