• Sunday-What'sUP February 16 - 07:13 pm

Last night Edie and I slept over in Sault Ste. Marie, as we were headed back to the Copper Country after a visit downstate this week. It has been awhile since we have driven around the Soo, and the town has grown quite a bit since last we were here. Looking across to the Ontario side we recalled that it's the home of Hockey greats Phil and Tony Esposito. Then we proceeded to our motel room and caught some of the Olympics, some of the exciting action in progress on the other side of the world.

When we think of hockey in the Olympics, most recall the "Miracle on Ice" in 1980. But there was another Gold team twenty years earlier that, at the time, seemed even more unlikely champions. It has been called the "Forgotten Miracle of 1960", and included a Copper Country man among the athletes. Rodney Paavola (on the left) was born in Hancock in 1939, so he was 21 at the time he won his medal in the Squaw Valley, California competition. His teammate (seated) was goalie Jack McCarten, and they were joined in this photo by the lovely Carole Heiss, who made her country proud during the Games that year by adding yet another Gold Medal.

Our thanks to Connie Julien for her excellent reporting of Copper Country Hockey History at cchockeyhistory.org. This photo from the website also appears in a gallery of Michigan Olympic champions at The Detroit News.

Now Edie and I get back on the road and cross the beautiful U.P. on this sunny Sunday afternoon. Have a good week :o)

Nice looking folks ~ Carole reminds me of skating champ Sonja Heinie...dimples and all.
Charlie, hope you and Edie enjoy your ride home. God speed!

what a great photo.I really enjoyed this little
piece of history!

I was nine years old in 1960. We were living in
Reno at the time and my parents took me and my
brothers to the closing ceremonies. What an event
to remember. I also remember my Mom telling us that
this was a special event and we should be thankful
that my parents were willing to spend the money to
take us. I still have the ticket.It was ten dollars
to get in.Best ten dollars my parents ever spent on
me.

Excuse me for dropping in again but I did a 'search' and found that I had misspelled Sonja's name....should be Henie.
When I was a little girl I always wanted to be like her.;>

That's a preppy looking jacket that Mr. Paavola is wearing. Styles have changed over the years, some for the better, some for the worse.
More about the 1960 hockey team here.(Scroll Down On Page)
www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2010/01/1960-olympics-squaw-valley-usa.html