Education
Born in Manchester, New Hampshire, Beattie attended Middlebury College in Vermont, where he participated in several sports, including football, tennis, cross country, and skiing.
Born in Manchester, New Hampshire, Beattie attended Middlebury College in Vermont, where he participated in several sports, including football, tennis, cross country, and skiing.
He was head coach of the United States. Ski Team from 1961 to 1969 and co-founded the Alpine Skiing World Cup in 1966. His work as a ski-racing commentator for American Broadcasting Company included four Winter Olympic Games, from 1976 through 1988. After graduating in 1955 with a degree in education, he remained at Middlebury as an assistant coach.
In 1956, he was named acting coach of the school"s ski team after coach Bobo Sheehan left to coach the alpine skiers on the 1956 United States. Olympic Team.
In 1961, the United States. Ski Association named Beattie the United States. Ski Team"s head alpine coach. He continued to work concurrently for the university until 1965.
During his coaching years, he was known as a demanding coach, driving his athletes hard. They were the country"s first-ever Olympic medals in men"s skiing.
He stepped down as the United States. Ski Team"s coach in April 1969.
In 1966, Beattie co-founded the World Cup for alpine skiing. After stepping down as United States. team coach in 1969, he founded the World Pro Ski Tour in 1970 and worked in promoting lieutenant He became a NASTAR commissioner in 1970.
American Broadcasting Company Sports hired him as a ski-racing commentator, where he was frequently paired with Frank Gifford, a former NFL running back.
Beattie"s television work included alpine commentary during American Broadcasting Company"s coverage of four Winter Olympics: the games of 1976, 1980, 1984, and 1988. He also covered Volleyball at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Beattie later worked as American Broadcasting Company"s winter sports correspondent, which also involved non-alpine sports, and occasionally worked as an announcer for non-winter sports on American Broadcasting Company"s Wide World of Sports program He continued to manage the World Pro Ski Tour until 1982.
He began hosting Entertainment and Sports Programming Network skiing programs in 1985.
Beattie has authored or co-authored three books, including My Ten Secrets of Skiing, in 1968 (Viking Press, New York), and Bob Beattie"s Learn to Ski (Bantam Books, 1967).