{{Infobox alpine ski racer , name = Billy Kidd , image = Billy Kidd skier 1970.jpg , image_size = 220 , caption = Kidd after winning the world title in

1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (''Extreme''). Between 10,000 and ...

, birth_date = {{birth date and age, 1943, 04, 13 , birth_place = Burlington,

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...

, U.S. , death_date = , death_place = , olympicteams = 2 – (1964, 1968) , olympicmedals = 1 , olympicgolds = 0 , worldsteams = 5 – (

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wor ...

–

)
''includes two Olympics'' , worldsmedals = 4 , worldsgolds = 1 , height = 5 ft 9 in , club = , wcseasons = 3 – (

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * J ...

–

) , wcwins = 2 – 2 ( SL) , wcpodiums = 4 – 4 (SL) , wcoveralls = 0 – ''(7th in

)'' , wctitles = 0 – ''(8th in SL & GS, 1968)'' , show-medals = yes , medals = {{MedalSport , Men's

alpine skiing Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, unlike other types of skiing ( cross-country, Telemark, or ski jumping), which use skis with free-heel bindings. Whether ...

{{MedalCountry , the {{USA {{MedalCompetition ,

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a multi ...

{{MedalSilver , 1964 Innsbruck ,

Slalom To slalom is to zigzag between obstacles. It may refer to: Sports ;Alpine skiing and/or snowboarding * Slalom skiing, an alpine skiing and alpine snowboarding discipline * Giant slalom, an alpine skiing and alpine snowboarding discipline * Super-G ...

{{MedalCompetition ,

World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

{{MedalGold , 1970 Val Gardena , Combined {{MedalBronze , 1964 Innsbruck , Combined {{MedalBronze , 1970 Val Gardena ,

William Winston Kidd (born April 13, 1943) is a former

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...

alpine ski racer, a member of the

U.S. Ski Team The U.S. Ski Team, operating under the auspices of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, develops and supports men's and women's athletes in the sports of alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, cross-country, ski jumping, and Nordic combined. Since 1974 the team and ...

from 1962 to 1970. At the

1964 Winter Olympics The 1964 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IX Olympic Winter Games (german: IX. Olympische Winterspiele) and commonly known as Innsbruck 1964 ( bar, Innschbruck 1964, label=Austro-Bavarian), was a winter multi-sport event which was celebr ...

Innsbruck Innsbruck (; bar, Innschbruck, label=Austro-Bavarian ) is the capital of Tyrol and the fifth-largest city in Austria. On the River Inn, at its junction with the Wipp Valley, which provides access to the Brenner Pass to the south, it had a p ...

, Kidd and teammate

Jimmie Heuga James Frederic Heuga (September 22, 1943 – February 8, 2010) was an American alpine ski racer who became one of the first two members of the U.S. men's team to win an Olympic medal in his sport. After multiple sclerosis prematurely ended his ...

became the first American men to win Olympic medals in alpine skiing, winning silver and bronze in the

slalom To slalom is to zigzag between obstacles. It may refer to: Sports ;Alpine skiing and/or snowboarding * Slalom skiing, an alpine skiing and alpine snowboarding discipline * Giant slalom, an alpine skiing and alpine snowboarding discipline * Super-G ...

. Six years later, Kidd won a gold medal in the combined and a bronze in the slalom at the 1970 World Championships in Val Gardena, Italy. He promptly switched circuits and enjoyed a successful pro ski racing career from 1970 to 1972, winning the World Pro Ski Tour World Championships in 1970, becoming the only racer in history to win FIS and Pro titles the same year. Since 1970, Kidd has enjoyed enduring "legend" status in the sport, and he has remained in the public eye in his job as director of skiing at Steamboat Ski Resort in

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...

Early life

Born in

Burlington, Vermont Burlington is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Chittenden County. It is located south of the Canada–United States border and south of Montreal. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 44,743. It ...

, Kidd grew up in the 1950s in the ski town of

Stowe Stowe may refer to: Places United Kingdom *Stowe, Buckinghamshire, a civil parish and former village **Stowe House **Stowe School * Stowe, Cornwall, in Kilkhampton parish * Stowe, Herefordshire, in the List of places in Herefordshire * Stowe, Linc ...

