Radamus and Hurt Named Ski Racing Media Juniors of the Year
Beginning in 1975, the editorial board of Ski Racing Media has come together each spring to choose one male and one female athlete deserving to hold the title of Ski Racing Media Junior of the Year.
Over the past 44 years, Ski Racing’s picks have gone on to earn 227 World Cup wins, 42 World Championship medals, as well as 16 Olympic medals. The list of past winners reads as a who’s-who of American ski racing and includes the likes of three-time Overall Women’s World Cup champion Mikaela Shiffrin, Lindsey Vonn, Ted Ligety, Julia Mancuso, Tamara McKinney, and Steve Mahre, among many, many others.
The athletes chosen by Ski Racing truly embody the spirit of the award and have not only achieved impressive success on the slopes this season, but have inspired countless racers across the country with their professional attitudes off of them.
The 2019 recipients of the Ski Racing Media Junior of the Year Award are River Radamus and AJ Hurt.
RIVER RADAMUS
This is Radamus’ second Ski Racing Junior of the Year award in a row. After making his World Cup debut last season in Beaver Creek, Radamus entered the 2019 season as the reigning NorAm Overall champion, ready to make his mark at the highest level of the sport. In just his seventh career World Cup start, the Colorado native finished 24th in the fabled Alta Badia giant slalom for his first World Cup points. Radamus kept that momentum rolling into World Junior Championships in February where he won gold in both super-G and GS, as well as helping team USA to a silver medal in the team event. Radamus’ success on the slopes and hard work off of them makes him a deserving recipient of this year’s award.
AJ HURT
This season Hurt has earned World Cup starting spots in four disciplines – the downhill, the super-G, the giant slalom, and the combined – as a top finisher on the NorAm circuit. She finished second in the overall standings of the NorAm Cup and has started in five World Cup giant slalom races and one World Cup slalom. She contributed to the United State’s team event silver at World Juniors and raked in two top ten finishes in the downhill and the giant slalom in Val di Fassa. All in all, Hurt’s drive to succeed is apparent in her skiing. She lays it all out there every time she pushes out of the start gate, and it’s only a matter of time before she starts making big moves at the World Cup level.
Ski Racing Media Juniors of the Year
1975 – Leslie Leete Smith Steve Mahre
1976 – Christin Cooper Eric Wilson
1977 – Heidi Preuss David Stapleton
1978 – Tamara McKinney Scott Hoffman
1979 – Tamara McKinney Mike Farney
1980 – Noel Lyons Mark Tache
1981 – Brenda Buglione Tiger Shaw
1982 – Eva Twardokens Steve Hegg
1983 – Eva Twardokens Jesse Hunt
1984 – Diann Roffe Jesse Hunt
1985 – Carter Payne Tim Curran
1986 – Hilary Lindh/Krista Schmidinger
1987 – Sally Knight Tommy Moe
1988 – Heidi Voelker Jeremy Nobis
1989 – Kim Schmidinger Tommy Moe
1990 – Julie Parisien Ryan North
1991 – Kathrine Davenport Paul Casey Puckett
1992 – Kathrine Davenport Michael Makar
1993 – Kristina Koznick Chip Knight
1994 – Kjersti Bjorn-Roli Forest Carey
1995 – Sarah Schleper Wisi Betschart
1996 – Kirsten Clark Justin Johnson
1997 – Jonna Mendes John Minahan
1998 – Jonna Mendes Brad Hogan
1999 – Caroline Lalive Marco Sullivan
2000 – Julia Mancuso Marco Sullivan
2001 – Julia Mancuso Jake Zamansky
2002 – Julia Mancuso Steven Nyman
2003 – Julia Mancuso Jeremy Transue
2004 – Lindsey Kildow Ted Ligety
2005 – Resi Stiegler Tim Jitloff
2006 – Megan McJames Christopher Beckmann
2007 – Leanne Smith Will Brandenburg
2008 – Kiley Staples Tommy Ford
2009 – Julia Ford Tommy Ford
2010 – Mikaela Shiffrin Will Gregorak
2011 – Mikaela Shiffrin Ryan Cochran-Siegle
2012 – Mikaela Shiffrin Ryan Cochran-Siegle
2013 – Mikaela Shiffrin Ryan Cochran-Siegle
2014 – Mikeala Shiffrin
2015 – Mikaela Shiffrin AJ Ginnis
2016 – Mikaela Shiffrin Erik Arvidsson
2017 – Alice Merryweather/Breezy Johnson Sam Morse
2018- Patricia Mangan River Radamus
2019- AJ Hurt River Radamus