On March 12, 1967, in Franconia, New Hampshire, a young ski racer from Rossland took a fall that changed the course of her career.
Competing in the second round of the Women’s Slalom at the North American Alpine Championship, Nancy Greene Raine caught a ski tip and somersaulted down the course.
But instead of frustration, she grinned.
It was her first time racing in the newly released Lange plastic boots, an innovation that would soon revolutionize ski racing.
“I knew once I got used to them, I’d be untouchable,” she recalls.
And she was right. Greene Raine went on to dominate the rest of the season, ultimately winning the first-ever World Cup.
This pivotal moment, preserved in a historic photograph by the Rossland Museum & Discovery Centre, is a reminder of how technology and determination shape champions.
Greene Raine successfully defended her title the following year, securing a second overall World Cup victory.
Her momentum carried into the 1968 Grenoble Olympics, where she won a gold medal in giant slalom and a silver in slalom.
To this day, her record of 13 World Cup wins remains unmatched by any other Canadian ski racer.
Want to learn more about Nancy Greene Raine and the evolution of ski gear?
Explore the museum's digital exhibit at rosslandmuseum.ca.
Click on "exhibits" in the top banner and scroll down to "Gold Mining to Gold Medals: A Century of Ski Racing in Rossland."
Do you have historic Rossland photos?
Consider contributing them to the Rossland archives, where they can be scanned and preserved while you keep the originals.
