Bill Johnson RIP

Bill Johnson RIP
read several accounts this am that our former Olympic gold medalist from the Sarajevo Olympics passed . Rip Bill , he was an enigma wrapped in a paradox who seemingly poked a finger in the eye of the skiing establishment in a goood sort of way . " The Kaiser ". Franz Klammer was particularly nasty when he called Bill a nasenbickler ( a nosepicker ) when ole Bill stuck it to the. Vaunted Austrian ski team and whooped their butts in Sarajevo .

Bill led a tortured existence hopefully he is now at peace

Sad news..

It is sad news for those of us who remember his 1984 season and gold medal. He was the first American male to win a World Cup downhill (Wengen), then proceeded to finish way back at Kitzbuhel and Garmisch. Klammer then called him a nasenbohrer. He then finished 4th at Cortina and became the first American to win an Olympic gold in DH at Sarajevo. He finished the season winning the US National DH at Aspen and the last WC DH of the year at Whistler. 1984 was his best season and he never finished above 7th on the World Cup during the rest of his career.

Sadly, he was always at odds with the US Ski Team management. It contributed to the flash in the pan nature of his career.

I was in 9th grade and on the Willard Mtn ski team when Billy Johnson won gold.  Needless to say I thought he was just a wicked cool bad ass!  I even wrote his name on my goggle straps that season.  

RIP Bill Johnson and thanks for the inspiration!  You were the man.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkdB42lN1AE

SKI TO DIE!

The dude ripped. Sad...

And of course he had issues with the US Ski Team Management!  They have like 70 VPs of this and that.  Like 15 VPs for every one athlete.  All making way too much money. Money that should be allocated to our athletes which in turn would strength the world cup program.  Instead we have all these whitebeard melba toast types riding around Park City in oversized Chevy SUVs cutting line in their US Ski team clad outfits.  

To hell with them!   I'm with Billy and Bodie!