USSA anounces 2010 awards

The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association’s annual awards recognize the accomplishments of USSA athletes and the clubs, coaches, officials and volunteers who support them. The awards recognize not only specific accomplishments but the spirit of Olympism that drives the organization towards its best in the world vision.

Following is an outline of 2010 Diamond, Gold and Silver level awards, with formal presentation Friday, May 14 at the USSA Chairman’s Awards Dinner in Park City, UT.

A complete list of award descriptions and past winners is available on www.ussa.org.

DIAMOND AWARD
USSA’s highest level award, or Diamond Award level, is the Julius Blegen Award. It is presented to a USSA member who contributed his or her outstanding service to the sports of skiing or snowboarding in the United States. The award is presented in memory of Julius Blegen, an outstanding contributor to the snow sport.  Blegen was U.S. cross country champion in 1911-12, the founding president of USSA’s Central Division in 1927, and coach of the 1932 Olympic Ski Team. This is USSA’s highest volunteer award. It is selected by past recipients and the USSA Board of Directors.

2010 JULIUS BLEGEN AWARD (Lifetime of service to sport)
Tom Winters, Tucson, AZ
Julius Blegen winner Tom Winters, a longtime volunteer who has served in myriad roles in his tenure as a USSA official, is a quintessential example of service to help the sport. The Julius Blegen Award is presented to a member of the USSA who contributed outstanding service to the sports of skiing or snowboarding. It is presented in memory of Julius Blegen, who was an outstanding contributor to snow sports.

Winters’ primary background is as an alpine skiing coach and technical delegate in alpine skiing. He was involved in the early days of the then U.S. Ski Coaches Association and served many years as member and chair of committees in the International Ski Federation. He also served as the USSA’s board president during a pivotal time in the 1980s when the organization was modernized. He took his extensive events and officiating background into snowboarding in its early days as an organized competitive sport and was tour director for the American Snowboard Tour for over a decade.

He worked extensively in the structure of alpine competition, especially in the USSA Far West. And he used his background in risk management to advocate for insurance needs of clubs and event organizers.

GOLD AWARDS
USSA’s Gold Awards represent the single highest honors in the organization. Among the USSA Gold Awards, USSA honors a deserving representative from each sector of its structure: an athlete, a volunteer, a coach and a club. USSA clubs provide the backbone for athletic programs, with coaches and dedicated volunteers providing the direction under which athletes can be successful. These recipients represent the vision and mission of USSA.

2010 USSA CLUB OF THE YEAR AWARD (Gold Award)
2010 ALPINE CLUB OF THE YEAR AWARD (Silver Award)
Ski and Snowboard Club Vail
Consistently among the top competition clubs in America, Ski and Snowboard Club Vail (SSCV) is the recipient of the 2010 USSA Club of the Year Award. This marks the first time the club has received the award.

From development levels all the way up to the World Cup and Olympics, SSCV’s athletes are top competitors. Club veteran Lindsey Vonn won her third consecutive Audi FIS World Cup overall title, as well as super G, downhill and super combined crowns to boot. They also have Men’s D-Team athlete Will Gregorak who was fifth overall in the NorAm Cup standings, fifth in downhill and super G standings and fourth in giant slalom standings. At the regional and divisional level they qualified one-quarter of the athletes of the Rocky/Central Region J2 National Team.

Ski and Snowboard Club Vail was cited for its outstanding staff, with Executive Director Aldo Radamus, as well as Alpine Program Director Karen Lancaster Ghent, 2009 USSA Domestic Coach of the Year, and Head Coach Dan Stripp. The club has set up a World Class venue for its athletes and was able provide early season training for the division, region and the National Team this past season.

The club continues to set the bar high and challenge themselves to meet those high expectations, making everyone better around them.

2010 USSA INTERNATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD (Gold Award)
2010 SKI JUMPING/NORDIC COMBINED INTERNATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR  AWARD (Silver Award)
Dave Jarrett, Heber City, UT
After only two seasons as the head coach of the nordic combined team, Dave Jarrett was selected among Coaches of the Year in each  sport to receive the overall 2010 International Coach of the Year award.

In 2010, Jarrett orchestrated one of the most impressive season-long team performances in the history of U.S. nordic combined skiing. In the lead up to the Olympics, Jarrett’s team pulled in a total of four World Cup podiums, including two wins from Billy Demong (Vermontville, NY) and Johnny Spillane (Steamboat Springs, CO). But, it was the team’s performance in Vancouver that put Jarrett’s coaching ahead of the pack. In an historic performance, the U.S., which had never before earned an Olympic medal in the sport, took home four medals – a silver for Spillane, gold for Demong and a silver in the team event.

Over the past two seasons his athletes have won four World Championship medals, including three gold, as well as the four Olympic medals.

