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Bob Beattie, 85, Olympic Ski Coach and ABC Sports Analyst, Dies Bob Beattie, 85, Olympic Ski Coach and ABC Sports Analyst, Dies
(about 2 hours later)
Bob Beattie, who coached the United States ski team in 1964 when its men won their first alpine medals at the Olympics and brought ebullient analysis to his work as a skiing commentator for ABC Sports, died on Sunday at his son’s home in Fruita, Colo. He was 85.Bob Beattie, who coached the United States ski team in 1964 when its men won their first alpine medals at the Olympics and brought ebullient analysis to his work as a skiing commentator for ABC Sports, died on Sunday at his son’s home in Fruita, Colo. He was 85.
His son, Zeno, confirmed the death but did not specify a cause. Mr. Beattie (pronounced be-AT-tee) lived for 40 years in Woody Creek, Colo.His son, Zeno, confirmed the death but did not specify a cause. Mr. Beattie (pronounced be-AT-tee) lived for 40 years in Woody Creek, Colo.
As a sportscaster Mr. Beattie was renowned for his call, with Frank Gifford, of the Austrian Franz Klammer’s gold medal-winning downhill race at the 1976 Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria, as Klammer beat the time of Bernhard Russi of Switzerland.As a sportscaster Mr. Beattie was renowned for his call, with Frank Gifford, of the Austrian Franz Klammer’s gold medal-winning downhill race at the 1976 Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria, as Klammer beat the time of Bernhard Russi of Switzerland.
“He’s right on the edge!” Mr. Beattie said as the daredevil-like Klammer nearly fell.“He’s right on the edge!” Mr. Beattie said as the daredevil-like Klammer nearly fell.
“You certainly cannot accuse him of doing anything but attacking!” he said, observing Klammer’s aggressive style.“You certainly cannot accuse him of doing anything but attacking!” he said, observing Klammer’s aggressive style.
And, as he watched the replay, Mr. Beattie added, “I’ve never seen so much pressure on one skier in my entire life.”And, as he watched the replay, Mr. Beattie added, “I’ve never seen so much pressure on one skier in my entire life.”
The call made Klammer a household name to sports fans in the United States during an Olympics in which only one American, Cindy Nelson, won an Alpine medal. And it raised Mr. Beattie’s profile.The call made Klammer a household name to sports fans in the United States during an Olympics in which only one American, Cindy Nelson, won an Alpine medal. And it raised Mr. Beattie’s profile.
“Bob loved ski racing,” Mr. Gifford, who was more familiar to viewers as a football announcer, said in an interview in 2006 with the Archive of American Television. “My job was almost like ‘Monday Night Football’: identify the player and let him go.” “Bob loved ski racing,” Mr. Gifford, who was more familiar to viewers as a football announcer, said in an interview in 2006 with the Archive of American Television. “My job was almost like ‘Monday Night Football’: Identify the player and let him go.”
Mr. Beattie, known as “Beats,” began working at ABC Sports around 1970, when it was the dominant Olympic network and featured skiing, among other Olympics sports, on “Wide World of Sports.” He brought to the network a background as a successful Olympic coach and a founder in 1967 of the Alpine Skiing World Cup circuit of events.Mr. Beattie, known as “Beats,” began working at ABC Sports around 1970, when it was the dominant Olympic network and featured skiing, among other Olympics sports, on “Wide World of Sports.” He brought to the network a background as a successful Olympic coach and a founder in 1967 of the Alpine Skiing World Cup circuit of events.
“No one in the early days of ‘Wide World of Sports’ was more identifiable with his sport than Beats was with Olympic and World Cup skiing,” Geoffrey Mason, a longtime producer at ABC and ESPN, wrote in an email.“No one in the early days of ‘Wide World of Sports’ was more identifiable with his sport than Beats was with Olympic and World Cup skiing,” Geoffrey Mason, a longtime producer at ABC and ESPN, wrote in an email.
