Marty Hall, 87, (known as Butch during his youth) of Laconia, NH passed away after a short illness on February 25, 2025. Though he was born in Pennsylvania, he always considered himself a New Hampshire native. His family (his parents and two sisters, Lee Ann and Linda) moved to Gilford, NH, when he was young, right after WWII. They joined a number of families who started the Gilford Outing Club, resulting eventually in three Olympians (Marty Hall, Penny Pitou, and Richard Taylor).
Hall was an accomplished four-event skier (cross-country, ski jumping, downhill, and slalom). While at the University of New Hampshire, he was the top skier every year, leading up to his Skimeister silver medal at the NCAA Championships in 1961. Hall took a two-year hiatus to serve in the United States Army as part of the Modern Winter Biathlon Unit in Alaska. However, it was at UNH that Marty met the love of his life, Kathy. They supported each other throughout their 58-year adventure in life across North America.
Hall was the first full-time cross-country ski coach with the U.S. Ski Team. In the late 1960s and 1970s, under Hall’s hard-driving, passionate leadership, the U.S. Ski Team made its first foray into the international cross-country spotlight. He spearheaded the first women’s cross-country ski team in 1969 and managed and coached the inaugural US Olympic women’s cross-country team at the 1972 Olympic Games in Sapporo, Japan.
Foremost among his accomplishments was leading the US men’s team at the 1976 Innsbruck Olympics, where Bill Koch took home a stunning silver medal, marking the historic first Olympic medal won by an American cross-country skier. Along the way, Hall helped design the first American Birkebeiner course with founder Tony Wise back in 1973 at the Telemark Lodge in Wisconsin. He was instrumental in bringing the first FIS World Cup cross-country ski race to Cable, WI in 1978, where one of his female skiers, Alison Owen, won the 5km inaugural event.
In 1981, Hall brought his coaching leadership north of the border when he signed on as the head coach of the Canadian cross-country program. He was very influential in building a strong National Team foundation that led to excellent World Cup performances by Canadian skiers.
Never shying away from speaking his mind, Hall sparked a controversy at the 1988 Olympics in Calgary, AB, when he implied that blood doping may be a reason for the Russians’ totally dominant performance and almost lost his job coaching the Canadian team. He was eventually vindicated when the Russians admitted to the doping years later.
Hall retired from the Canadian national program in 1992 and later developed the race trails in Thunder Bay, Ontario, that were used for the 1995 World Championships. There, he introduced the short-loop concept, which is still used today at World Championship, World Cup, and Olympic competitions. He continued as a coach in the U.S. for eight more years, helping to build a strong program at Bowdoin College in Maine.
In addition to coaching, Hall also introduced innovations and advancements in Nordic ski equipment, training methodologies, trail grooming, and waxing techniques that helped revolutionize the sport worldwide. He initiated a sports medicine program and created a points system for selection criteria with his wife, Kathy, that is still used to this day.
As a mentor, Marty was always ready to stop and give advice and suggestions to those just starting out in coaching or skiing. He constantly shared his passion for the sport with anybody who was interested. Marty often said that he was so fortunate to be able to do what he loved throughout his entire career.
Hall was a trailblazer and pioneer in cross-country skiing, leaving behind a remarkable legacy that impacted and helped shape the sport around the globe. He was recognized with induction into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame’s class of 2017. The next year, he was part of the class of 2018 inducted into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame for his contributions to the sport in Canada.
Marty and his wife, Kathy, have been passionate supporters of the sport for many years, contributing to UNH Skiing, NENSA (New England Nordic Ski Association), the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation, Vermont Academy, Nakkertok Nordic in Canada, and others.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the UNH SKIplex Project in Marty’s memory either online or mailed to the UNH Foundation, Elliott Alumni Center, 9 Edgewood Road, Durham, NH 03824.
The project involves renovating the locker rooms and team spaces for the University of New Hampshire’s Nordic and Alphine ski teams. Marty and Kathy were the visionary minds behind the SKIplex and have supported the project through their advocacy and philanthropy.
