Skiing Cochrans

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The Skiing Cochrans are a family of American alpine skiers from Richmond, Vermont who dominated Olympic level skiing in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s.

In 1961, parents Mickey and Ginny Cochran built a small ski area on their hillside property along the Winooski River in rural Vermont, where they trained their four children to be world class skiers. All four - Bob, Barbara Ann, Marilyn and Lindy - represented the United States in the Winter Olympics, with Barbara Ann winning a Gold Medal in 1972 at Sapporo, Japan. The subsequent generation of Cochrans has continued the skiing tradition, placing four family members on the U.S. Ski Team, while Cochran's Ski Area has grown into a local winter recreation area with four lifts and eight slopes attracting a loyal contingent of children and families from around Vermont.

[edit] The Family

Gordon S. "Mickey" Cochran - An athlete, an engineer and a teacher all rolled into one, Mickey's talents added up to genius on the ski slopes. Under his tutelage - and while training on the backyard ski hill that he built himself - all four of his children became members of the U.S. Ski Team. Among his other accomplishments, Mickey was the Alpine Director of the U.S. Team during the 1973/74 ski season and coach of the University of Vermont Ski Team throughout the 1970s. Mickey died in March 1998 of congestive heart failure at the age of 74.

Ginny Cochran - Matriarch of "The Skiing Cochran's" and long-time co-owner of Cochran's Ski Area with her husband, Mickey. In 1961, when Cochran's first opened, Ginny started the first after-school learn-to-ski program at the area at the request of the Richmond P.T.O. Since that time, thousands of school children and older skiers have learned to "Ski the Cochran Way", a great many taught by Ginny herself. In addition to raising four children who competed in the Winter Olympics, Ginny managed the ski area until her death in 2005 at age 76.

Barbara Ann Cochran - Member of the U.S. Ski Team (1967 - 74), 1972 Olympic Gold Medalist in Slalom in Sapporo, Japan, 1970 World Championships Silver Medalist in Slalom, U.S. National Champion in Giant Slalom and Slalom. She went on to become a physical education, health and home economics teacher and a ski coach and instructor at Cochran's Ski Area. She is also a motivational speaker offering workshops and seminars.

Bob "Bobby" Cochran, M.D. - Member of the U.S. Ski Team (1968 - 74), U.S. Pro Tour (1975 - 77), 1973 Gold Medalist in the Hahnenkamm Combined (1st ever by a U.S. skier), 1973 World Cup Giant Slalom Victory at Heavenly Valley, California. (1st ever by a U.S. male), two-time U.S. National Champion in Slalom, Giant Slalom and Downhill. He went on to become a physician with a family practice in New Hampshire. Son Jimmy Cochran was a member of the 2006 U.S. Olympic Team and is a five-time U.S. National Champion, and daughter Amy Cochran skis for the University of Vermont.

Marilyn Cochran Brown - Member of the U.S. Ski Team (1967 - 74), 1969 Overall World Cup Giant Slalom Champion, 1970 World Championship Combined Bronze Medalist, three time U.S. National Champion. Son Roger Brown is a member of the U.S. Ski Team and a former NCAA Skiing Champion.

Lindy Cochran Kelley - Member of the U.S. Ski Team (1970 - 78), University of Vermont Ski Team (1978 - 81), Top American Finisher 1976 Olympic Slalom & Giant Slalom in Innsbruck, Austria, U.S. National Champion in Slalom (1973) & Giant Slalom (1976), NCAA All-American (1979). Daughter Jessica Kelley and son Tim Kelley are both members of the U.S. Ski Team.

[edit] A Cochran's Timeline

1961 - Cochran's Ski Area founded; Ginny Cochran offers first after-school program at the request of the Richmond P.T.O.
1965 - Adjacent 140-acre parcel purchased for future ski area expansion
1966 - New trails and rope tow installed on present Cochran's Ski Area site
1967 - Marilyn & Barbara Ann Cochran named to the U.S. Ski Team
1968 - Bobby Cochran named to the U.S. Ski Team
1969 - Marilyn Cochran wins the World Cup season title in Giant Slalom
1970 - Lindy Cochran joins her siblings on the U.S. Ski Team; Barbara Ann wins a silver medal in slalom and Marilyn wins a bronze medal in combined at the World Championships
1972 - Barbara Ann Cochran wins the Olympic gold medal in slalom in Sapporo, Japan
1973 - Bob Cochran wins the prestigious Hahnenkamm Combined in Kitzbühel, Austria
1974 - Mickey Cochran serves as Alpine Director of the U.S. Ski Team; Cochran's Ski Club founded
1975 - Bobby Cochran turns professional; Mitey Mite handle lift installed at Cochran's Ski Area
1976 - Lindy Cochran is top American in both slalom and GS at the Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria.
1979 - T-bar installed at Cochran's Ski Area
1984 - New lodge built at Cochran's Ski Area
1985 - Innovative "Ski-Tots Program" introduced at Cochran's by Lindy (Cochran) Kelley as the Cochran family continues to coach and teach the next generation of Cochran's skiers
1998 - Mickey Cochran dies at the age of 74; Cochran's Ski Area turns non-profit
1999 - Cochran's Ski Area was granted nonprofit, 501(c)(3) tax status by the Internal Revenue Service. Mission statement: "To provide affordable skiing/snowboarding, lessons and race training for area youths and families and continue the tradition Mickey & Ginny have created."
2002 - Lindy Cochran's daughter Jessica Kelley named to the U.S. Ski Team; Marilyn Cochran's son Roger Brown wins NCAA Slalom title competing for Dartmouth College.
2003 - Bob Cochran's son Jimmy Cochran named to the U.S. Ski Team.
2004 - Jimmy Cochran wins U.S. National Championships in Slalom and Giant Slalom.
2005 - Ginny Cochran dies at age 76. Roger Brown named to the U.S. Ski Team.
2006 - Jimmy Cochran competes in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. Lindy Cochran's son Tim Kelley named to the U.S. Ski Team. Amy Cochran, skiing for the University of Vermont, places second in the giant slalom and third in the slalom at the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association (EISA) Championships.
2007 - Jimmy Cochran, Jessica Kelley, and Tim Kelley all begin their 2007/2008 season together on the US Ski Team
2008 - Jimmy Cochran wins two more US national titles in slalom and combined.