2010 USSA DEVELOPMENT COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD (Gold Award)
2010 FREESTYLE DOMESTIC COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD (Silver Award)
Deb Newson, Killington, VT
Killington’s Deb Newson was selected across all sports and was named the overall 2010 USSA Development Coach of the Year Award, as well as the Freestyle Domestic Coach of the Year.

Newson has been involved in freestyle since 1995 at Killington Resort where she has served as a coach. Newsom is also the USSA Eastern Division Chair and co-operates Planet Ski International freeride and mogul camps around the globe. In the 2010 Season alone, Newson had 19 athletes qualify for 2010 Junior Olympics, resulting in two podiums, and one Olympian.

2010 BECK INTERNATIONAL AWARD (Gold Award)
2010 ALPINE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD (Silver Award)
Lindsey Vonn, Vail, CO
The Beck International Award is presented annually to a competitor for outstanding performance in international competition during the past season. It is the single highest athlete honor in the organization.

After two previous seasons of historical results, USSA’s Beck International Award winner Lindsey Vonn again made history in the 2010 season, becoming the winningest alpine skier in U.S. history as well as the first American woman to win the Olympic downhill.  En route to winning her third straight Audi FIS World Cup overall title, she also took globes in downhill, super G and super combined – a feat never before accomplished by an American. Vonn again amazed the world with her success in Vancouver as she won gold in the downhill, and a bronze medal in the super G.

In her nomination, USSA alpine leaders cited:  “Vonn is not only a great skier, but also a great role model as she exudes dedication, focus, talent, and is constantly striving to represent herself and her sport in a positive light.”

2010 WESTHAVEN AWARD
Andy Hayes, Missoula, MT 
Longtime USSA and FIS technical delegate Andy Hayes was chosen to receive the Westhaven Award – a legendary belt buckle that goes annually to an outstanding USSA/ FIS technical delegate. Hayes has dedicated a majority of his life to freestyle skiing. His leadership in the sport started back in 1987 when he was the first representative for the Northern Division at the USSA Congress in Colorado Springs, CO. He has served as a technical delegate for over 20 years at domestic and FIS level events.

In 2007 he was deleg
ate at the World Championships in Italy, and has served as the Rules and Technical Subcommittee chair for 14 years.

SILVER AWARDS
2010 PAUL BACON AWARD
NYSEF and ORDA
USSA’s Paul Bacon Award is given to an individual or organization for the greatest contribution to the USSA in the field of race organization. Few venues, world-wide, could have accomplished what this partnership of Lake Placid’s Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) and the New York Ski Educational Foundation (NYSEF) produced on behalf of USSA Alpine competitors.

In 2010, NYSEF and ORDA pulled their resources to prepare the race hill for the annual competition season, and U.S. Championships in particular. Volunteers manned hoses and walked the hill throwing salt in order to ready the hill for competitors. According to reports, approximately 18.5 tons (37,000 lbs.) of chemicals were spread thanks to manpower in order to help make the event a success.

2010 JOHN J. CLAIR JR. AWARD
Peter Graves, Bennington, VT
USSA’s John J. Clair Jr. Award is given for outstanding service that benefits the U.S. Ski or Snowboard Teams. The USSA’s John J. Clair award winner Peter Graves was cited for his work as a journalist, broadcaster and promoter of nordic sport.  After the sudden and unexpected passing of long time USSA correspondent Paul Robbins in 2008, Graves has rallied to continue Robbins’ work. The Vermont native is a valued writer for the ski industry and has followed all the major skiing events including the Olympic and Paralympic Games working for Universal Sports, Ski Racing, Ski Trax and other media outlets. He has been the voice of nordic for decades and has paved the road for the exposure the sport is experiencing today.

Graves was a long-time competitor and coach with a long list of accomplishments including national team coach, Harvard University coach, venue announcer at several Olympic events including the prestigious opening and closing ceremonies for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. He played a key role in Vancouver as stadium announcer for Nordic at the Olympics and alpine at the Paralympics.

2010 BUD AND MARY LITTLE AWARD
Alan Ashley, Colorado Springs, CO
The Bud and Mary Little Award is presented to an individual who has contributed significantly to USSA skiing or snowboarding interests through a long-term involvement in the FIS or Olympic sports communities, internationally or nationally.

USSA athletes at all levels and in all sports have benefited from the leadership of former USSA Vice President of Athletics Alan Ashley during one of the most critically important periods in the organization’s athletic history. Ashley continues that support today as the U.S. Olympic Committee’s high performance chief for winter sports.

Ashley combined a background as an athlete, coach, program manager and event organizer to shepherd USSA through its most dynamic period of athletic growth, serving as its athletic director from 1997 to 2006. During that time he used tireless energy, enthusiasm and leadership skills to build a world-class athletic program in all USSA sports.