,{{cite journal , url=http://www.coloradanmagazine.org/2009/03/01/kidding-around-on-the-slopes/ , journal=Coloradan , title=Kidding around on the slopes , last=Lay , first=Jennie , date=March 1, 2009 , accessdate=January 9, 2013 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091124070859/http://www.coloradanmagazine.org/2009/03/01/kidding-around-on-the-slopes/ , archive-date=November 24, 2009 , url-status=dead where his parents, Bill and Betty, ran the Buccaneer Motel. With encouragement and coaching from his father, and with support from the town of Stowe, he became a top junior ski racer at

with the

Mount Mansfield Mount Mansfield is the highest mountain in Vermont with a summit that peaks at above sea level. The summit is located within the town of Underhill in Chittenden County; the ridgeline, including some secondary peaks, extends into the town of S ...

Ski Team. Along with best friend and skiing rival Jimmie Heuga, Kidd was named to the

for the 1962 season.

Ski racing

Kidd made a name for himself that first season at age 18 with an eighth place in the slalom{{cite news , url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6zNWAAAAIBAJ&pg=6766%2C4483641 , newspaper=

The Spokesman-Review ''The Spokesman-Review'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Spokane, Washington, the city's sole remaining daily publication. It has the third-highest readership among daily newspapers in the state, with most of its readership base i ...

, location=Spokane, Washington, agency=

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. new ...

, title=Swift French star wins World slalom , date=February 14, 1962 , page=14 and a 15th place in the giant slalom (GS) at the 1962 World Championships in

Chamonix Chamonix-Mont-Blanc ( frp, Chamôni), more commonly known as Chamonix, is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France. It was the site of the first Winter Olympics in 1924. In 2019, it had ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

.{{cite news , url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=cVspAAAAIBAJ&pg=6666%2C94300 , newspaper=The Spokesman-Review , location=Spokane, Washington , agency=Associated Press , title=Zimmerman leads Austrian ski sweep , date=February 16, 1962 , page=13 After enduring a season hampered by injuries, Kidd entered the 1964 season with high hopes and gritty determination. A silver medalist in the

at the

, Kidd was the first American man (along with Heuga, who took bronze in the same race) to earn an Olympic medal in alpine skiing.{{cite news , url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=J-YiAAAAIBAJ&pg=806%2C1534800 , newspaper= Daytona Beach Sunday News-Journal , location=Florida , agency=Associated Press , title=Yank skiers break the ice, take 2nd, 3rd in slalom , date=February 9, 1964 , page=3-B Both Kidd and Heuga were just 20 years old at the time.{{cite news , title=Olympic History: Billy Kidd triumphs at 1964 Olympic Games , author=Lauren Moran , newspaper=

Steamboat Pilot & Today The ''Steamboat Pilot & Today'' is an American newspaper serving Routt County, Colorado and owned by Swift Communications. The ''Steamboat Pilot & Today'' is a free tabloid published daily. As of 2011, ''The Pilot & Today'' has been named the top ...

, location=Colorado , date=February 6, 2010 , url=http://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/2010/feb/06/olympic-history-billy-kidd-triumphs-1964-olympic-g/ , accessdate=March 17, 2010 Kidd finished seventh in the

giant slalom Giant slalom (GS) is an alpine skiing and alpine snowboarding discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles ("gates") spaced at a greater distance from each other than in slalom but less than in Super-G. Giant slalom and slalom make up th ...

and 16th in the downhill. Completing all three races kept him eligible for the combined, then a non-medal event in the Olympics (but a

World Championship A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

medal event), and he took third for the

FIS FIS or fis may refer to: Science and technology * '' Fis'', an ''E. Coli'' gene * Fis phenomenon, a phenomenon in linguistics * F♯ (musical note) * Flight information service, an air traffic control service * Frame Information Structure, a Se ...

bronze. In the final non-World Cup season of 1966, Kidd won three crucial races in Europe and was actually outracing

Jean-Claude Killy Jean-Claude Killy (born 30 August 1943) is a French former World Cup alpine ski racer. He dominated the sport in the late 1960s, and was a triple Olympic champion, winning the three alpine events at the 1968 Winter Olympics, becoming the most su ...

. Kidd suffered the first of two major injuries that almost ended his career, a left ankle sprain in late January, which resulted in a tendon operation.{{cite news , url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gZ5RAAAAIBAJ&pg=5588,3377046 , newspaper=

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the Alle ...

, title=Ski champ Billy Kidd suffers ankle injury , agency=Associated Press , date=January 24, 1966 , page=21{{cite magazine, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sGxJukg5SA8C&pg=PA76 , magazine=

Skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee ( ...

, last=Jerome, first=John, title=The best slalom skier in the world?, date=October 1966, page=76 Later the same year, he broke his right

tibia The tibia (; ), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outside of the tibia); it conn ...