Mr. Beattie’s sportscasting portfolio expanded to volleyball during the 1984 Summer Olympics. And for ABC’s “The American Sportsman” series, he covered expeditions like an ascent of Mt. Everest and a trans-Atlantic balloon crossing. He later hosted a skiing series for ESPN and did play-by-play for the network’s first coverage of the extreme-sport X Games, in 1997. Mr. Beattie’s sportscasting portfolio expanded to volleyball during the 1984 Summer Olympics. And for ABC’s “The American Sportsman” series, he covered expeditions like an ascent of Mount Everest and a trans-Atlantic balloon crossing. He later hosted a skiing series for ESPN and did play-by-play for the network’s first coverage of the extreme-sport X Games, in 1997.
Robert Prime Beattie was born on Jan. 24, 1933, in Manchester, N.H. His father, Robert, was a roofing salesman, and his mother, the former Katherine Prime, was a homemaker.Robert Prime Beattie was born on Jan. 24, 1933, in Manchester, N.H. His father, Robert, was a roofing salesman, and his mother, the former Katherine Prime, was a homemaker.
Bob and his brother, John, were introduced to skiing by their father, but Bob later failed to make the ski team at Middlebury College in Vermont, prompting him to become a coach. As a senior at Middlebury he took over its ski team at the N.C.A.A. championships when the coach, Bobo Sheehan, took a leave to coach the United States ski team. Mr. Beattie also played on the college’s football team and ran on its cross-country team.Bob and his brother, John, were introduced to skiing by their father, but Bob later failed to make the ski team at Middlebury College in Vermont, prompting him to become a coach. As a senior at Middlebury he took over its ski team at the N.C.A.A. championships when the coach, Bobo Sheehan, took a leave to coach the United States ski team. Mr. Beattie also played on the college’s football team and ran on its cross-country team.
Mr. Beattie moved on to the University of Colorado as an offensive line coach for its football team in 1956 and became the school’s first ski coach the next year. In 1959 and ’60, the ski team won the N.C.A.A. championship.Mr. Beattie moved on to the University of Colorado as an offensive line coach for its football team in 1956 and became the school’s first ski coach the next year. In 1959 and ’60, the ski team won the N.C.A.A. championship.
“It was a great experience,” he said during a video prepared for his induction into the Aspen Hall of Fame in 2004. “I cried all night long.”“It was a great experience,” he said during a video prepared for his induction into the Aspen Hall of Fame in 2004. “I cried all night long.”
Bill Marolt, a member of the Colorado ski team, told The Denver Post in 2012 that Mr. Beattie was a tough, relentless coach.Bill Marolt, a member of the Colorado ski team, told The Denver Post in 2012 that Mr. Beattie was a tough, relentless coach.
“You had to be prepared because it was tough love,” said Mr. Marolt, who later served for 20 years as chief executive of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. “Lots of guys and gals don’t respond to that. But that was his style, personality, and I loved it.”“You had to be prepared because it was tough love,” said Mr. Marolt, who later served for 20 years as chief executive of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. “Lots of guys and gals don’t respond to that. But that was his style, personality, and I loved it.”
Mr. Beattie’s success at Colorado led to his being named coach of the United States ski team. The job involved turning what had been a collection of athletes who assembled periodically for Olympics and world championships into a standing national team that had training camps and traveled the world.Mr. Beattie’s success at Colorado led to his being named coach of the United States ski team. The job involved turning what had been a collection of athletes who assembled periodically for Olympics and world championships into a standing national team that had training camps and traveled the world.
It scored some successes at the 1964 Winter Games in Innsbruck, where Billy Kidd and Jimmie Heuga won silver and bronze medals, respectively, in men’s slalom, and Jean Saubert won a silver medal in women’s giant slalom and a bronze in slalom.It scored some successes at the 1964 Winter Games in Innsbruck, where Billy Kidd and Jimmie Heuga won silver and bronze medals, respectively, in men’s slalom, and Jean Saubert won a silver medal in women’s giant slalom and a bronze in slalom.
“This is the greatest day for Olympic skiing,” Mr. Beattie said at the time. “These boys are young. There will be a lot more.”“This is the greatest day for Olympic skiing,” Mr. Beattie said at the time. “These boys are young. There will be a lot more.”
