• Scott Brooksbank
• John Clendenin
• Ed Ferguson
• Karen Huntoon
• Bob Salerno
• Alan Schonberger
• Mark Stiegemeier
• Penelope Street
• Bob Theobald

There is a history of getting air in Utah that will play a part in this year’s Olympic magic - - - -

- Ski Jumping at Ecker Hill
- Stein Eriksen, has been recognized as the father of freestyle skiing for performing some of the earliest somersaults on skis
- The "Most Spectacular" division of the Alta Gelande Contest in 1968 was one of the first competitions to feature upright and inverted aerial acrobatics
- The Alta Gelande Contest can also take credit for the first attempt, in competition, of a full-twisting somersault
- The first USSA-Intermountain sanctioned amateur freestyle competition was held in 1973. The same year a Utahan landed the first front mobius (full-twisting) flip in competition

It is recognized that the first major freestyle (Exhibition) skiing competition was held in 1971 at Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. Back then, competitors skied moguls and performed inverted aerials and acro-tricks all in the same run. Now, after several movements and incarnations, freestyle is an Olympic event. This winter, at Deer Valley Resort, 2002 Olympians will compete for medals in two separate disciplines, Aerials and Moguls.

Over this 30-year period, and even before 1971, many Intermountain skiers were responsible for important aspects and "firsts" relating to the evolution of freestyle. On October 23, 2001, the Utah Ski Archives will honor the Intermountain West’s freestyle champions.

Utah Ski Archives 2001 Freestyle Award Criteria
The Utah Ski Archives will recognize pioneers and history makers who contributed to the evolution of Freestyle skiing, which is now an Olympic sport.

- Individuals competing prior to and including the 1974-75 winter season, in the sport of Freestyle Skiing, and are still living
- Whose primary residence was in the Intermountain Area (Utah, Idaho, Wyoming or Montana) during this same time frame
- Who won in individual or combined categories in major professional events promoted regionally or nationally, with significant awards

• Stein Eriksen

Stein Eriksen has been synonymous with style and grace since his gold (giant slalom) and silver medal (slalom) victories in his native Oslo during the 1952 Olympic Winter Games. He also won three gold medals at the World Championships in Aare, Sweden, in 1954 in slalom, giant slalom and combined, making him the first alpine skier in the world to win triple gold at a world championship.

Today the Director of Skiing at Utah’s Deer Valley Resort, Eriksen was involved in the development of the Park City Ski Area (now Park City Mountain Resort), which was formerly owned by Edgar Stern, who later built Deer Valley. Prior to arriving on the Park City scene, Eriksen spent four years as director of skiing and ski school director at Snowmass, CO, and four years as ski school director of Sugarbush, VT. He also served as ski school director and owned a sport shop in Aspen, CO. From 1956 to 1958 he was ski school director for Heavenly Valley, CA, having served previously in the same position at Boyne Mountain, MI, from 1954 to 1956.

As a guest instructor at Sun Valley in the 1950s, Stein became the darling of the news media and the resort’s star-studded celebrity guest list with his unusual reverse shoulder ski technique. His status was enhanced by his spectacular forward somersault with full layout (swan dive) on skis. That aerial maneuver is believed to be the forerunner of the inverted aerials performed by acrobatic freestyle skiers today.

In 1997, Stein was awarded the Knight First Class honor by His Majesty the King of Norway in recognition of his outstanding services in the interest of Norway. He also received the Pioneer Award from the Intermountain Ski Areas Association in 1998. Stein divides his time between Park City and a home in Montana. His family includes wife, Françoise, sons Bjorn and Stein Jr., daughters Julianne and Ava and four grandchildren.

• Clark Parkinson

Each year the Ski Archives honors an individual who demonstrates extraordinary efforts to help make the Ski Archives a success. This years recipient has shown tremendous volunteerism and excitement toward the Ski Archives and for that reason, this years recipient is well deserving of the Sue Raemer Memorial Award.

The archives can always use more support and encourages DONATIONS to help process collections from around the region as well as pursue other material. Thank you for your support and hope to see you this coming season.