{{cite news , url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GyMhAAAAIBAJ&pg=7370,811790 , newspaper=

Sarasota Herald The ''Sarasota Herald-Tribune'' is a daily newspaper, located in Sarasota, Florida, founded in 1925 as the ''Sarasota Herald''. History The newspaper was owned by The New York Times Company from 1982 to 2012. It was then owned by Halifax Media ...

, location=Florida , agency=Associated Press , title=Kidd fractures leg in freak accident , date=August 5, 1966 , page=20 in two places{{cite news , url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=cL4zAAAAIBAJ&pg=7259,1573063 , newspaper=

Spokane Daily Chronicle The ''Spokane Daily Chronicle'' is a daily digital newspaper in Spokane, Washington. It was founded as a weekly paper in 1881 and grew into an afternoon daily, competing with ''The Spokesman-Review'', which was formed from the merger of two comp ...

, location=Washington , agency=Associated Press , title=Women match slalom skills in World skiing , date=August 5, 1966 , page=14 during downhill training at the 1966 World Championships, held in August in Portillo,

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...

.{{cite news , url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1966/08/15/found-a-pretty-penny , magazine=

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence tw ...

, title=Found: A Pretty Penny , last=Ottum , first=Bob , date=August 15, 1966 , page=12 The injury also kept him out of the first

season of

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 5 ** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...

. During this injury time, he returned to college at the

University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University o ...

Boulder In geology, a boulder (or rarely bowlder) is a rock fragment with size greater than in diameter. Smaller pieces are called cobbles and pebbles. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive. In ...

The following year he took fifth in the

(GS) at the

1968 Winter Olympics The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games (french: Les Xes Jeux olympiques d'hiver), were a winter multi-sport event held from 6 to 18 February 1968 in Grenoble, France. Thirty-seven countries participated. Frenchm ...

Grenoble lat, Gratianopolis , commune status = Prefecture and commune , image = Panorama grenoble.png , image size = , caption = From upper left: Panorama of the city, Grenoble’s cable cars, place Saint- ...

. He took 15th in the downhill but did not finish the first run of the

, which was held in thick fog. Following those Olympics, he won a World Cup slalom in

Aspen Aspen is a common name for certain tree species; some, but not all, are classified by botanists in the section ''Populus'', of the '' Populus'' genus. Species These species are called aspens: *'' Populus adenopoda'' – Chinese aspen (C ...

in March and finished 7th in the overall World Cup standings, the best from

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...

. For the

World Cup season, Kidd finished in the top ten in all three events: 8th in giant slalom, 9th in downhill, and 10th in slalom. His first World Cup victory came a month later at the Roch Cup slalom in

.{{cite news , url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hrVWAAAAIBAJ&pg=7303%2C960726 , newspaper=The Spokesman-Review, location=Spokane, Washington , agency=Associated Press , title=Billy Kidd upsets Killy in Roch slalom , date=March 17, 1968 , page=3, sports His second win came a year later, also a slalom on U.S. snow at Squaw Valley,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

.{{cite news , url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=62xYAAAAIBAJ&pg=7303%2C54113 , newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle , location=Washington , agency=Associated Press , title=Big comeback registered by Billy Kidd , date=March 1, 1969 , page=9 At the 1970 World Championships in

Val Gardena Val Gardena (; german: Gröden ; lld, Gherdëina ) is a valley in Northern Italy, in the Dolomites of South Tyrol. It is best known as a tourist skiing, rock climbing, and woodcarving area. Geography The valley's main river is the Derjon, a ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, Kidd won the gold medal in the combined and the bronze in the slalom.{{cite magazine , url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1970/02/16/kidd-comes-in-from-the-old-cold , magazine=Sports Illustrated , title=Kidd Comes in From the Old Cold , last=Jenkins , first=Dan , authorlink=Dan Jenkins, date=February 16, 1970 , page=42 On winning the gold, he said, "I'd always promised my mom I'd bring home a gold medal." Following the conclusion of the World Championships in mid-February 1970, Kidd retired from the World Cup circuit, and immediately joined the new pro circuit,{{cite news , url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qEVWAAAAIBAJ&pg=7187%2C393347 , newspaper=The Spokesman-Review, location=Spokane, Washington , agency=Associated Press , title=Billy Kidd plans races on pro tour , date=February 17, 1970 , page=13{{cite news , url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4iU0AAAAIBAJ&pg=5443%2C4204948 , newspaper=

Bangor Daily News The ''Bangor Daily News'' is an American newspaper covering a large portion of central and eastern Maine, published six days per week in Bangor, Maine. The ''Bangor Daily News'' was founded on June 18, 1889; it merged with the ''Bangor Whig an ...

