Kearney, Randall headline USSA Awards

Tue, May  24, 2011 - By USSA

PARK CITY, UT (May 20) – Olympic champion Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT) and cross country star Kikkan Randall (Anchorage) headlined the list of honorees as the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association announced its annual awards. Longtime nordic combined official Joe Lamb (Lake Placid, NY) was selected to receive the Julius Blegen Award, the USSA's highest honor for volunteerism, for his three decades of service to the sport. The awards were presented Friday evening at the annual USSA Congress in Park City.

Cross country skier Kikkan Randall was recognized with both the USSA Cross Country Skier of the Year Award as well as the Buddy Werner Award for her leadership and sportsmanship. USSA Chairman Dexter Paine presents the award. USSA Chairman’s Awards Dinner, Friday, May 20, 2011, The Park City Marriott, Park City, UT.
Photo: Sarah Ely/USSA

The U.S. Cross Country Ski Team's Kikkan Randall (Anchorage) was selected to receive the USSA's Buddy Werner Award. The honor is given annually to an outstanding USSA competitor who demonstrated leadership and good sportsmanship in national or international competition. Randall exemplified leadership and good sportsmanship all season. Randall skied to an historic season, with four World Cup sprint podiums including two wins as well as finishing third in the World Cup Sprint standings – which she led for several weeks! It was the strongest season ever for an American woman, helping her to also win USSA's Cross Country Athlete of the Year.

But what was equally impressive was her leadership in helping others. Randall engaged the cross country community with the movement to help aid Japan after the earthquake and tsunami, in joining forces with www.skiershelpingjapan.com. She is also helping pioneer a unique new organization, Fast and Female, focusing on empowering young women through sport. She personally conducted two workshops this season, one in her home of Anchorage and another after the weeklong Spring Series in Sun Valley in April. She is also active on behalf of her sport and fellow athletes on the FIS Athlete Commission. The award is named in memory of Buddy Werner, an outstanding U.S. alpine racer who was killed in an avalanche after the 1964 Olympics at the height of his ski career.

"I've been incredibly fortunate to be supported by so many amazing people," said Randall. "I, in turn, am passionate about helping young girls discover the benefits of healthy, active lifestyles so that they can feel empowered and confident to chase their dreams."

"After watching what happened in Japan - our fellow skiers and human beings were dealing with so much adversity and suffering, and I felt it was important that we come together as the ski family to send support, financially but also heartfelt encouragement to help them overcome and rebuild."

"The role of the athlete reps is hugely important for representing the voices of the athletes to the FIS and also for making sure information gets from FIS to the athletes. Athletes are major stakeholders in the whole business and it is important that we be involved. Over the last two years we have made some solid headway in terms of opening up the communication, yet we still have some work"

Hannah Kearney

Kearney was honored with the Beck International Award as the top USSA athlete for the season. The Vermont native came off her Olympic title season to dominate her sport, winning both the overall and moguls titles in the season-long International Ski Federation World Cup. Along the way she won a sport record nine World Cups, including all seven individual moguls competitions. She also won two medals at the FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships at Deer Valley Resort.

"These awards mean a lot to me," said Kearney. "The support of the USSA, including the volunteers and staff, have allowed me to have a great career and the most successful season of my life this past year."

"Hannah Kearney's passion to prepare to win allowed her to dominate her sport this season," said USSA Executive Vice President, Athletics Luke Bodensteiner. "Kikkan Randall is a great role model and a leader in her sport. She is inspiring an entire generation of young girls by blazing new trails on and off the cross country tracks."

Lamb, a 1972 Olympian and Lake Placid native, has had a major impact on his sport of nordic combined. His vision for building the sport in America and his international leadership played a key role in the success of the U.S. Nordic Combined Ski Team over the past decade where the USA won 10 World Championship and Olympic medals.

Lamb grew up as an athlete in the spirit of sport that pervades the Adirondack village of Lake Placid. He went on to a long career in coaching and has been an advocate of youth sport for decades. With a vision for the future, he helped bring Norwegian athletes and coaches to Lake Placid to inspire local athletes, like future Olympic champion Billy Demong. In 1991 he was named to the International Ski Federation Nordic Combined Committee, serving for 15 years including a term as vice chairman. His work in the FIS not only helped the USA but was a key component in the modernization of the sport. He is a past recipient of the USSA's Bud and Mary Little Award for his work within the FIS.

