Roy Mikkelsen was a native of Konigsberg, Norway, immigrated to the United States in 1924, settling in Chicago, where he joined the Norge Ski Club. Mikkelsen was US Champion in ski jumping in 1933 and 1935, but was also a strong skier in the new discipline of alpine, competing in that sport from 1933-42. He eventually settled in Auburn, California where he was elected mayor in 1952 and competed there for the Auburn Ski Club. Active in civic affairs, Mikkelsen worked with the Bid Committee that brought the 1960 Winter Olympics to Squaw Valley. During World War II, Mikkelsen served under General George Patton in the Norwegian-American 99th Battalion. Mikkelsen was elected to the US Ski Hall of Fame in 1964.
United States