"Bob Pidacks became the second Olympic skier from Maine when he joined his coach and fellow Chisolm Ski Club member on the 1952 Olympic Nordic Team. His journey to the highest levels of competition started when he learned to ski in Rumford at age seven. He began competing as a sophomore at the Stephens High in Rumford. His ski career was interrupted during his senior year when he drove a ski pole into his eye while competing in the state downhill competition at Gould Academy in 1946. He entered the University of Maine in 1947 to study forestry and in 1950 returned to training and competition. He became a three letter man at the University and in 1951 captained the ski team. Although his experience was limited to two years he piled up a series of outstanding results during the 1951 season. Heading into the Olympic Trials in March he had recorded a second place finish in an open meet at Jackson, NH, 4th at the Dartmouth Winter Carnival, First in a State College meet including Bowdoin and Colby at Rumford, Second at the McGill ISU Winter Carnival, Second at an open meet in Salisbury and First at the Middlebury Winter Carnival. The winter's competition had him in top form for the Olympic Trials which were held on his home course in Rumford. His time of one hour, 32 minutes and 19 seconds beat National Combined Champion Ted Farwell by 21 seconds and Pidacks become the number one cross country skier on the 1952 Olympic Team. After being named to the Olympic Team he graduated from college and entered the U.S. Army. He was given leave to train for and compete in the games in Oslo, Norway where he ran the 18 kilometer course 14 minutes faster than his trial time for a 69th place finish. Following the games Pidacks traveled through Europe competing in numerous races before returning to the Army and service in Korea. Returning to the states Bob was named to the 1954 FIS Team. With the demands of a career and family Pidacks declined an invitation to tryout for the 1956 Olympics, but his active participation in cross country skiing was not over. For the next ten years he continued to compete locally and spent countless hours working with the junior program in Rumford. He and his wife Ruth drove all over the Northeast transporting skiers to races. For his outstanding race career he was inducted into the University of Maine Sports Hall of Fame in 1990 and his record of achievement and contributions to the sport of skiing has earned Bob Pidacks a place in the Maine Ski Hall of Fame." - Maine Ski Hall of Fame