"Joe Lamb typifies the spirit of Olympism that fuels the passion in our volunteers," said USSA President and CEO Bill Marolt. "His contribution over decades has made a really tangible difference in nordic combined as a sport and had a direct impact on the medals won by U.S. athletes in the last ten years."

The Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club was named USSA Club of the Year. U.S. Snowboarding Halpipe Coach Rick Bower (Park City, UT) was named USSA International Coach of the Year while Axis Freeride Head Coach Chris "Hatch" Haslock (Park City, UT) was named USSA Development Coach of the Year. Jeff Lange (Redmond, WA) earned the top honor as a USSA official with the Westhaven Award.

The Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club, under the leadership of Mark Cole, manages programs across a wide range of sports. The club was cited for its strong athletic success this past year in alpine and adaptive, and for hosting major events from grassroots Marriott Junior Championships to Audi FIS World Cup.

Haslock was cited for his efforts in creating a strong freeskiing program with Axis Freeride in Park City and playing a key role in the addition of skiing slopestyle to the FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships. Bower, a former World Champion halfpipe rider, played a key role in a strong year for U.S. Snowboarding halfpipe riders, notably Olympic champion Kelly Clark winning an amazing nine major events.

Lange was honored for his more than two decades of service as an International Ski Federation technical delegate.

The awards were presented at the annual USSA Congress at the Park City Marriott.

2011 U.S. SKI AND SNOWBOARD ASSOCIATION AWARDS

Diamond Award
Julius Blegen Award – Joe Lamb

Gold Awards
USSA Development Coach of the Year Award – Chris Haslock (Park City, UT)
USSA Coach of the Year Award – Rick Bower (Park City, UT)
USSA Club of the Year Award – Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club
Beck International Award (top USSA athlete) – Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT)
Westhaven Award (top USSA official) – Jeff Lange (Redmond, WA)

Silver Awards
Paul Bacon Award (event organization) – Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, Erik Skinner
John J. Clair Jr. Award (service to USSA) – Bob Dart (Winter Park, CO)
Bud and Mary Little Award (service to FIS/USOC) – Ted Sutton (Lincoln, NH)
Buddy Werner Award (athlete sportsmanship) – Kikkan Randall (Anchorage)
Russell Wilder Award (service to youth) – NASTAR
USSA J. Leland Sosman Award – Dr. William I. Sterett (Vail, CO)
West Family Award (USSA certified official) – Chris Seemann (Winter Park, CO)

Athletes of the Year
Adaptive Athlete of the Year Award – Danelle Umstead (Taos, NM)
Alpine Athlete of the Year Award – Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO)
Cross Country Athlete of the Year Award – Kikkan Randall (Anchorage)
Freestyle Athlete of the Year Award – Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT)
Nordic Combined Athlete of the Year Award – Bryan Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO)
Ski Jumping Athlete of the Year Award – Peter Frenette (Saranac Lake, NY)
Snowboarding Athlete of the Year Award – Kelly Clark (Mt. Snow, VT)

Coaches of the Year
Adaptive International Coach of the Year Award – Erik Leirfallom (Denver)
Adaptive Domestic Coach of the Year Award – Mau Thompson (Winter Park, CO)
Alpine International Coach of the Year Award – Forest Carey (Kingfield, ME)
Alpine Domestic Coach of the Year Award – Pat Callahan (Aspen, CO)
Cross Country International Coach of the Year Award – Erik Flora (Anchorage)
Cross Country Domestic Coach of the Year Award – Jason Cork (Hayward, WI)
Freestyle International Coach of the Year Award – Garth Hager (Red Salmon, WA)
Freestyle Domestic Coach of the Year Award – Chris Haslock (Park City, UT)
Ski Jumping/Nordic Combined International Coach of the Year Award – Clint Jones (Park City, UT)
Ski Jumping/Nordic Combined Domestic Coach of the Year Award – David McCahill (Lake Placid, NY)
Snowboarding International Coach of the Year Award – Rick Bower (Park City, UT)
Snowboarding Domestic Coach of the Year Award – Jim Smith (Frisco, CO)

Clubs of the Year
Adaptive Club of the Year Award – Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club
Alpine Club of the Year Award – Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club
Cross Country Club of the Year Award – Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center
Freestyle Club of the Year Award – Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club
Jumping/Nordic Combined Club of the Year Award – Salisbury Winter Sports Club
Snowboarding Club of the Year Award – Stratton Mountain School