Hank Kashiwa
Henry Charles "Hank" Kashiwa (born May 26, 1949) is an American former World Cup alpine ski racer who competed in the 1972 Winter Olympics.[2]
Hank Kashiwa | |
|---|---|
 Kashiwa in 1970 | |
| Born | May 26, 1949 Old Forge, New York, U.S.[1] |
| Occupation | Alpine skier |
| Height | 5 ft 6.5 in (1.69 m)[1] |
| Skiing career | |
| Disciplines | Downhill, giant slalom, slalom |
| Olympics | |
| Teams | 1 – (1972) |
| Medals | 0 |
| World Championships | |
| Teams | 2 – (1970, 1972) |
| Medals | 0 |
| World Cup | |
| Seasons | 5 – (1968–1972) |
| Podiums | 0 – (6 top tens) |
| Overall titles | 0 – (34th in 1971) |
| Discipline titles | 0 – (19th in GS, 1970) |
Kashiwa learned to ski on McCauley Mountain in his hometown of Old Forge, New York.[3] He raced for the University of Colorado and was then a member of the U.S. Army ski team for two years. From 1967 to 1972, he was on the U.S. Ski Team, and won a national title in 1969. He was an alternate on the U.S. team at the 1968 Winter Olympics at Grenoble, France. Kashiwa skied the World Cup circuit from 1968 to 1971, where he posted six top ten finishes.[1]
After racing for the U.S. Olympic team in 1972 at Sapporo in downhill and giant slalom, Kashiwa joined the pro circuit,[4][5] and starred from 1972 to 1981, winning the World Pro Title in 1975.[1]
After retiring from competitions Kashiwa had a long career as a ski commentator on TV. He also became the President of Volant skis, a Colorado ski manufacturer. After that he served as vice-president of marketing for the Yellowstone Club, near Big Sky, Montana.[1]
World Cup results
Season standings
| Season | Age | Overall | Slalom | Giant Slalom | Super G | Downhill | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 18 | — | — | — | not run | — | not awarded |
| 1969 | 19 | 48 | 25 | — | — | ||
| 1970 | 20 | 36 | 31 | 19 | — | ||
| 1971 | 21 | 34 | 21 | — | 23 | ||
| 1972 | 22 | — | — | — | — |
- Points were only awarded for top ten finishes (see scoring system).
Top ten finishes
| Season | Date | Location | Discipline | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | 22 Mar 1969 |  Waterville Valley, USA | Slalom | 8th |
| 1970 | 22 Feb 1970 | Jackson Hole, USA | Slalom | 8th |
| 8 Mar 1970 | Heavenly Valley, USA | Giant slalom | 5th | |
| 1971 | 16 Jan 1971 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} St. Moritz, Switzerland | Downhill | 9th |
| 17 Jan 1971 | Slalom | 7th | ||
| 30 Jan 1971 |  Megève, France | Slalom | 9th |
World championship results
| Year | Age | Slalom | Giant Slalom | Super-G | Downhill | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 20 | — | 30 | not run | — | — |
| 1972 | 22 | — | 21 | 25 | — |
From 1948 through 1980, the Winter Olympics were also the World Championships for alpine skiing.
References
- Hank Kashiwa at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)
- Blagden, Nellie (January 26, 1976). "On the slopes and in the kitchen, speed skier Hank Kashiwa is a champ". People. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
- Johnson, Phil (February 1994). The Kingdom of Ahs. Skiing.
- Kadleck, Dave (March 6, 1972). "'Rookie' Kashiwa tops pro skiers". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). p. B6.
- "Pro skiing felt tougher". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. March 6, 1972. p. 18.
External links
- Hank Kashiwa at the International Ski and Snowboard Federation
- Hank Kashiwa World Cup standings at the International Ski Federation
- Colorado Sports Hall of Fame – Hank Kashiwa