Park City to host Snowsport History Celebration March 20-23

PARK CITY, UTAH (ABC4) — The annual Snowsport History Celebration is coming to Park City and will be hosted at the Black Rock Mountain Resort from March 20 – 23.

This event is held by the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame to celebrate the accomplishments of athletes throughout the nation in these sports.

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“Our organization’s mission is to honor, recognize and preserve the people in the stories that have made a significant impact on on skiing and snowboarding in America,” Justin Koski, executive director of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame, said.

During the celebration, there will be a variety of activities — a huge highlight being the Hall of Fame Induction, with eight athletes in the Class of 2023.

Five-time Olympian Billy Demong is one of them. He took home both a gold and silver medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and was the first American to win an Olympic gold medal in Nordic Combined.

“I’m humbled at the prospect of joining this Hall of Fame as it includes so many of my heroes both athletes and builders. I’m excited to join the great legacy of American skiing and snowboarding and all the amazing people that make up the fabric of this elite Hall of Fame,” he said.

Shannon Bahrke, a two-time Olmypic medalist, is another one of the inductees. She moved to Salt Lake City in 1998, where she joined the U.S. Ski Team. During her 12-year-career with them, she won the 2003 World Cup title, claimed 27 World Cup podiums with seven victories and earned six U.S. titles. She also won Olympic silver at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, and after overcoming injuries, won Olympic bronze in 2010.

“This is an honor that I truly can’t believe is happening to me.  I was just a little girl from Tahoe City, CA, who loved to ski with a big dream and now to be recognized alongside my heroes and skiers whom I wanted to be just like from a very young age, is just remarkable.  It really means a lot and if anything, I hope it inspires the next generation of skiers to make their own dreams come true,” she said.

Other inductees are Ross Anderson, Jake Moe, Dave Moe, Les Otten, Hank Kashiwa and Mike Porter.

Koski said it’s always exciting to see the turnout at this event and how many people come to celebrate these athletes and the heritage of snowsports.

“These are legendary people that have committed and dedicated their entire life to making skiing and snowboarding better. To see the number of people that show up to pay homage to those people and recognize that is usually very special to the inductee,” he said. “To be able to see that and witness that is really inspiring…so it makes all of our work that goes into it worth every last little bit.”

There will also be many other activities including on-snow resort tours, a Snow History Trivia Part and live music.

Some free events are a Welcome Party at the Alf Engen Museum on March 20 from 5-7 p.m., which features food and drinks at a 100th Olympic Anniversary Celebration and vintage fashion show. Another, on March 22, is the Apres Fashion Show at the Black Rock Mountain Resort Ballroom, where the audience will get the first look at snowsport fashion from influential brands at 4-5 p.m. You can find a full list of events here.

Koski said that next year they are planning to host the celebration at Lake Placid on the last Saturday of March to induct the class of 2024.

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