Darrell "Pinky" Robison photograph collection, circa 1953

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Robison, Darrell, 1931-2001
Title
Darrell "Pinky" Robison photograph collection
Dates
circa 1953 (inclusive)
Quantity
3.54 linear feet, (3 archival boxes)
Collection Number
P0407
Summary
The Darrell Robison photograph collection contains images of Darrell "Pinky" Robison, a ski racer in the 1950s and other ski racers of the time.
Repository
University of Utah Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library
University of Utah
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, UT
84112-0860

Telephone: 8015818863
special@library.utah.edu
Access Restrictions

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Languages
English

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

This collection consists of photographs of Darrell "Pinky" Robison and other ski racers in the 1950s though the 1980s.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The storylines of the ski racing career of Darrell "Pinky" Robison (1931-2002) range from working odd jobs in exchange for free skiing to being a fierce and determined competitor, winning on local, collegiate, national and international levels.

He moved from Peoria, Illinois to Salt Lake City at age 12 and quickly fell in love with skiing, hauling supplies to Alta's Watson Shelter to earn a pass. Robison won the Harriman Cup downhill at Sun Valley in 1951, the Snow Cup at Alta in 1953 and the slalom in the Pan American Games in Bariloche, Argentina in 1954.

The pinnacle of his career came in 1952 when the U.S. Olympian finished 22nd in the Games in Oslo, Norway. While his racing triumphs are numerous, it was a race in 1951 at Sun Valley he didn't win that will forever underscore his legacy. While at the start gate, the University of Utah Ski Team sophomore felt a waist band button on his ski togs give way. Unable to delay the start, he took off, and when he reached the finish line his red long johns were totally exposed. Undaunted, Robison finished seventh and won the slalom the next day to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team.

A protégé and close friend of Jack "Red Dog" Reddish, Darrell was anointed "Pink Dog" to showcase his place among the elite skiers of the era.

Darrell "Pinky" Robison was posthumously inducted into the Intermountain Ski Hall of Fame in 2019, this biography was used for that event.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library's Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.

Preferred Citation

Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

Gift of Darrell Robison and Mary Bennett (his widow) in 2015 and 2019.

Processing Note

Processed by Martha Quinn in 1999.

Separated Materials

Audio-visual materials were transferred to the Darrell Robison audio-visual collection (A0529), his papers are located in the Manuscripts Division (ACCN 1662).

Related Materials

This collection forms part of the Utah Ski and Snowboard Archive, which is part of the S.J. Quinney Outdoor Recreation Archive

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 1 Darrell "Pinky" Robison-Sun Valley
  • Photograph number 1: Darrell "Pinky" Robison ski racing
  • Photograph number 2: Darrell "Pinky" Robison ski racing
  • Photograph number 3: Darrell "Pinky" Robison (Utah), second from left, 1st Downhill. Included also are Jim Epperson (Utah) and Roger Turnicliff (Montana), tied for 2nd Downhill.
  • Photograph number 4: 1953 Snow Cup winners, left to right: Brynhild Grassmoen, Jannette Burr, Litchfield, Christian Pravda, Jack Reddish, Stein Erikson, Dick Buick, Darrell "Pinky" Robison.
  • Photograph number 5: National Championships-Boys and Girls Slalom
  • Photograph number 6: Darrell "Pinky" Robison in Sun Valley racing bib
  • Photograph number 7: Darrell "Pinky" Robison skiing
  • Photograph number 8: Darrell "Pinky" Robison skiing
  • Photograph number 9: Skier
  • Photograph number 10: Group of young men
  • Photograph number 11: Five young men standing on stair
  • Photograph number 12: Two young men skiing
1 2 Darrell on the slopes
  • 1-2: Darrell Robison on the set of "Ski Crazy" at Alta Ski Area, 1955
  • 3: Darrell Robison ski jumping, late 1960s
  • 4: Darrell Roison on the top of the slopes, 1968
  • 5: Darrell Robison skiing with a child, 1984
  • 6-8: Darrell Robison wearing bib 103 at the Park City Ski Area's Celebrity Classic, 1984.
  • 9: Darrell Robison at a ski team reunion, 1980s
 1950s-1980s
1 3 Jimmy Griffith
1: Jimmy Griffith, a skier on the U.S. National Team and was named to the Olympic squad in November 1951 and was preparing to go to the 1952 Olympics when he died in a training accident at Alta ski area on December 2, 1951. He died 4 days later at the age of 22
1950s
1 4 Darrell Robison, personal and family
  • 1: Darrell Robison on his 50th birthday, August 30, 1981
  • 2: Darrell Robison in his office, 1990s
  • 3-4: Darrell Robison with family, 1992-1995
  • 5: Darrell Robison with his wife Mary, November 1994
  • 6: Darrell Robison holding an infant, August 6, 2000
 1980-2000s
2 Olympic Album
  • Pages 1-46: Training photos, newspaper and magazine articles, statistic sheets, letters and other ephemera from the 1952 Olympic Ski Team
 1950s
3 Ski Heil album
  • Pages 1-56: Training photos, newspaper and magazine articles, statistic sheets, letters and other ephemera focused on ski compettitions in Utah and Sun Valley, circa 1950s
 1950s

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Ski racing--Idaho--Sun Valley
  • Skis and skiing--Idaho--Photographs

Geographical Names

  • Sun Valley (Idaho)--Photographs

Form or Genre Terms

  • Negatives
  • Photographic prints

Finding aid prepared by Martha Quinn.
1999

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