Lake Minnetonka winter sports

Bill Allen speaks of his Olympic gold medal like you or I would speak of a high school football game. It’s fair to say that for most, winning Olympic gold would be an unbeatable moment. For Bill Allen, winning Olympic gold was a highlight—it was more than he could ever dream of—but it wasn’t the highlight of his life.

Allen and his brother Harry are lifelong sailors. When Bill won his gold medal in sailing at the 1972 Olympic Games as a 24-year-old, he knew it was a moment he would never forget. Read more about Former Olympic Ice-Boating Brothers Sail on Lake Minnetonka

When brother and sister Rick Putnam and Jill McGary started SnowProfessor.com, a website featuring snowboard lesson videos, they had no idea what they were onto. Since they began shooting videos in 2008, SnowProfessor has garnered more than 5 million views around the world. Read more about Lake Minnetonka-Based SnowProfessor Teaches Snowboard with Online Videos

As the Winter Olympics approach, medal-winning heroes can ignite passion in young dreamers. The figure skaters of the games seem especially inspiring, combining both artistry and athleticism. Their graceful glides burst into phenomenal feats of aerial acrobatics. Onlookers gape in amazement. But those skaters had to begin somewhere, with an experienced coaching staff to help them achieve incremental goals and live out their dreams. Somewhere like Lake Minnetonka Figure Skating Club. Read more about Lake Minnetonka Figure Skating Club Sparks a Passion