Mickey Cochran has been described as many things: an athlete, a soldier, an engineer, and a teacher. Growing up in Massachusetts, Mickey was a standout in Baseball and Football and went on to pitch and play quarterback for the University of Vermont. He served in the 84th Infantry Division in France and Germany during World War II. His unit was surrounded in the Battle of the Bulge where he saw significant action, his athletic prowess likely helping him survive with minor wounds. Returning to Vermont after the war, Mickey spent two years searching for land to put a rope tow on so his four young children could learn to ski. Almost 60 years later Cochran’s has become one of the most popular family-oriented ski areas in the country, enabling anyone who wishes an opportunity to learn to ski. Mickey lived by the adage, “be the best with what you have.” Mickey and his wife Ginny raised 4 incredible ski racing children Bobby, Marilyn, Lindy and Barbara Ann represented the U.S. in the Winter Olympics, with Barbara Ann winning the gold medal in slalom at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan. Marilyn won the overall World Cup Crystal globe in Giant Slalom in 1969. More on the Cochran family found here.
The Mickey Cochran Award is presented to an athlete competing at the FIS Level, is a Vermont resident, and has come up through the Vermont Council System.
