University of Vermont Athletic Hall of Fame
Joseph V. Lamb III 1978 - Skiing
One of the youngest ski jumping competitors in the history of the Olympic Games, Joe Lamb, a UVM Hall of Fame inductee in 1996, has remained involved in both ski jumping and the nordic combined, the skiing disciplines he participated in while at UVM.
At the age of 16, Lamb competed in the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan. Two years later the Lake Placid, N.Y.-native came across Lake Champlain to UVM. In 1975, he won the nordic combined competition at every Eastern carnival. The next year, he started specializing in ski jumping and was named All-East in 1976 and 1977.
Since graduating, Lamb has served in many top-level coaching positions. He started his coaching career as an assistant to Chip LeCasse at UVM in 1978, and went on to coach in three junior world championships, one Olympics and one World University Games as the head coach of nordic combined. He coached the U.S. team in Sarajevo in 1984. One of the most respected nordic combined teachers in the world, Lamb served as a technical advisor to the Calgary Olympic Committee and worked as a live color commentator for both the ski jumping and nordic combined events.
In 1986, Lamb and his family moved to Ottawa, Ontario, where he became the Technical Director for Ski Jumping Canada. While in that position, he developed a complete educational system for the nordic ski disciplines of ski jumping and nordic combined for Sports Canada. He authored more than 5,000 pages of manuals on coaching and officiating. In addition, he produced and directed five educational videos introducing children to the sport of skiing. In 1988, the Lambs moved back to Lake Placid. Since that time, Lamb has become very active in US Skiing, the national organization that oversees all disciplines of sport skiing in the United States.
Starting in 1991, Lamb served as a USSA representative to the International Ski Federation (FIS). He is the only person who serves on the Executive Board of both disciplines at the FIS level. Lamb's certification as an FIS official (ski jumping, ski jumping TD, and nordic combined TD) give him the opportunity to travel the FIS World Cup circuit. He is recognized for his excellent work in translating and editing the FIS ICR rules governing these nordic disciplines and has become one of the five recognized FIS instructors for TD's and ski jump judges.
In 1995, Lamb received US Skiing recognition when he was awarded the Bud and Mary Little Award. This award is presented to someone who has contributed significantly to skiing interest in the United States through a long-term involvement in the FIS and Olympic communities.
