The Ski/Snowboard Hall of Fame election is underway. The members of the Hall of Fame voting panel, which includes Hall of Fame members, Museum Board and Advisory Board Members, an appointed representative from each of Colorado’s ski areas and a representative from each community ski museum in Colorado, have a hard decision before them. They will vote to elect four individuals to join recently elected Pioneer Bill Bergman into the 2012 Hall of Fame. All 20 nominees this year are very deserving. We congratulate each one for being accepted onto this years ballot! You can learn about their accomplishments by reading about each nominee below.
Mike Brown: Mike Brown’s achievements include winning the Gorsuch cup, 100 top FIS finishes, a Paralympic athlete, developing equipment innovations and a new factoring system that allowed disabled athletes from different disciplines to compete against one another for medals and created a year-round training program in Vail for disabled athletes.
George Caulkins: Earl was Vail’s Finder and Pete was Vail’s Founder but George was its Funder. Without the planning and fundraising skills of George Caulkins, Vail never would have gotten off the ground. He acquired the land and sold the limited partnerships. Serving as one of the original Directors of Vail Associates, he formed the Gas Facilities Company to provide fuel and power for the community.
Toby Dawson: Adopted from an orphanage in South Korea by Vail ski instructors, Toby “Awesome” Dawson’s time on the slopes led to 7 years on the US Ski Team, winning 7 World Cup titles, 17 podium finishes and he became the 2006 Olympic bronze medalist in freestyle skiing. He helped with South Korea’s winning bid for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games and is now the South Korean National Ski Team Coach.
John Denver: John Denver is a singer/songwriter who put the international spotlight on the Colorado Ski Country. In 2007, his 1972 hit Rocky Mountain High became Colorado’s state song. Denver had an ABC TV series, Celebrity Professional Ski Events, which promoted skiing throughout the state.
Ceil Folz: President/CEO of the Vail Valley Foundation, promoting winter sports, Ceil Folz led the effort for the 1989 & 1999 Vail/Beaver Creek World Cup and promotes the annual American Ski Classic. She is president of the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships and on the Board of Directors for Ski & Snowboard Club Vail.
Jerry Gart: The 1976 Marketing Director for Ski Industries of America, Jerry Gart opened 70 Gart Brother’s Sporting Goods, famous for SNIGRAB and brought affordable ski equipment to Colorado residents; his ski carpet inside the store gave guests the experience of skiing. He established Denver/Post Gart Bros. Ski School and founded the Colorado Ski Country USA Ski Lift Program.
Karen L. Ghent: Karen was a member of Ski Club Vail, the US Ski Team and named to the US Development Team in 1978. With two top World Cup results, she was featured on Skiing and Powder magazines, held multiple podium finishes at the US National Championship and a member of the first and only US Alpine Ski Team (1982) to win a Nations Cup.
Gary Giberson: A Nordic Combined athlete, Gary started his career at Western State College and in 1970-1971, Gary was a member of the USA Nordic Combined C Team. He holds a USSA level 4 cross country coaching certification and a certificate as a USSA Technical Delegate. Gary’s coaching career spans 30-plus years.
Tom Jankovsky: Tom has worked 25-years as the General Manager of Sunlight Mountain Resort and 24-years on the Board of Trustees for Colorado Ski Country USA. He championed the Colorado Gems and the 5th Grade Passport Program, created the successful Glenwood Springs marketing campaign: Ski, Swim and Stay, which has increased overnight stays and tourism.
Jon Kreamelmeyer: Jon’s 30-year career as ski coach at Summit High School has resulted in 7 championships and a record of consecutive wins for the boy’s titles. He coached Summit Ski Club (Rocky Mtn. Division USSA), is a PSIA certified cross country instructor and was a RMD team leader at the Junior Olympics from 1987-1989.
John Meyer: After John Meyer moved to Denver in 1981, he began his 25-year career as the American ski writer for the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News. He has written for six Winter Olympic Games, covered four FIS Alpine Ski World Championships and 100 FIS World Cup events. John has been recognized as “America’s Ski Writer” and is a dean of Olympic journalists in America.
Dr. Barry Mink: In 1974 Dr. Mink arrived in Aspen as the first and only intern from Colorado to serve the US Nordic Team. Since 1978 he has given medical expertise to the Nordic & biathlon skiers, designing training programs and acted as their specialist and physician. His was the US Nordic Ski Team doctor from 1977-1997, Chief Medical Officer for the biathlon team and physician for the 1980 & 1994 Winter Olympic teams.
Esther Delli-Quadri: The first woman on the Steamboat Springs Ski Patrol, Esther has 35-plus years officiating and organizing ski racing in Colorado. In addition to being a USSA Rocky Mountain Race Official, President of Ski Race Officials BOD, member of Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club and President of the Little Toots Pre-School Sports Club, Esther is a FIS technical delegate, a race administrator, referee and Chief of Race II.
Steve Raymond: Co-founder of SkiTAM, Steve is on the National Sports Center for the Disabled BOD and achieved coverage on ESPN for the monoskier big air competition at the annual Aspen Winter X Games. He formed a corporate sponsorship program to support adaptive athletes and was the Chef de Mission at the US Paralympic Games in Vancouver in 2010.
Jimmy Roberts: Jimmy has extensive ski course experience, as the Birds of Prey downhill course builder in 1989 & 1999, Beaver Creek Vice President of Mountain Operations and Vail Associate in the early days, helping to design China Bowl and Blue Sky Basin. He was the Chief of Race for the 1989 World Championships.
Richard Rokos: On the US Pro Ski Tour, Richard started his coaching career as the CU Assistant Ski Coach, then became Head Coach for 22 years. He has won six National Championships, produced 31 NCAA champions and has coached 168 All-American skiers.
Paul Testwuide: In 1963, Paul came to Vail as a trail crew member and went on to become Vail Ski Patrol Director and ultimately became Vail’s Chief Operating Officer. He secured water rights for snowmaking, which became a model for the rest of the Colorado ski industry to follow. He managed sustainable development of Blue Sky Basin and the rebuild of Two Elks after the ELF arson fires.
Sandy Trombetta: Founder & director of National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic and a member of the National Adaptive Skiing Hall of Fame, Steve was the recipient of the Colorado Lt. Governor’s Award and was awarded the Distinguished Public Service Award from the US Department of Defense.
Ralph Walton: In 1970, Ralph purchased then-bankrupt Crested Butte Mountain Resort. In three decades, he pioneered non-stop jet service to the ski area, developed a base village and subsequent subdivisions. He was on the BOD for Colorado Ski Country USA and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the NSAA.
Nancy Wiedel: Ski race administrator & official for 33 years, Nancy was on the timing crew at the 1989 & 1999 FIS World Alpine Ski Championships and organized the hand timing crew at the 2004 & 2005 Aspen World Cup. She has run the Loveland Derby for 49 years, worked at the 1988 & 2002 Olympics and was the recipient of the Halstead Award in 1999.
The inductees will be announced in early May. Ballots are counted and collected April 7, 2012. The Hall of Fame Gala will take place on Friday, October 26 at the Omni Interlocken Resort in Broomfield.