, location=Maine , agency=Associated Press , title=Kidd sses pro skiing as big in the future , date=October 13, 1970 , page=19 started by former U.S. Ski Team coach (and Kidd's and Heuga's University of Colorado ski coach) Bob Beattie.{{cite news , url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19700304&id=reEPAAAAIBAJ&pg=4972,129667 , newspaper=

The Free Lance–Star ''The Free Lance–Star'' is the principal daily newspaper distributed throughout Fredericksburg, Virginia, United States, with a circulation area including the city of Fredericksburg and all or parts of the counties of Spotsylvania, Stafford ...

, location=Fredericksburg, Virginia , agency=Associated Press , title=Kidd predicts pro skiing can't miss , date=March 4, 1970 , page=9 Kidd won the pro championship the same year, the only racer to hold world titles in the two circuits at once.{{cite magazine , url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1971/12/20/the-spider-who-finally-came-in-from-the-cold , magazine=Sports Illustrated , title=The Spider Who Finally Came in From The Cold , first=Gwilym S. , last=Brown , page=98 , date=December 20, 1971 Nagging injuries led to few starts during the 1972 season, and he retired from the pro circuit that fall.{{cite news , url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AgorAAAAIBAJ&pg=4463%2C312350 , newspaper=

Reading Eagle The ''Reading Eagle'' is the major daily newspaper in Reading, Pennsylvania. A family-owned newspaper until the spring of 2019, its reported circulation is 37,000 (daily) and 50,000 (Sundays). It serves the Reading and Berks County region of ...

, location=Pennsylvania , title=Billy Kidd retires from ski racing , date=December 1, 1972 , page=26 Kidd graduated from the University of Colorado in 1969 with a B.S. degree in

economics Economics () is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics anal ...

.{{cite web, title=Billy Kidd – MSN Encarta , url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761589704/Billy_Kidd.html , archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20041115181220/http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761589704/Billy_Kidd.html , archivedate=November 15, 2004 , url-status=dead , df=mdy Kidd's heritage is part Native American (

Abenaki The Abenaki ( Abenaki: ''Wαpánahki'') are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands of Canada and the United States. They are an Algonquian-speaking people and part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Eastern Abenaki language was pre ...

), and he is the honorary captain of the Native American Olympic Ski Team.{{cite web , url=http://www.snow-riders.org/info_pages/abenakination5.html , publisher=Snow-Riders.org , title=Famous Abenaki , accessdate=April 7, 2014 In 2013, Kidd was inducted into the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame.

Steamboat Springs

Kidd moved to Steamboat Springs,

, in 1970,{{cite news , url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=x5ZTAAAAIBAJ&pg=2092%2C5962120 , newspaper= The Bulletin , location=Bend, Oregon , title=Billy Kidd keeps hopping long after his glory days , last=Pauls , first=Terri , date=February 5, 1988 , page=D-1 and ever since has been strongly identified with the Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation, where he serves as its director of skiing.{{cite news , url=https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=STP19700903-01.2.3&e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN%7ctxCO%7ctxTA--------0------ , work=Steamboat Pilot , location=Steamboat Springs, Colorado , title=Bill Kidd signs on , date=September 3, 1970 , page=1{{cite magazine , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VjXFWhWmqGMC&pg=PA48 , magazine=Ski , last=Rand , first=Abby , title=Champagne skiing on a great natural mountain , date=August 1971 , page=48{{cite magazine , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VjXFWhWmqGMC&pg=PA63 , magazine=Ski , agency=(advertisement) , title=Steamboat's a comin' , date=August 1971 , page=63 2020 marked his 50th year on the job at Steamboat Ski Resort. As ambassador not just for Steamboat, but for the

American West The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the Wes ...

and the sport of skiing, Kidd is instantly recognizable by his Stetson {{nowrap,

cowboy hat The cowboy hat is a high-crowned, wide-brimmed hat best known as the defining piece of attire for the North American cowboy. Today it is worn by many people, and is particularly associated with ranch workers in the western and southern Unit ...

.{{cite news, url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TgQkAAAAIBAJ&pg=4500%2C880491 , work=Spokesman-Review , location=Spokane, Washington , agency=

Chicago Sun Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago T ...

