Buck Hill

Buck Hill was named by early settlers, who noticed its summit was a gathering spot for Mdewakanton Dakota to watch male deer (bucks) drink at Crystal Lake.{{cite web |url=http://www.dakotahistory.org/county/burnsville.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031230171659/http://www.dakotahistory.org/county/burnsville.asp |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 30, 2003 |title=Historic Sites: Burnsville |author=Dakota County Historical Society |year=2005 |accessdate=September 8, 2007 }}

The ski area was started by Chuck Stone, who discovered the sport as a child recovering from polio, and had worked as a lift attendant at Suicide Six in Vermont. Returning to Minneapolis, he wanted to start a ski area, and went to the public library to search out viable topography. The present ski area of Buck Hill was the tallest hill close to the Twin Cities, but was on private land, part of a remote farm owned by Grace Whittier. Stone and his girlfriend Nancy convinced Whittier to lease them the property, succeeding where previous wooers had failed, and the ski area began operating in 1954. Whittier left the property to St. Olaf College, in Northfield, Minnesota, upon her death.

World Cup ski racers Kristina Koznick and Lindsey Vonn learned to ski and race at Buck Hill.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KkZJAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wQkNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2742%2C3601918 |newspaper=Post and Courier |location=Charleston, SC |title=Koznick caps successful week for U.S. ski team |agency=Associated Press |last=Dampf |first=Andrew |date=January 10, 2005 |page=7C}} Koznick, now retired from international competition, was a top slalom racer. Vonn (née Kildow){{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KXs1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=VS0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5494%2C3319334 |newspaper=Ludington (MI) Daily News |agency=Associated Press |last=Baum |first=Bob |title=Kildow leads U.S. women's team with speed, charm |date=February 10, 2006 |page=3, Winter Olympics }} races in all five disciplines and is dominant in the speed events. She is among the best female ski racers in history, with four overall World Cup titles (2008, 2009, 2010, 2012) and was the gold medalist in the downhill at the 2010 Winter Olympics. She was also a double gold medalist in the speed events at the 2009 World Championships, taking the downhill and super-G. Vonn has 82 World Cup victories, the second most for female ski racer in the sport's history.

Both were coached by Erich Sailer, an energetic octogenarian from Austria who has been Buck Hill's racing coach since 1969. Sailer was inducted into the National Ski Hall of Fame in 2006.{{cite web|url=http://www.austrianinformation.org/november-december-2007/erich-sailers-contribution-to-ski-coaching-in-the-us.html|title=Erich Sailer’s Contribution to Ski Coaching in the U.S.|publisher=austrianinformation.org}} Paula Moltzan also began ski racing at Buck Hill.

The ski area hosted the pro skiing tour in early February 1973 as part of the Saint Paul Winter Carnival. It was raced in a head-to-head parallel format in elimination brackets for both giant slalom and slalom. Two-time defending season champion Spider Sabich won the slalom on Sunday at the McDonald's Cup at Buck Hill.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TWwzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ITIHAAAAIBAJ&pg=4507%2C2502945 |newspaper=Lodi (CA) News-Sentinel |agency=UPI |title=Spider Sabich takes slalom competition |date= February 5, 1973 |page=11 }} That year's season champion, Olympic triple gold medalist Jean-Claude Killy,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VMQqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YLkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5320%2C2109868 |newspaper=Montreal Gazette |title=Killy pro champion |date=April 9, 1973 |page=18 }} won the Saturday giant slalom and was the fastest qualifier in the slalom, but did not place. Killy and Sabich earned $2,500 each for their wins.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5RxIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9IAMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5296%2C711295 |newspaper=Victoria (TX) Advocate |agency=Associated Press |title=Colorado skier whips Austrian |date=February 5, 1973 |page=2B }}

Hugo Nindl of Austria won both pro events at Buck Hill in January 1974. He bested Sabich in the slalom final,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=K8wVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ixEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5161%2C957401 |newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel |agency=Associated Press |title=Nindl sweeps Buck Hill meet|date=January 21, 1974 |page=7, part 2 }} and went on to win the season title.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=y4cxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uKEFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2029%2C1929552 |newspaper=Montreal Gazette |agency=Associated Press |title=Top pro Hugo Nindl wins in final slalom |date=April 4, 1974 |page=23 }}

• Alpine skiing
• Night skiing
• Snowboarding
• Tubing

Minneapolis band The Replacements wrote a song called "Buck Hill", with lyrics consisting entirely of the words "Buck Hill" shouted repeatedly.

• Ski areas in Minnesota

{{reflist|2}}

• {{official website|http://www.buckhill.com}}
• {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20061127152050/http://www.buckhillskiracingteam.com/staff.shtml Buck Hill Ski Racing Team.com]}} - staff
• [http://www.buckhillskipatrol.org Buck Hill Ski Patrol.org]

{{Minnesota}}

Category:Tourist attractions in Dakota County, Minnesota

Category:Ski areas and resorts in Minnesota

Category:Landforms of Dakota County, Minnesota

Category:Burnsville, Minnesota