Larry Zimmer (1935-2024)
VAIL, COLO. — JANUARY 22, 2024 - With great sadness, we announce the passing of 2013 Colorado Snowsports Hall of Famer, Larry Zimmer. Larry died on January 20, 2024, at the age of 88. You might know Larry Zimmer as the voice of the Colorado Buffs and the Denver Broncos, but Larry was also influential in the snow sports industry and was a pioneer in covering skiing both on television and radio. He was most beloved by coaches, players, and fans he impacted by being the unique voice so many Coloradans grew up listening to.
Larry was born on November 13, 1935, in New Orleans. He attended Louisiana State University before transferring to the University of Missouri, graduating in journalism in 1957, and serving two years of active duty in the United States Army. During his service, he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal. He broke into the business by broadcasting high school football and basketball games in Columbia, Missouri, and Lawton, Oklahoma in the mid-1960s and then moved to Denver to begin working at KOA in 1971. Larry worked at KOA for over 25 years.
Larry served as the color commentator for the Broncos from 1971 to 1989 before handling play-by-play responsibilities from 1990 to 1996. According to CPR, he spent seven decades in broadcasting since college at the University of Missouri. He called 486 football games at Colorado (22 bowl games) and 525 men's basketball games. He also worked 536 preseason, regular season, and postseason games with the Broncos, including four Super Bowls. In addition to calling games, Larry was an adjunct professor of broadcasting at CU for 11 years.
He was Colorado's primary sportscaster, journalist, and voice throughout the 1970s and 1980s and is legendary in the history of Colorado winter sports broadcasting. His passion for promoting Colorado skiing was clear through his coverage of major races including the World Alpine Ski Championships, FIS World Cup Events, and the Winter Olympics in addition to the Rocky Mountain Division races, the University of Colorado collegiate races, the NCAA Ski Championships, and the American Ski Classic in Vail.
Furthermore, Larry produced and announced a documentary entitled "Denver’s Olympics" showcasing venues in Innsbruck, Austria, where the 1976 Winter Olympics were to be held after the games were rejected by the State of Colorado voters.
He also covered the first International Special Olympics Winter Games in Steamboat Springs in 1977 and many of the features were used nationally on NBC. He was given a special award by Ethel Kennedy and Eunice Shriver for his coverage of that event.
As well as being inducted into the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame, Larry was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 2010 and the CU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012, in addition to the Broadcast Professionals of Colorado Hall of Fame in 2009. He was also a board member of the Rocky Mountain Ski Writers Association and the Colorado Snowsports Museum.
He is a five-time winner of the White Stag Award for outstanding journalism, awarded by the Rocky Mountain Division of the U.S. Ski Association. Ski Country USA twice awarded him honors for excellence in ski journalism.
Larry didn’t ski until he moved to Colorado where his wife Brigitte, and his son Lawrence III encouraged him to take lessons, and then he was hooked.
Our deepest condolences go out to Larry’s family and friends. His impact on our industry and Colorado’s sporting industry has been felt by many -- as the voice of sports.
As an Army veteran, Larry will receive a military funeral at Fort Logan Cemetery in Denver.
About the Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame:
Founded in 1975 and located in Vail, Colorado, our mission is to celebrate Colorado snow sports by telling stories that educate and inspire others to seek adventure. The priceless artifacts we collect and display tell the story of the birth, rise and explosion of skiing and snowboarding in Colorado. The Museum features displays including Climb to Glory about the 10th Mountain Division, Vail’s DNA, The Colorado Snowboard Archive, and The Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame, among many others. Learn more and consider supporting the Museum by becoming a member: www.snowsportsmuseum.org.
Media Contact:
Jen Mason | Dana Mathios
jen@snowsportsmuseum.org | dana@snowsportsmuseum.org
(970) 476-1876