, title=Billy Kidd: a ski legend finds lots to do off slopes , date=November 17, 1979 , page=24{{cite magazine , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jYYtaOGfIQcC , magazine=Ski , title=Billy Kidd , date=September 1971 , at=cover{{cite news , url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IttiAAAAIBAJ&pg=5794%2C6845540 , newspaper=

The Victoria Advocate ''The Victoria Advocate'' is a daily newspaper independently published in Victoria, Texas. It is the second-oldest paper in Texas and the oldest west of the Colorado River, dating back to May 8, 1846, following the Battle of Palo Alto during the ...

, location=Texas , agency=

The Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885 by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ''Galvesto ...

, last=Williamson , first=Judy , title=Billy Kidd and Steamboat , date=October 24, 1982 , page=14, FUN, Sunday magazine During ski season, skiers and snowboarders can join Kidd for a daily free, on-mountain clinic when he is in town, at 1 PM at the top of the Steamboat gondola. Those who "ski with Billy Kidd" down the Heavenly Daze intermediate run get ski tips, and learn about what it's like to ski in the Olympics. At the invitation of Special Olympics founder

Eunice Kennedy Shriver Eunice Mary Kennedy Shriver (July 10, 1921 – August 11, 2009) was an American philanthropist and a member of the Kennedy family. She was the founder of the Special Olympics, a sports organization for persons with physical and intellectual disa ...

, Kidd served on the board of directors of

Special Olympics Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in ...

International. He also served on the

President's Council on Physical Fitness The President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition (PCSFN) is an American government organization that aims to "promote, encourage and motivate Americans of all ages to become physically active and participate in sports". It is part of the ...

and on the board of the

Center (multiple sclerosis) in Vail.{{cite Sports-Reference , url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ki/billy-kidd-1.html, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418121840/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ki/billy-kidd-1.html, url-status=dead, archive-date=2020-04-18 He regularly hosts Native American teens at Steamboat for annual "Future Olympians" weekends of skiing and snowboard instruction. Participants come mainly from the Ute reservation near Salt Lake City. In the late 1980s, Kidd appeared in the award-winning

American Express American Express Company (Amex) is an American multinational corporation, multinational corporation specialized in payment card industry, payment card services headquartered at 200 Vesey Street in the Battery Park City neighborhood of Lower Man ...

"Portraits" advertising campaign, photographed by

Annie Leibovitz Anna-Lou Leibovitz ( ; born October 2, 1949) is an American portrait photographer best known for her engaging portraits, particularly of celebrities, which often feature subjects in intimate settings and poses. Leibovitz's Polaroid photo of Jo ...

at his ranch near Steamboat. The campaign highlighted portraits of some of the most prominent people in the world, with the tagline "Achievers, visionaries, icons ... all with one thing in common." Besides Kidd, other AmEx card-carrying celebrities featured in the series included

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

Sofia Loren Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone (; born 20 September 1934), known professionally as Sophia Loren ( , ), is an Italian actress. She was named by the American Film Institute as one of the greatest female stars of Classical Hollywood ci ...

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...

Tip O'Neill Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill Jr. (December 9, 1912 – January 5, 1994) was an American politician who served as the 47th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987, representing northern Boston, Massachusetts, as ...

Eric Heiden Eric Arthur Heiden (born June 14, 1958) is an American physician and a former long track speed skater, road cyclist and track cyclist. He won an unprecedented five individual gold medals, and set four Olympic records and one world record at th ...

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

Willie Shoemaker William Lee Shoemaker (August 19, 1931 – October 12, 2003) was an American jockey. For 29 years he held the world record for total professional jockey victories. Early life Referred to as "Bill", "Willie," and "The Shoe", William Lee Sho ...

, and

Wilt Chamberlain Wilton Norman Chamberlain (; August 21, 1936 – October 12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player who played as a center. Standing at tall, he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 years and is widely reg ...

. Kidd hosts corporate ski outings for companies including American Express,

Rolex Rolex SA () is a British-founded Swiss watch designer and manufacturer based in Geneva, Switzerland. Founded in 1905 as ''Wilsdorf and Davis'' by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis in London, the company registered ''Rolex'' as the brand name of ...

, UPS,

American Airlines American Airlines is a major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the largest airline in the world when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and revenue passeng ...

, ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...

'', and ''

'' magazines, and several others.

World Cup results

Season standings

{, class=wikitable style="text-align:center" ! Season !! Age !! Overall !! Slalom !! Giant
Slalom !! Super G !! Downhill !! Combined , - ,

, , ''23'', , colspan=6, ''injured in August 1966, missed entire season'' , - ,

, , ''24'', , 7 , , 8 , , 8 , , rowspan=3, ''not
run'' , , 9 , , rowspan=3, ''not
awarded'' , - ,

1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...