But there was not. The Americans, with Kidd and Heuga returning, did not win any medals at the 1968 Games in Grenoble, France. Skiing events that year were dominated by France’s Jean-Claude Killy, who won gold medals in downhill, giant slalom and slalom.But there was not. The Americans, with Kidd and Heuga returning, did not win any medals at the 1968 Games in Grenoble, France. Skiing events that year were dominated by France’s Jean-Claude Killy, who won gold medals in downhill, giant slalom and slalom.
Mr. Beattie left the team soon after, upset with restrictions against skiers’ earning prize money, his son said. In 1970, he formed the World Pro Ski Tour, which he ran for about a dozen years. The tour gave skiers the freedom they had lacked under amateur rules. The tour’s innovations included head-to-head competition in the form of dual racing, in which two skiers went down a slalom or giant slalom course side-by-side.Mr. Beattie left the team soon after, upset with restrictions against skiers’ earning prize money, his son said. In 1970, he formed the World Pro Ski Tour, which he ran for about a dozen years. The tour gave skiers the freedom they had lacked under amateur rules. The tour’s innovations included head-to-head competition in the form of dual racing, in which two skiers went down a slalom or giant slalom course side-by-side.
“It was fun to be in charge of your own life,” Mr. Kidd told The Post in 2012 about the pro tour. “You decided if you wanted to go to that race, how much you wanted to train, and how much you wanted to train with Spider Sabich the night before the race.”“It was fun to be in charge of your own life,” Mr. Kidd told The Post in 2012 about the pro tour. “You decided if you wanted to go to that race, how much you wanted to train, and how much you wanted to train with Spider Sabich the night before the race.”
Vladimir Sabich, who was known as Spider, was on the U.S. Ski team when Mr. Beattie was its coach; he later raced on the pro circuit.Vladimir Sabich, who was known as Spider, was on the U.S. Ski team when Mr. Beattie was its coach; he later raced on the pro circuit.
(Mr. Sabich was killed by his lover, Claudine Longet, the former wife of the singer Andy Williams, in March 1976 at Mr. Sabich’s home in Aspen. According to testimony at her trial, which found her guilty of criminally negligent homicide, a misdemeanor, Mr. Sabich had been at Mr. Beattie’s house earlier on the day he was shot.)(Mr. Sabich was killed by his lover, Claudine Longet, the former wife of the singer Andy Williams, in March 1976 at Mr. Sabich’s home in Aspen. According to testimony at her trial, which found her guilty of criminally negligent homicide, a misdemeanor, Mr. Sabich had been at Mr. Beattie’s house earlier on the day he was shot.)
In addition to his son and brother, Mr. Beattie is survived by his wife, Marci Cohen; his daughter, Susan Crabtree; six grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. His marriages to Ann Dwinnell, Kiki Cutter and Cheryl Britton ended in divorce.In addition to his son and brother, Mr. Beattie is survived by his wife, Marci Cohen; his daughter, Susan Crabtree; six grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. His marriages to Ann Dwinnell, Kiki Cutter and Cheryl Britton ended in divorce.
Although Mr. Beattie and Mr. Gifford’s call of Klammer’s victorious race in 1976 appeared to be live, it was not, Mr. Gifford recalled. It was recorded several hours after the race during the editing.Although Mr. Beattie and Mr. Gifford’s call of Klammer’s victorious race in 1976 appeared to be live, it was not, Mr. Gifford recalled. It was recorded several hours after the race during the editing.
After the race, Mr. Gifford said, he and Mr. Beattie were quickly caught up in the celebration of Klammer’s win.After the race, Mr. Gifford said, he and Mr. Beattie were quickly caught up in the celebration of Klammer’s win.
“We joined in on the schnapps and everything else,” he said, “and we realized we had to go back to the studio to do the play-by-play.”“We joined in on the schnapps and everything else,” he said, “and we realized we had to go back to the studio to do the play-by-play.”