Lyn McIntosh
| Lyn McIntosh | |
|---|---|
| Years in Thunder Bay | by 1955–1966; 1976–1983 |
Lyn McIntosh was a multi-sport athlete and builder who served as the head coach of the Canadian Women's Ski Team and competed as a champion sprint car driver. Lyn McIntosh was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2011 as a builder.[1]
Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame
Lyn McIntosh was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame on 24 September 2011 in the builder category for skiing and auto racing.[1]
Career and service
Raised in Fort William, he competed in skiing for the Lake Superior Ski Division at three Canadian championships during the late 1950s and early 1960s. After finishing his Canadian Ski Instructors' Alliance certification, he began coaching at the divisional level in 1965. His local pupils included notable skiers such as Dave Irwin and John Ritchie.[1]
He was a founding member of the Canadian Ski Coaches Federation and acted as the head coach for the Canadian women's Can-Am team between 1969 and 1972. During the 1972-73 season, he served as the assistant program director for the Canadian Ski Team, where he managed team selections, race schedules, and training camps. His work during this period helped establish the framework for the group later known as the Crazy Canucks.[1]
From 1973 to 1976, he led the Canadian Women's Ski Team as head coach. Under his leadership, the team secured multiple top-five finishes in World Cup events. Significant achievements during his tenure included a silver medal by Betsy Clifford in the downhill event at the 1974 World Championships and a gold medal by Kathy Kreiner in the giant slalom at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria. Upon returning to Thunder Bay, he managed the ski school and shop at Loch Lomond and served as a technical delegate for the International Ski Federation until the early 1980s.[1]
In the realm of auto racing, he spent over 50 years competing in stock, sprint, and dirt classes. He was recognized as the Lakehead Stock Car Club Rookie of the Year in 1961. By 1966, he transitioned to sprint cars, becoming a prominent competitor in Thunder Bay and on the US Midwest circuit. Driving a vehicle known as the Thunder Bay Invader, he won numerous races and secured the Midwest Sprint Association points championship in 1978.[1]
He relocated to Indiana in 1983, where he continued racing sprint cars before acquiring a McPherson Dirt Champ car. Although he retired from driving in 1990, he remained involved in the sport for many years afterward. His racing career was noted for an aggressive driving style that resulted in both numerous victories and several significant accidents.[1]
Residence in the Thunder Bay area (by 1955–1966; 1976–1983) rests on the following dated evidence. Grew up in Fort William and competed locally from 1955 to 1966 before coaching national teams, returning to Thunder Bay in 1976 to run a ski shop until moving to Indiana in 1983.[1]
Honours and achievements
- Represented the Lake Superior Ski Division at three Canadian Championships
- Coached local skiers Dave Irwin and John Ritchie at the divisional level starting in 1965
- Served as Head Coach of the Canadian Women's Can-Am team from 1969-72
- Acted as Assistant Program Director for the Canadian Ski Team in 1972-73
- Led the Canadian Women's Ski Team as Head Coach from 1973-76
- Coached Kathy Kreiner to an Olympic gold medal in 1976
- Named the 1961 Rookie of the Year for the Lakehead Stock Car Club
- Won the 1978 Midwest Sprint Association points championship
- Competed in auto racing for five decades across various divisions[1]
- Possibly the same as Lyn McIntosh (fl. 1960); the name matches and some details fit, but too little is shared to merge the pages.
- Possibly the same as Lyn McIntosh (ski coach); the name matches and some details fit, but too little is shared to merge the pages.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "Lyn McIntosh", builder profile, Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, https://www.nwosportshalloffame.com/builder-profile/cce3d96c-0182-4fd9-8587-ff8b5046baa4 (accessed 31 October 2026). Archived copy on datum.locker.