One of the keys to his success was his ability to listen and to look at all sports with fairness. USSA is unique among Olympic NGBs, managing six distinctly different athletic programs. Ashley’s patience and ability to lead by example helped each of those sports to flourish.

USSA is also unique in that it manages sport from grassroots to the top professional level. Ashley’s leadership touched every area from the local clubs through development programs and the national teams.

2010 BUDDY WERNER AWARD
Graham Watanabe, Sun Valley, ID
The Buddy Werner award is given to the outstanding USSA competitor who demonstrated leadership and good sportsmanship in national or international competition.

Graham Watanabe, USSA’s Buddy Werner Award recipient, is the quintessential competitor and exemplifies what it means to be a great sportsman. After transitioning from alpine snowboarding into snowboardcross, Watanabe knew he was going to need to work extra hard to catch up with the top athletes.

Watanabe made the move to Park City and dedicated his spring, summer and fall to training as hard as possible. Once he made the team in 2004, Watanabe’s positive energy and work ethic changed the dynamic of the snowboardcross team – bringing together very different personalities to work together and create a solid team. No matter what the situation, Watanabe can find the positive and motivate the group.

2010 RUSSELL WILDER AWARD
Dar Hendrickson, Park City, UT
The Russell Wilder Award is given annually to recognize the most outstanding effort in focusing the interests of American youth on the sports of skiing or snowboarding.

USSA Russell Wilder Award winner Dar Hendrickson has been the head ‘devo’ coach for the Park City Ski Team for 23 years. His influential involvement with young racers, age 11-12, has a profound affect on instilling a passion for skiing, pushing personal boundaries, skiing for fun, and developing positive attitudes that mold life skills. A few of the notable alpine athletes who have been coached by Hendrickson are Ted Ligety, Bryon Friedman, TJ Lanning, Adam Cole and Megan McJames.

2010 USSA J. LELAND SOSMAN AWARD
Dr. Terry Orr, S. Lake Tahoe, CA
USSA’s J. Leland Sosman Award is presented to a member of the USSA Physicians’ Pool who has made great contributions as a volunteer medical provider.  In recognition of Doc Sosman and his endless commitment as a volunteer for the USSA, this award is given to an exceptional member of the “medical support team” who has provided outstanding medical coverage and service to the USSA athletes.

Dr. Terry Orr, recipient of the USSA J. Leland Sosman Award, was one of the founding physicians of the USSA Medical Pool and has been involved with the teams and the organizations since 1988. He has been named to the Olympic Winter Games as team physician in 2002, 2006 and 2010. He has been instrumental in the organizational development of the entire USSA Medical Program.

Orr has contributed in so many ways that those around him feel fortunate to have such a supportive team member who is passionate about the sport and so caring of our national team athletes.

2010 WEST FAMILY AWARD
Cath Jett, Mountain Village, CO
Cath Jett has been involved with snow sports her entire life. She is a dedicated timing and results guru and is a key backbone in the domestic snowboarding and skiing communities. She is extremely involved with all sports and making sure each athlete gets the correct time or score. From World Cup timing to local event series, Cath give 100 percent at every event. Cath also sits on the Snowboarding Rules and Tech Committee and brings a wealth of knowledge to every event. Her peers rely on her time and again for rule verifications, and she is also working hard to train the next race administrators and makes herself available 24 hrs a day for questions and support.

2010 ADAPTIVE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD
Alana Nichols, Winter Park, CO
Alana Nichols was named Adaptive Athlete of the Year in just her first season skiing with the U.S. Ski Team as a member of the development team. Nichols had an amazing season, winning two globes at World Cup finals and four medals, two of which were gold with the others silver and bronze, at the 2010 Vancouver Paralympics.

She has had a remarkable first season in international competition as part of the U.S. Ski Team. Her international experience with the U.S. Basketball Team has made her transition to elite skiing a successful one as evidenced by her stellar results.

Nichols demonstrated the USSA’s core values on a regular basis in every aspect of her athletic career. Not only is she a model athlete but she is a model teammate as well.

2010 CROSS COUNTRY ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD
Kikk
an Randall, Anchorage
Kikkan Randall had an impressive season, with dramatic improvement in her distance racing as she scored World Cup points in four distance events. She also took four top 10’s in the sprints on the World Cup, including a second place podium finish in Oslo, Norway. She also broke her own American mark in taking eighth in the women’s Olympic Sprint, notching a record finish in cross country racing for the U.S. at the Games.

2010 FREESTYLE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD
Hannah Kearney, Norwich, VT
The 2010 season was nothing short of perfect for Hannah Kearney who was named Freestyle Athlete of the Year. Kearney had long vowed to earn a gold medal in 2010 after coming into Torino as World Champion and failing to qualify for finals.

