Picabo Street

Picabo Street was born on August 3, 1971, in Triumph, Idaho, located near Sun Valley, some of the best skiing in the state. Her parents are self-confessed hippies, and her father, Roland Wayne Street (who also goes by "Ron" or "Stubby") and mother Dee were liberal in their views about raising children, and gave their children the freedom to pick their own names. Picabo—who actually did enjoy playing the game peek-a-boo when she was a child—did not have a name for several years. Her birth certificate simply listed her as "Baby Girl." The name "Picabo" actually comes from a nearby Indian town and means "shining waters" or "silver creek," and was finally chosen when the Streets needed something to put on a passport when they traveled to Mexico.

Street began her career as a downhill racer at an early age, taking to the slopes when she was not yet in high school. Her father (a stonemason) and mother (a music teacher) were not able to afford the best and most up-to-date ski equipment, but this did not deter Picabo. She consistently beat kids who were much older and much wealthier than she was, learning to fight back early and developing her tough attitude in order to deal with their derisive comments. After all, Street was a young girl—with hippie parents and low-grade equipment—who showed up at competitions and easily beat older kids. They were not happy about it.