Inductee in 2007, Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Hall of Fame (snow skiing)
Source:
https://www.db.tacomasportsmuseum.com/hall-of-fame-detail.php?id=463
Joe LaPorte developed his love for skiing in his teens when his father would take him skiing at Paradise on Mount Rainier. The two would hike from Narada Falls up to the lodge at Longmire and then ski down Devil’s Dip.
LaPorte was born on May 1, 1921 in San Francisco and moved with his family to Tacoma in 1929. He graduated from Bellarmine Prep, where he was a member of the ski team.
He joined the Army in 1944 and found a way to continue to pursue his passion for the ski slopes. While stationed in Europe, he was successful in spearheading a program that created recreational skiing opportunities for officers, enlisted personnel and WACs.
While in Europe, he participated in the Army-sponsored European Skiing Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
After returning stateside, he was certified as an advanced instructor by the Pacific Northwest Ski Association.
From 1952-65, he was chief instructor of the Tacoma Ski School, which offered free lessons to participants who paid only for transportation and insurance. The emphasis was on participation and not on developing Olympic champions. The ski school started at Paradise Valley but also moved to Snoqualmie Summit, Ski Acres and Crystal Mountain. In the late 1960s, LaPorte started the Cascade Ski School.
LaPorte also started the Totem Ski Club on American Lake, which gave skiers such as him the opportunity to strap on a pair of skis during the non-snow skiing months. LaPorte and his friends would perform shows in order to raise money to support the club.
.
.
