Although he came from humble beginnings in Collingwood, a ski legend spread his wings and was recently inducted into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame.
We spoke with Paul Throop, 79, inductee into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame.
Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I was born at the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital.
I was raised at Craigleith on a farm.
I went to the Nottawa school and Collingwood Collegiate Institute.
Q: When did you first know you were interested in skiing?
A: Age five.
There’s a little sadness involved in me becoming interested in skiing. My father came home from the war and was a chronic alcoholic. Both of my parents were very bad drinkers.
My aunt took me and my grandmother took my sister.
My aunt lived on a farm that is now part of Craigleith Ski Club. I went at five and grew up on that farm. I went in August that year and the first winter, she walked across the road to see Jozo Weider. He lived across the road at that time. She told him she had me living with her.
He gave me a pair of George Weider’s skis, poles and boots. He was building Blue Mountain Resort then.
My aunt Marie was a very resourceful person. She left me with the lift operator with my lunch and asked them to keep an eye on me. The mountain became a babysitting service.
Being farmers, my aunt knew all the farm people who worked on the mountain, and I became part of that family.
Q: After high school, did you stay or go?
A: I didn’t graduate high school.
I went to the Provincial Institute of Trade in Toronto. Each weekend, I would go home to Collingwood to keep skiing. I was really involved in the Collingwood ski club with racing.
Later in life, I got involved with the Ontario cross-country ski team. From there, I went into managing the Ontario team. From there, I managed the Canada cross-country team.
That’s how I ended up in Quebec.
Q: Is the ski industry how you made your career?
A: I think the ski industry made a career out of me. (laughs)
They say it takes a village to raise a child. I was raised by the ski community in many ways. When you grow up a boy in Collingwood, you typically play hockey.
I was different because I was plugged into the Blue Mountains ski community, which is predominantly people from Toronto. All my friends were from Toronto.
I met my wife when I was 14 and she was 11. We’re now married with three grandchildren. Her family was a member of the Toronto Ski Club and I was a member of the Collingwood ski club, and that’s who we raced all the time. I raced against her brother, and my sister raced against her.
I worked for Fisher Skis for five years as their North American product manager. I was travelling all over the world.
Q: On Nov. 15, you were inducted into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame as a builder. Can you tell me about your accomplishments that led to that nomination?
I was part of the organizing committee that started the first cross-country ski instructors association. I did work with the national team getting them ready for the 1976 Olympics. I did work with the Canadian Ski Marathon. I became the president of that.
In 2015, I stepped down as president but remained on the board and made it my mission to start Ski at School Outaouais. It’s funded by the Quebec government, Desjardins and Salomon Skis. We take cross-country skis to kids in schools in the Outaouais from grades 1 to 11. Last year, we had more than 22,000 kids ski for free.
The idea is to create the next generation of skiers. Typically, the kids we introduce skiing to, their families couldn’t afford for them to ski.
Now, we’re moving into the Laurentian region.
I’ve been doing this as a volunteer for nearly 10 years.
That caught the attention of a lot of people within the ski community, which is why I was nominated.
Q: Did your own beginnings impact why this endeavour is important to you?
A: Absolutely. I think that’s what drives my passion.
I spent many years thinking about how I would give back.
I feel fortunate that skiing propelled me through life. It gave me my marriage, family and a beautiful place to live in Quebec.
There are way too many kids who would ski but can’t afford it.
If my aunt hadn’t lived next door to Blue Mountain, I wouldn’t be in the situation I’m in today.
Q: When you found out you were being inducted, how did you feel in that moment?
A: Very appreciated. I felt honoured.
If you go on the website, you’ll find Jozo Weider.
Blue Mountain would not be there without Jozo. The industry of skiing around Collingwood and the growth it’s created would not be there without Jozo.
I don’t want to say I’m in Jozo’s league, but I’m in the hall of fame with him.
When I was in school in Toronto in my early 20s, I couldn’t afford a season’s pass at Blue Mountain, so I would just climb up and ski down the mountain in my cross-country skis. I was more or less a ski bum.
Jozo came to me one day and asked why I was doing it and I said I couldn’t afford the season’s pass.
He asked me to open a cross-country ski shop for him. He sent me to the annual wholesale purchasing markets in Montreal and I purchased 100 sets of skis, boots and poles and set up shop in the new lodge. It gave me income while I was going to school.
He trusted me. We had a very personal connection.
Q: What are your hobbies?
A: I enjoy our grandchildren immensely. They’re six, eight and nine. We do a lot of things together.
I’m a long-distance cyclist. I actually rode my bicycle around the world in 2002-2003. It was something I had always wanted to do. Cycling was something I always did to train for cross-country skiing rather than running as cardio. It became a way of life for me.
I spend a lot of time on the water, boating in the summertime.
I ski every morning basically, when I can, depending on conditions. I try to ski everyday.
I try to keep myself in shape, and as strong as possible. Luckily I’ve had good health.
Q: Is there anything else you want people in Collingwood to know about you?
A: Not to sound too hokey, but I’m very grateful for the life I have.
I wouldn’t have what I’ve had in life if it weren’t for Collingwood and Blue Mountain.
Part of your lottery is when and where you’re born and raised.
I’m part of that generation that’s dying off, but I’m still going. I give a lot of credit for that to Collingwood and Blue Mountain and how they took care of me. I feel very fortunate.
