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By Elizabeth Faletti, BASOC Volunteer Writer and Editor
One could say that skiing is in Olympian Starr Walton-Hurley's blood and bloodline. Her family's long history of involvement in the sport dates back to her grandfather and great uncle's development of Sugar Bowl. As California's first certified ski instructor, Starr's grandfather joined his brother in building the Rainbow Tavern, a popular hotel and restaurant still in existence today. Upon her father's return from World War II, Starr's parents built and developed Donner Ski Ranch and the surrounding area of Soda Springs.
Starr began skiing at the age of three and won her first race by five. The family relocated to the Sacramento Valley once she reached school age and Starr frequented the slopes in junior competitions. As all competitors were then amateurs, Starr tried out and was chosen for the U.S. Olympic team in 1963. She competed in the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria and placed fourteenth in the downhill, the top American, and ninth in the world that year.
Starr took a few moments to share her thoughts on skiing, what it means to be an Olympian, and her present work with BASOC and the Northern California Olympians (NCO).
What is your favorite memory from your Olympic experience in Innsbruck?
There are two of them. One is walking in behind the children who carry the United States name plate and walking into the stadium as the United States in your uniform with all of the competitors. It's pretty awesome. The reality of it hits you. It's like, "I'm an Olympian." My second favorite memory is the closing ceremony. All of the athletes come in together. It's an unstructured parade and I remember walking in with the friends that I made. It really kind of states the camaraderie that has occurred. You may be competitors but, on the other hand, you are new friends and it's incredible.
What was it like competing as an amateur in the Olympics?
Only amateurs could compete back then. We had no logos, no labels…we had to give our equipment back after the Games. To get to the Olympics, my parents paid for everything including various competitions. I represented Sugar Bowl and they gave us a little money but you couldn't take a lot of money because you were considered an amateur. Then, once you were on the team, things were a bit different. No endorsements, though.
How long have you been involved with the Northern California Olympians (NCO)?
I'm going on 15 years. I started becoming involved with NCO when it first started getting together. We held the first Welcome Home Olympian event for returning Northern California athletes. One of the reasons we wanted to hold the event is because as an Olympian you get a huge send off but you come home to an empty stadium if you don't return with a gold medal. It's because of the Northern California Olympians that I have been able to feel comfortable about stating that I am an Olympian.
How are you presently involved with BASOC?
Anne asked me to be an Olympian Representative representing both the Sacramento region where I live and my fellow Olympians. She wants Northern California's Olympians to participate on BASOC's Board of Directors. I also came down and played in BASOC's golf fundraiser. I've been playing golf seriously for a year and I won the longest drive in the First Annual BASOC Celebrity Golf Tournament (224 yards). Yeah, I really hit that ball!
How are you involved in the sport of skiing today?
It's been fun this last year. I have a very close friend who I went to high school with who developed a terrible kidney disease from Vietnam. He was dying, literally, and needed a kidney transplant and the woman he was living with at the time donated her kidney. He was a ski instructor at Squaw Valley for 25 years and became involved with the World Transplant Games. The Games are held every so many years and I was the U.S. Ski Team Coach at this year's competition in Switzerland. We had 17 different countries represented, over 150 competitors from as far away as Japan. We did extraordinarily well and the man who got me involved initially, my dear friend, won a gold medal in the slalom!
I have a passion for skiing. I ski all the time. I am on the slopes and I ski with anybody. I ski with people who can barely stand up and I love it because of the joy of watching their face go from anxiety to this wonderful realization that they can do it! They can be this bird that glides along and it's awesome. When I go to Sun Valley and ski with the Big Boys, as I call them, and I'm cruising at 70 miles an hour down that mountain I am in Hog Heaven. I'm loving every minute of it and I DO wear a helmet.
What other ways do you spend your time these days?
I'm currently in the travel industry. I've been doing tours to Europe and ski tours all over for the past 15 years. I am now doing wine tours. My husband is Honorary Counsel to New Zealand so we've spent quite a bit of time in New Zealand. I have a fabulous wine tour planned for March to both islands. I also do some motivational speaking for a friend of mine who does corporate realignment and brings me in as an athlete to share my personal story about being an Olympian. It's fun and something I'll be doing in the future.
With BASOC's bid being a regional bid, how do you think the Sacramento area would contribute to a 2012 Games?
We have the finest rowing facility that the Olympics can present anywhere (Lake Natoma). I've heard that from Olympic rowers. We will have a velodrome whether the Olympics come or not. And, we're only a hour and a half drive from San Francisco. We will have some of the most imaginative transportation to come up here. We have a waterway that you can come up on. I think being the capital of the great state of California affords a tremendous draw for tourism and there's a lot to see. After all, gold was discovered here! There's so much to do. Sacramento has it all including a number of great Olympians!
Why do you believe that the San Francisco Bay Area is the best choice for the 2012 Games?
Because we can do it the best. I think the Bay Area has tremendous warmth. The organization, the plan presented, tremendously benefits the athlete. Our program has put the athletes first and builds the Olympics around the athletes. That's why I believe so strongly in it.
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