A Legend in Skiing
EARLY FALL 2000 VOL. 5, NO. 6 A LEGEND IN SKIING: GRAHAM TAYLOR Reprinted from the Berkshire Eagle, PittsfiPittsfi eld,eld, Mass,Mass, FebruaryFebruary 2000, byby signifi cant at the local, regional, national and international levels. permission of the author, George Roberson Taylor began his skiing career in 1936, at the age of 12. A resident The Lincoln-Sudbury High School cross-country ski team didn’t of New York City at the time, he received a series of ski lessons at fi gure in the scoring at this year’s Massachusetts State Cross Wanamaker’s Department Store. “I showed up for my fi rst lesson Country Ski Championships, but its coach, Graham Taylor, certainly and it was inside on a two-story high ramp covered with powdered deserves a lifetime achievement award for his major contributions borax. I learned the stem-christy there,” Taylor said. “The next year, to the sport of skiing. He has been involved in the sport since 1936. my parents sent me to the Putney School in Vermont and I skied To see Taylor in action is to see a feisty pit bull with the heart of a well enough to make the team.” teddy bear. Judging by his unfailing enthusiasm, determination Later, Taylor transferred to Phillips Exeter Academy in New and commitment to his team and the sport, he won’t be giving it Hampshire, where he lettered in both varsity skiing and baseball. up any time soon. Taylor’s legacy will live on for many years. In those days, skiing was a three-event sport: slalom, jumping and If it weren’t for Taylor, there might not today even be a state cross country, all performed on relatively primitive skis (that today championship.
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