Proficient as a cross-country skier, Ottar Satre was best known as a jumper. He won no fewer than seventeen meets between 1930 and 1935.

Ottar Satre was born in Trysil, Norway on September 9, 1908 and like nearly all Norwegians, he was skiing almost from the time he was able to walk. Satre was very proficient at both cross-country and jumping although he was better known as a jumper.

Ottar immigrated to the United States in December, 1929 where he became a versatile competitor in both jumping and nordic combined. He and his brother, Magnus, settled with their parents in Salisbury, Connecticut as one of the pioneer ski families in that area.

Ottar won no fewer than seventeen meets between 1930 and 1935. He was chosen for the Norwegian Olympic Team in the 1932 Olympics at Lake Placid, New York but could not compete because he was an American citizen.

Ottar won the National Ski Association’s national cross-country title in 1935 at Canton, South Dakota, winning the Gale Cotton Burton Memorial Trophy for 1935. He also won the United States Eastern Amateur Ski Association Class “A” jumping title twice, the class “B” jumping title once and the Class “A” nordic combined twice.

Satre was a member of the United States Nordic Olympic Team in 1936 along with his brother, Magnus, as a cross-country skier. He Also represented the United States at the world famous Holmenkollen in 1936 in his native land of Norway, placing thirty-sixth.

Throughout his career, spanning the years 1930 through 1942, Satre won more than thirty first places in either jumping, cross-country or nordic combined, including several New York state titles.

After retiring from Class “A” ranks and joining the Veterans’ class, Ottar won seven straight events in which he participated. He retired from competitive skiing in 1950. After this retirement he became interested in and worked diligently with junior skiers in the Salisbury area, as did his brother, Johan. His nearly picture perfect style and grace were passed on to these youngsters. He was well-liked and always stressed sportsmanship and fair play above all.

Paul Ottar Satre was elected to the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame in 1971 for his service to the sport of skiing.