Paul Carson - Racer, pro-tour exec, entrepreneur

Paul Carson, competitor, pro-tour visionary and entrepreneur, passed away June 5 at his home in Ketchum, Idaho, after a 14-year battle with cancer. He was 68. A native of the Toronto area, Carson grew up racing out of the tiny Don Valley Ski Centre. He made the Canadian national team at 17 and was the Canadian National Slalom Champion in 1973. At 21 he joined the World Pro Ski Tour, competing for eight years and ranking as high as third on the circuit. Sponsors, such as Hawaiian Tropic, loved Carson’s charisma and matinee-idol good-looks. He became the ambassador for Copper Mountain, where he met his wife and future business partner, Kathy Murphy. They were married in 1979.

After Bob Beattie folded WPS, Carson helped launch the Professional Ski Racers Association and ran the Pro Ski International Tour. After three years, he left the tour and turned to other business opportunities. He helped build the sport of beach volleyball to Olympic status, launched upscale dog shows, and worked with financial companies, eventually starting his own hedge fund. Kelly remembers Carson as the “soul of World Pro Ski Tour.”