Picabo Street
A fearless downhill racer with a radiant personality who crashed through barriers to become America's first World Cup downhill champion.
Born 1971 (age 55)·American alpine skier·Birthday: April 3·Generation X
Biography
Picabo Street didn't just ski; she attacked the mountain with a ferocity and joy that made her a star. Hailing from a small Idaho town, she burst onto the World Cup scene with a nickname as memorable as her aggressive style. Street specialized in speed events, where her fearless tucks and aerodynamic prowess made her nearly unbeatable. In 1995, she became the first American woman to win the World Cup downhill title, a feat she repeated the following year. Her career was a rollercoaster of triumph and devastating injury. She famously won Olympic super-G gold in Nagano in 1998 just over a year after shattering her left leg and knee in a crash. That resilience defined her. More than her medals, Street changed the perception of women's skiing in the U.S., bringing mainstream attention and proving that American racers could dominate the world's most terrifying slopes.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Picabo was born in 1971, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Picabo Was Born
The biggest hits of 1971
#1 Movie
Fiddler on the Roof
Best Picture
The French Connection
#1 TV Show
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Picabo's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1971Born
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1976Started school
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1984Became a teenager
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Could drive
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1989Could vote
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Turned 21
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2001Turned 30
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 40
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 50
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 55 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Olympic gold medal in the super-G at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
- Became the first American woman to win the World Cup downhill season title, capturing it in 1995 and 1996.
- Won the downhill gold medal at the 1996 World Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain.
- Accumulated nine career World Cup race victories, all in the downhill or super-G disciplines.
Did You Know?
Her first name is pronounced "PEEK-a-boo" and is a word from a Native American language meaning "shining waters."
She broke both her legs in a training crash in Colorado in 1996, making her 1998 Olympic gold a major comeback story.
After retirement, she worked as a ski racing analyst for NBC Sports and Fox Sports.
“I'm not afraid of crashing. I'm afraid of not trying to win.”
