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The Thrill of Victory & The Agony of Defeat presentation will highlight two Olypmians at the Colorado Snowsports Museum

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What: “The Thrill of Victory & The Agony of Defeat”

When: 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday

Where: Colorado Snowsports Museum, Vail Village Parking Garage

Cost: $20 for nonmembers, $15 members

More information: Visit snowsportsmuseum.org or call 970-476-1876.

Get behind the goggles of two of Colorado’s most cherished Olympians on Wednesday evening, when the Colorado Snowsports Museum’s after hours “Through the Lens” winter speaker series rolls on with a special World Cup weekend presentation by Billy Kidd and Jim “Moose” Barrows of Steamboat Springs.

“The Thrill of Victory & the Agony of Defeat” presentation from 5:30-7 p.m. will focus on the highs and lows of top-level international athletic competition.

“Billy and Moose will provide the perfect kickoff for the Birds of Prey World Cup Weekend festivities,” said Liz Campbell, vice president of development and programming for the Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame. “The museum is a wonderful venue for adults and families, and we are committed to providing a full slate of both entertaining and educational annual programming for our patrons.”



Kidd and Barrows are the “Thrill of Victory” and “the Agony of Defeat,” both literally and figuratively. Many see Kidd as America’s first great male Alpine skier over the course of his amateur and professional career. His silver medal in the Innsbruck Olympic slalom, along with teammate Jimmie Heuga’s bronze, marked the duo as the first Alpine skiing medalists in U.S. history. Kidd became the first American skier to win a world championship, with a gold in combined in Val Gardena, Italy, in 1970. Following that win, Kidd turned pro and won the Pro Tour championships, becoming the only ski racer in history to wear both amateur and professional crowns in the same season.

Barrows was a promising downhill racer, finishing third in the inaugural World Cup speed event in 1967 in Franconia, New Hampshire. As a result, he earned a ranking of the top American in the discipline and qualified him for the 1968 Olympic team. However, his bid for Olympic glory ended abruptly at the Winter Games in Grenoble, France. Two-thirds of the way down the course, Barrows tried to take a fast but tricky line through a series of three bumps. He carried too much speed into the section, caught an edge on the final bump and ended up flying precariously through the air before landing hard and sliding for 200 yards.

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The accident resulted in a dislocated hip, with Barrows needing to be airlifted off the mountain. ABC Sports documented the spectacular fall making it the original “Agony of Defeat” opening for the network’s classic “Wide World of Sports.” Barrows was back on skis within five weeks.

The Colorado Snowsports Museum’s “Through the Lens” series will continue Wednesday, Dec. 11, with a screening of “Beyond Skiing Everest,” a documentary produced by Mike and Steve Marolt of Aspen.

Tickets for all “Through the Lens” events are available by visiting snowsportsmuseum.org or calling (970) 476-1876. They are $15 for museum members and $20 for nonmembers, with beer, wine and appetizers.

The Colorado Snowsports Museum is on the third level of the Vail Village parking structure and is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. For additional information, visit snowsportsmuseum.org or call 970-476-1876.


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