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This record was accomplished while holding a full time junior college teaching position and overcoming several life threatening injuries and illnesses. Georgene taught PE for 46 years at Bakersfield Junior College. In 1970, at her own expense, she created a ski hill on the back of the college stadium wall. For the first few years, she laid down cottonseed hulls in order to teach her students how to ski. She then installed an Italian plastic on the hill. There she taught over 2,000 students the fundamentals of skiing. Also, at primarily her own expense, she sponsored and accompanied her students on more than 100 weekend trips to REAL snow at various ski areas in order for them to have the experience of skiing on “natural” snow at an operating ski area, after learning how to ski on the plastic in Bakersfield.

Georgene was a member of the 1960’s Women’s Olympic Try-out Team that was preparing for the Squaw Valley Olympics. On the way to practice at Mammoth, California, her Olympic hopes were dashed by a serious car accident. She, however, continued her career in veteran and masters racing, winning medal after medal until 1975 when she was diagnosed with cancer. This only delayed her return for one year to her ski instructing and racing career. In 1990, cancer struck again, and as before, in less than a year, she was back racing and winning.

Honors Georgene Bihlman has received include:

• PSIA Certified Ski Instructor – 1964
  FWSA “Outstanding Veteran Racer” Award 1971
  Bob Elias Hall of Fame Inductee – 1979.
  FWSA “Outstanding Master Skier” Award – 1980
  North American Journalists’ “Outstanding Competitors’ Award – 1993
  United States National Ski Hall of Fame Inductee – Class of 2002
  Nominee for the Squaw Valley Institute “Legendary Athlete of the Year” Award – 2003

Georgene is very deserving of the FWSA Hans Georg Award for lifetime achievements and contributions to skiing.