Knut Martinsen, 1942-2021

I met Knut when I worked with Lange. He was the rep covering Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming. 

He loved the industry and was interested by the nuts and bolt aspect of skis and boots. He was born on October 18, 1942, in Norway, 

His family settled in Seattle in 1952, and Knut became a US citizens in 1958. He graduated from Ballard High School in 1960, and from the University of Washington in 1965. 

He was a proud “Husky”, rowing and also involved in Nordic skiing and ski jumping. He passed away on December 14, 2021, in Carson City, Nevada at the age of 79, from Alzheimer disease. 

Knut got married in 1964 to Betty Christianson after meeting her at a ski race in Sun Valley, Idaho. They had three daughters: Kristin (Andrew) Robison of Carson City, Nevada, and twins Janel (David) Ulrich and Julie (Michael) Broxson of Wenatchee, Washington. He had five grandchildren: Jens, Andreas, Leif, Annika, and Kyla, and two step grandsons: Josh and Jake. 

Knut spent his career in the ski industry, first with Pre skis, then Lange, and finally with Goode. I remember staying in his house in Breckenridge. A frugal man, his only indulgence was a Porsche 924. 

The last time we met was on the Arrowhead chairlift, near Beaver Creek where he was testing some new Goode composite skis.