Bode Miller, the first American in 22 years to become the World Cup overall champion is a native of Easton, New Hampshire. The Olympic Alpine Skier was thrust into the spotlight in 1998, when he finished in the top three in the World Cup giant slalom, taking the Silver Medal in the Men's Combined Downhill and Slalom and the Men's Giant Slalom. He was the first American in sixteen years to finish in the top three.
Miller was born on October 12, 1977 in the small town of Easton, which sits just west of the Franconia Notch State Park, in the heart of New Hampshire's "ski" country. He was home schooled and lived in a cabin, without electricity or running water, on five hundred acres in the White Mountains. He first picked up a pair of skis when he was three, testing his skills at nearby Cannon Mountain. He started to compete at the age of eleven.
In high school, he became a state champion in tennis, but it was skiing that propelled him to take risks. In 1996, he began to experiment with equipment, earning himself a spot on the U.S. Ski Team. Using a pair of recreation parabolic (hour glass shaped) skis, he began winning competitions, sometimes by large margins of two seconds or more. In 1998, he was a competitor in the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan and in 2002, he brought home two silver medals from Salt Lake City.
In 2003, Bode won two gold medals and a silver medal in the World Championships. Becoming a World Cup Champion has led to many endorsements (most notably with Nike) and worldwide recognition. He has won the World Cup more than 25 times and in 2005 took the overall World Cup title. Although his appearance in the 2006 Olympics left many disappointed, Miller seemed to enjoy the experience of being an Olympian once again. In March 2007, Bode won his second World Cup Super G Season Title.
Miller left the U.S. ski team in May 2007 and built a team of his own that he calls "Team America". His 2007-2008 season has started with a bang. He recently picked up his fifth win of the season and is well on his way to a comeback victory this year.
