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WATERSKI MagazineWhen the 10 Greatest Skiers of All Time bunched together for pictures in April, the man who stood tallest was awestruck.
“It's unbelievable to be standing with this group,” said 6'1″ Carl Roberge, who, with Patrice Martin, is the youngest athlete in the group at 32. “What makes it even more special is to be recognized during my career. And here I am with Chuck Stearns. He was my idol growing up.”
In fact, before Roberge won any slalom, jump or overall championships a la Stearns, he wanted to emulate Stearns the ski racer.
“I was only 7,” says Roberge. “But then I remember seeing some [racers] get carted off the water. So I kind of dropped that idea.”
He picked up three-event skiing instead. By the time he reached his teens, Roberge thought he could be the best in the world. If he was awestruck by the legends of the sport then, he didn't show it. At the U.S. Open in 1981 he knocked off Kris and Bob LaPoint, who between them had owned the slalom title since the 1960s. Roberge went on to win overall that year to start an amazing streak of nine straight U.S. Open overall championships.
But nobody was invited into the 10 Greatest photo for dominating a single tournament. Roberge is the only skier to win season titles in two events on the U.S. pro tour. His vocation was slalom in 1986, but in the past three seasons he's been regarded as the best jumper in the world, backing it up with titles in '95 and '96. Last year he went undefeated on the tour, something that had never been done before.
“I don't know how I could ever top that,” says Roberge. “It's hard enough to win one stop.”
There's more to do, though. Roberge wants to win another slalom championship. (He finished third last year.) And creeping up from the back of his mind is one other challenge.
“If I get the opportunity I'd like to try the Catalina Race,” says Roberge. “It sounds like my kind of thing, like quite the challenge.”
It's not that his career would be incomplete without a run in the 62-mile marathon/sprint. Roberge is at ease, raising three kids with wife Carmen and knowing that he could retire today and have a secure place among the best ever.
After the pictures of the Greatest were taken, the idol was told about Roberge's wild Catalina idea.
“Carl could do it,” said Stearns, the most celebrated U.S. ski racer ever. “He's one of those guys who has what it takes. I'd like to see him in there.”
Who's going to doubt that statement?
- Robert Stephens
