FIL family mourns founding and honorary member Volley Cole

Sun Lakes (FIL) Volley Cole was a founding member of the International Luge Federation FIL, in 1957. He was a luge athlete, head coach of Team USA at the first Olympic Winter Games with luge in 1964, team advisor for the USA at the 1958 Olympic Games in Grenoble (FRA), FIL Vice-President for two terms and in 1990 at the FIL Congress in Salt Lake City (USA), he became the first American to be named an honorary member of the FIL. 

"Bob" Cole, as his friends called him, spent most of his professional life in the US military and there in the US Army Air Force. He was involved in aviation engineering, design, transportation and training. He was trained as a flight operations control manager and served in many countries, including Vietnam, Korea, Germany, France and Japan.

The 91-year-old from Sun Lakes/Phoenix had passed away on 12 May 2022. The FIL family mourns the loss of a tireless fighter for the sport of luge in the USA and worldwide.

“Volley was a legend in USA Luge circles,” said Gordy Sheer, USA Luge Director of Marketing and Sponsorships, and a 1998 Olympic silver medalist. “I was lucky enough to talk with him over the years. Always great to hear his stories of the early days of sliding domestically and internationally. He really was the main organizer of all things USA Luge through 1972. He was a pioneer and will be missed.”

Photo: USA Luge - Volley Cole (in the middle) around 1962 at the German Luge Grand Prix