Information submitted in a nomination letter to the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame by Paul Sawyer, Past President, Northern Division USSA.

Seldom has any one person won more first place medals in National and International events than Linda Meyers, earning the right to represent the United States as a member of the 1958 and 1962 F.I.S. teams and the 1960 and 1964 Olympic teams.

Linda Meyers was born July 1, 1937 in Los Angeles, California. She attended both grammar and high school at Bishop, California, attending the University of Utah, Western State College and Colorado State College. It was at Western State, Gunnison, Colorado that she met Professor Frank Tikalsky. They were married in the fall of 1965. The Tikalsky’s have four children and presently live in Bayfield, Colorado. Frank is retired from Los Alands National Laboratory and Linda is retired from Ski Area Risk Management consulting.

Linda started skiing in Bishop, California when she was 14 years old. One of the main influences in Linda’s life and one of the main reasons she became a competitive skier was Jill Kinmont, a Bishop, California native and Linda’s close friend. Another person to influence Linda’s racing career was Dave McCoy, the owner and manager of Mammoth Mountain.

Linda was 19 when she was selected as a member of the U.S. International Ski Team (F.I.S.). Her racing record of championship medals from 1957 to 1965 follows:

RACE RECORD
National Downhill Champion 1957 National Slalom Champion 1961
National Slalom Champion 1959 National Combined Champion 1961
National Combined Champion 1959 Roch Cup Slalom Champion 1961
North American Slalom Champion 1959 Roch Cup Combined Champion 1961
North American Downhill Champion 1959 National Slalom Championship 1962
Roch Cup Slalom Champion 1959 Grindlewald Giant Slalom Champion 1962
Roch Cup Combined Champion 1959 F.I.S. Slalom – 7th Place 1962
Harriman Cup Slalom Champion 1960 North American Slalom Champion 1964
Kitzbuhel Hannenkalm Slalom Champion 1960 Olympic Slalom – 12th Place 1964
St. Moritz Coppa Grischca Champion 1960 American International Downhill Champion 1965

At the end of her racing career, Linda continued to be active in coaching and administrative work for Olympic skiing, always with the betterment of skiing in mind. A recap of her activities along this line follows:

COACHING RECORD: F.W.S.A. Girl’s Jr. National Team Coach (1959, 1960); R.M.D. Girl’s Jr. National Team Coach (1968, 1969, 1970); Purgatory Junior Racers Coach (1967 – 1970); Mammoth Mountain Race Department (1974 – 1976)

ORGANIZED SKIING: Vice President of Competition R.M.D. (1970 – 1971); Ladies Downhill/Slalom Committee F.I.S. (1968 – 1971); Rocky Mountain Division Board of Directors (1967 – 1970; Rocky Mountain Division Junior Alpine Chairman (1968 – 1970); U.S.S.A. Junior Alpine Committee Member (1968 – 1970); Mammoth Mountain Ski Area-Implementation of Ski Area Public Liability Plan (1976 – 1977); Consultant to Pettit Morry Insurance Company/Acoedia Insurance Company for Ski Public Liability Plan (1978-2003)

CERTIFICATIONS: Rocky Mountain Ski Instructors Association/P.S.I.A. full certification, Consultant to Western Montana College Resort Management Program (1979)

Linda Meyers Tikalsky was elected to the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame in 1982.