Jim Miller

Jim Miller’s story is a story of family and community. Along with brothers Pat and Sandy and sister Leslie he skied in the fields and slopes behind the family’s home in Mexico, developing the skills that would carry them to the highest levels of skiing.

Jim’s winning ways at skiing started as a Cub Scout when he won a downhill and a sprint race. Those victories came where he grew up. His home town of Mexico and neighboring Rumford were hot beds of skiing, especially the Nordic events. He had the benefit of coaching from world class skiers such as Chummy Broomhall and Aurele Legere, through Black Mountain and the Chisolm Ski Club and he made the most of it.

By the time he entered Mexico High School Miller was already an accomplished skier, winning his letter and all state honors as a four event man all four years. His junior and senior years he won the Maine and New England cross country championships and added the Nordic Combined title his senior year. In 1965 he and his brother Pat traveled to Bend, Oregon for the Junior National Ski Championships where Jim was on the winning relay team while Pat won the National Cross Country title. The brothers returned for the 1966 Junior Nationals where Jim won the Nordic Combined Championship. In 1967 he was selected the top Jr. Cross Country skier in the USA to ski at the Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway. He finished 34th in the Junior Cross Country against the top cross country junior skiers in the World. That fall the brothers entered Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado on ski scholarships.

The college years were a mix of NCAA and US Ski Team competition with success at both levels. Skiing for Fort Lewis College Miller earned All America honors in 1968, 1969 and 1970 winning the NCAA Nordic Combined title in 1968 and 1970. At the same time he was competing with the US Team in Europe, establishing himself as one of our top Nordic competitors.

The Mexico native skied at the FISU (World University) games in 1968, 1970 and 1972. In 1968 his second place finish in the Combined Cross Country was just one second behind the winner. In that big 1967-68 season he had the honor of carrying the American flag at the Olympic games and later lit the torch at the 1972 games in S a p p o r o , Japan. Miller won the National Nordic Combined Championship in 1969, 1970 and 1972. His strong performances in college and other Nordic competitions earned him a place representing his country in the 1968 and 1972 Olympics.

While teaching in special education Jim has continued contributing to the sport of skiing as an Intermountain Junior National Team coach for ten years. The success of his high school charges has led to coach of the year honors in the city of Casper, Wyoming.

Jim Miller’s achievements as a competitor and as an individual have earned him numerous awards along with the many championships. In 2001 he and his brother Pat were both inducted into the Fort Lewis. These achievements and a continuing contribution to the sport earned Jim Miller a place in the Maine Ski Hall of Fame.