, , ''25'', , 13 , , 8 , , 12 , , — , - ,

, , ''26'', , 15 , , 10 , , 19 , , 12 Results from the

and

results were included in World Cup standings.

Race podiums

* 2 wins – (2 SL) * 4 podiums, 19 top-ten finishes. {, class=wikitable style="text-align:center" ! Season ! Date ! Location ! Discipline ! Place , - ,

, , bgcolor="#BOEOE6" align=March 16, 1968 , , align=left , {{flagicon, USA

, USA , , bgcolor="#BOEOE6",

, , bgcolor="#BOEOE6", 1st , - , rowspan=2,

, , bgcolor="#BOEOE6" align= February 28, 1969 , , align=left , {{flagicon, USA Squaw Valley, USA , , bgcolor="#BOEOE6", Slalom , , bgcolor="#BOEOE6", 1st , - , align=March 16, 1969 , , align=left, {{flagicon, CAN

Mont-Sainte-Anne Mont-Sainte-Anne is a ski resort in eastern Canada, located in the town of Beaupré, Quebec, about northeast of Quebec City. The mountain is part of the Laurentian mountain chain and has a summit elevation of above sea level with a vertical d ...

, Canada , , Slalom , , 3rd , - ,

, , align=right , February 8, 1970 , , align=left , {{flagicon, ITA

, Italy ^ , , Slalom , , 3rd : ^

were also World Cup events in 1970

World Championship results

{, class=wikitable style="text-align:center" ! Year !! Age !! Slalom !! Giant
Slalom !! Super-G !! Downhill !! Combined , - ,

, , ''18'', , 8 , , 15 , , rowspan=5, ''not run'', , — , , — , - ,

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarc ...

, , ''20'', , style="background:silver;" , 2 , , 7 , , 16 , , style="background:#c96;" , 3 , - ,

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo ...

, , ''23'', , — , , — , , — , , — , - ,

, , ''24'', , DNF1 , , 5 , , 18 , , — , - ,

, , ''26'', , style="background:#c96;", 3 , , 15 , , 5 , , style="background:gold;" , 1 From

1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...

through

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 ...

, the

Winter Olympics The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were h ...

were also the

for alpine skiing.
At the World Championships from 1954 through 1980, the combined was a "paper race" using the results of the three events (DH, GS, SL). * The 1966 championships were held in August in

; Kidd broke his leg during a downhill training run.

Olympic results

{, class=wikitable style="text-align:center" ! Year !! Age !! Slalom !! Giant
Slalom !! Super-G !! Downhill !! Combined , - ,

, , ''20'' , , style="background:silver;" , 2 , , 7 , , rowspan=2 , ''not run'' , , 16 , , rowspan=2 , ''not run'' , - ,

, , ''24'' , , DNF1 , , 5 , , 18

References

{{Reflist

External links

* {{FIS alpine skier, 221453
Billy Kidd
World Cup standings at the International Ski Federation * {{Ski-DB, bill_kidd_usa_kddbi * {{SR/Olympics profile
Billy Kidd
at Colorado Ski Museum Hall of Fame

at VermontSkiMuseum.org

''Sports Illustrated''
– 1964 Olympics – February 17, 1964 article
''Stars and Stripes''
– archives – February 9, 1964 – ''European edition'' * {{Webarchive , url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926023132/http://www.si.com/vault/cover/1965/03/08 , date=September 26, 2015 , title=''Sports Illustrated'' – cover – March 8, 1965 – Billy Kidd *
A Bullet in the Rockies
* {{Webarchive , url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926015922/http://www.si.com/vault/cover/1968/02/05 , date=September 26, 2015 , title=''Sports Illustrated'' – cover – February 5, 1968 – 1968 Olympics preview – Billy Kidd & Jimmy Heuga *
http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1080808/index
{{Footer World Champions Combined Men {{DEFAULTSORT:Kidd, Billy 1943 births Living people Sportspeople from Burlington, Vermont Abenaki people American male alpine skiers Alpine skiers at the 1964 Winter Olympics Alpine skiers at the 1968 Winter Olympics American people who self-identify as being of Native American descent Sportspeople from Colorado University of Colorado alumni Medalists at the 1964 Winter Olympics People from Steamboat Springs, Colorado Olympic silver medalists for the United States in alpine skiing