Paul Robbins, U.S. Ski Team Historian Dies
Paul Robbins, 68, ski racing journalist and historian for the U.S. Ski Team for 30 years, died Saturday at his home in Vermont. Robbins, whose work appeared in countless magazines including Skiing, SKI, and Ski Racing began writing about ski racing in the late 1970s. He had been a primary writer for the U.S. Ski Team for over two decades.He became a correspondent with the Team in the early 1980s, traveling for many years on the international circuit with the nordic teams. He also served as public relations director for the Team in 1986 and became a full-time correspondent in 1988.
One of Robbins' final projects was moderation of a national media teleconference last Friday, the day before his death, with newly crowned World Cup downhill champion, Lindsey Vonn. Robbins arranged to have two-time World Cup champion, and Olympic gold medalist, Picabo Street join the call to surprise Vonn.
Robbins is survived by his wife of 18 years, Kathe. He was a native of New Jersey and alumnus of Holy Cross, who later moved to Vermont. A memorial service in Vermont will be coordinated by the U.S. Ski Team and his local friends for a date in late spring. Donations to the Ski and Snowboard Team in Paul Robbins' name may be made to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team Foundation, Box 100, Park City, UT 84060. Or, friends are welcome to contribute to a local charity of their choice.
Photograph of Paul Robbins Copyright Jonathan Selkowitz / SelkoPhoto
Comments
He was a legend. We are all lucky to have known him and read his words. A great keeper of the competitive ski sports and will be missed terribly. As he would say, onward and upward!
a great man. a one-of-kind throwback to a better time in reportage. a real journalist, not some johnny-come-lately who brings his own agenda to the computer. a real friend and by that i mean that once he knew you, you were his friend. once you knew paul, you loved him. he was not an american skiing treasure….he was an american treasure. rest in peace, my brother.
Even though my mind knows better, my heart still hopes that the new email in my in box is a joke from Paul Robbins. I miss being able to call him up, have him answer the phone with some nonsensical accent, and tell him how empty it feels to not have him around. He was a great professional and an even greater friend and I thank him for allowing me into his world. He was involved in skiing and the U.S. Team for all the right reasons and the athletes, coaches, media and those that read his stories could all sense that, even if they had never met him. There’s a hole in the world tonight that can only partially be filled with memories of Paul. Let us raise a glass of milk and celebrate a wonderful human being…through the tears.
I first met Paul at the nordic combined Gold Cup in Steamboat Springs prior to 2002 Olympic Games. I was 23 and slept on the hotel room couch next to a duffel bag stuffed to the zippers with old magazines and newspapers.
“Traveling is the only time I get to catch up on reading,” he said.
He never opened the bag.
We met Peter Graves for dinner that night. Gravey and I ordered beers, Paul had a glass of milk and swore to the waitress he’d send back his fries if they weren’t burned beyond recognition.
“Crisp would be a good start,” he said. “If I can see anything other than black, I don’t want them.”
He’d eat about a quarter of them, then order a ‘to go’ bag. It would sit in the hotel refrigerator untouched all week. So would the $50 worth of peanuts he bought at the grocery store on the way to the hotel.
In the last few years, my phone would ring on race days around 4 a.m. or earlier. At first I hated that Paul would call so early to tell me about a first run or a nordic result. In a few weeks and we were watching live-timing together on the phone. Paul would do his best Eurosport impression and I’d fall off the couch laughing every time he said ‘pipped.’
“Does that mean he grabbed him in the ass at the finish,” he would say.
My girlfriend Katherine and I had lunch with him and Kathy last summer at their home in Vermont. I taught Paul how to post and send web stories then we sat in the shade drinking sun tea. His office was a parallel universe. I’d heard stories, but until actually seeing it, didn’t realize his work space should be a national landmark. If you’re looking for results from the 1947 U.S. Cross Country champs, they’re in the grey file in the back left corner of the room. You’ll find it under the last 40 Years of Ski Racing.
For decades Paul wrote nearly every athlete bio, every press release and penned every historical moment for the U.S. Ski Team - all while filling your inbox with more joke email that you could possibly read. If multitasking is a superpower, Paul was Yoda.
Yesterday, he wrote an outstanding story marking Lindsey Vonn’s World Cup downhill title, then moderated a hilarious teleconference where Picabo Street asked Lindsey if she needed her driveway plowed as guys like Phil Hersh listened in. It was beautiful.
Paul, you were a mentor, a friend and someone I loved and will always love dearly.
I had a glass of milk with dinner tonight. Now I’m looting this Whistler hotel room of ever soap, sugar packet, shampoo bottle, pillow mint, hair net and matchbox I can find.
Off to blanketstrasse Robbins…
batman
I was a longtime friend and colleague of Paul’s too, saddened by his sudden death but glad to have known him. I urge anyone who wants to read more about this wonderful man to go to http://tomandcarole.com and read the tributes there — 88 of them as I write this.
I went to high school with Paul. I was blessed to have had Paul Robbins as a friend of the heart, an everlasting frienship. He was a sensitive and caring man.My sincere sympathy to all his loved ones and to whoses lives he touched. I will miss him. Rest in Peace friend!
I met Paul the first time in 1984, as part of the ski jumping team for the 4 hills tournee. Our best ever finsih there for the last four years was in the top 30. Jeff Hastings was 12 that day and I was 21st, Paul just was a pro reporting, I shared a room with him then. Not phased he told me that this team will be the one to remember. I loved Paul for his unbelivalbe whit, any verbal conversation we had then he won, hand down and so much that I finally gave up……… I had the great furtune to work with him as part of CBS crew in Torino with my good Friend Jeff Hastings and felt like time never passed. I will miss you Paul but am sure to hook up with you on a big long jump again.
Nils Stolzlechner
I can’t say that I really “knew” Paul but I am quite sure that I sat next to him on a plane out of Manchester, NH. We began chatting and I noted the sponsor patches on the ski jacket he was wearing and inquired about it. He explained that he was a writer and that he traveled with the US Ski Team covering various events and such. I shared with him my own childhood dreams of making it onto the US Ski Team and how my children were now developing ski racers. He laughed as I explained that they showed much more promise than I ever did. As the flight landed in Chicago, he asked for my business card, we said good-bye and I left to meet my connection to Dallas noting that I would much prefer to be flying to Beaver Creek which was his ultimate destination.
About a month later, a package arrived for me at my office. I did not recognize the return address but it was clearly a personal package so I was quite puzzled. When I opened the box, I found a variety of US Ski Team t-shirts, pins and other items along with a nice note from Paul wishing my children much success. I could not get over the thoughfulness and generosity of this man that I had only shared a brief plane ride with. This gesture had such an impact on me and clearly demonstrates the type man Paul was. I just read that there will be a celebration service at Dartmouth Skiway this weekend. I wish that I could be there to share this story and how, despite our very brief encounter, he had an impact on my life. It is easy to see how he touched so many lives during his lifetime. My sympathy and prayers to his family and friends.