Life
Dick Buek was born in Soda Springs, Tahoe, California. As a youth, Buek was coached by ski champion Hannes Schroll and trained at the Sugar Bowl Ski Resort.
Known as "The Madman of Donner Summit," Dick Buek exhibited a "go for broke" attitude that brought him success and pain in many downhill competitions. A serious racer by the age of 18, he was the National Downhill Champion in 1952 and a member of the 1952 Olympic Team. He won a second national downhill title in 1954. His record included two runner-up efforts, a third and a fourth at the national championships.
In 1948, he did a straight schuss at the Inferno Race on Mount Lassen.
In 1949, he won the Silver Dollar Derby and the Far West Ski Association's downhill title. In 1952, Buek won the United States National Downhill and competed in the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, finishing 12th.
Buek seemed to be fearless and paid a heavy price for it. He suffered two broken backs, one from a motorcycle accident.
Dick Buek competed in the 1952 Winter Olympics Downhill in Helsinki, Finland. Despite falling twice on the course and careening off course (into the trees and back out), he managed a 12th place finish. Unbelievable, by today's standards.
In 1953, Buek crashed his motorcycle. The accident crushed his leg, pelvis, and shoulder. When the National Championship at Aspen occurred the following year, he could still only bend his right knee 60 degrees. Pins in his left shoulder hampered his stance. Though he won the race, he was passed over to compete at that season's FIS World Championships.
In 1974, Dick Buek was inducted into the National Ski Hall Of Fame. The Honored Members of the U.S. National Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame represent the highest level of national achievement in America, featuring prominent athletes and snow sport builders whose accomplishments showcase American skiing and snowboarding.
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