When Kearney reached the Vancouver Olympics, she was ready to fulfill her promise. Not only was she successful in doing so, she was completely dominant in every aspect of the competition at Cypress Mountain. It marked the highest overall score by almost a full point that night, a career best.

Additionally, Kearney had a hold of success throughout much of the season as she had four wins and a third place podium in the 10 World Cups in 2010.

2010 NORDIC COMBINED ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD
Johnny Spillane, Steamboat Springs, CO
The USSA Nordic Combined Athlete of the Year Johnny Spillane had the greatest season of his career in 2010. It included his first World Cup win on Jan. 5 in Oberhof, as well as five other top five World Cup finishes. He set the stage for Vancouver, besting his two other World Champion teammates by winning the Olympic Trials at Steamboat Springs.

But, it was Spillane’s performance in Vancouver that put his name in the history books as he won the first medal for the U.S. in its nordic combined history, taking silver in the opener. He went on to notch two other silver medals in the Games and is credited with starting the momentum for the team to have its success in 2010.

2010 SKI JUMPING ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD
Sarah Hendrickson, Park City, UT
Sarah Hendrickson took her jumping to another level during the 2010 season with consistent results that included 15 top ten results on the FIS Continental Cup circuit, three of which were podiums. She also earned the first medal for the U.S. in ski jumping at the Junior World Championships in Germany with a bronze. She ended the season ranked sixth in the Continental Cup, up from 19th the season before.

It marked the first USSA Athlete of the Year honor for the 15-year-old ski jumper who recorded her first Continental Cup win a year earlier.

2010 SNOWBOARDING ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD
Seth Wescott, Sugarloaf, ME
Seth Wescott went into the 2010 season ready to defend his 2006 gold-medal performance in Torino. He made it all the way through the heats until the final, when he found himself in fourth. Slowly Wescott moved forward in the field until he was neck and neck with leader and hometown favorite Mike Robertson. Wescott came around the final bank turn, made his pass and reclaimed the gold – marking himself as the only male athlete to take gold in his sport.

Wescott’s determination and commitment to the sport have made him the man to beat in snowboardcross. But Wescott’s love of the sport extends past the course as he takes a hand in the development of sport in his hometown community of Sugarloaf, Maine. Wescott gives back every chance he gets, especially when it comes to the kids at Carrabassett Valley Academy. He has taken several CVA kids under his wing as a mentor, both on and off the course and will even be guest coaching a FIS Junior Worlds in August.

2010 ADAPTIVE INTERNATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD
Ray Watkins, Mt. Shasta, CA
When Ray Watkins, the USSA Adaptive International Coach of the Year, took the post of adaptive alpine head coach, his team sat third in the Nation’s Cup. It was his goal then to bring the team to the top, which he did in 2010. Add to that the 11 medals earned at the Paralympic Winter Games (three gold, four silver, four bronze) as well as four overall World Cup globes, and it is evident why Watkins earned his award as International Adaptive Coach of the Year.

Watkins is in his fourth season as the head coach and exemplifies what USSA strives for in all its employees – someone who takes USSA’s core values seriously and promotes them to the athletes and coaches. His professional attitude and demeanor have demonstrated USSA’s core values for several years in the sport and he has taken this even further in his leadership role as head coach.

Additionally, he goes above and beyond his job description on a daily basis. He has worked diligently to find the best candidates to fill the open staff positions and maintain consistency for the athletes on the team. He has assembled an experienced, dedicated staff and gives 100 percent on a daily basis.

2010 ADAPTIVE DOMESTIC COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD
Brad Alire, Ophir, CO
Adaptive Domestic Coach of the Year Brad Alire’s dedication to the sport is outstanding as he works tirelessly for adaptive athletes. He continually brings a positive attitude to the hill and goes above and beyond. He does everything to ensure the athletes have what they need in order to be successful, including jumping in to help the team’s technician tuning skis.

Alire is also the owner and program director for NASC (North American Ski Camps) where he awards scholarships to all of the U.S. Adaptive Ski Team athletes to train both on Mt. Hood as well as at Copper Mountain in the fall. These scholarships allow the Team to attend any of the camps that Alire runs at no charge, and is an amazing opportunity for athletes to get more on-snow training time at no cost to the. The athletes who have taken the opportunity to put the extra effort and have taken advantage of all training opportunities have excelled this season

2010 ALPINE INTERNATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD
Sasha Rearick, Park City, UT
Second-year U.S. Ski Team Head Men’s Alpine Coach Sasha Rearick was recognized as Alpine International Coach of the Year. Under his charge, Bode Miller won three Olympic medals and Ted Ligety won his second Audi FIS World Cup crystal globe in giant slalom.

Rearick was cited a model leader for a modern era national team. He creates an environment where all motivated and hard-working individuals can excel by giving them freedom within the parameters of accountability and responsibility to the team.

Rearick’s program champions attitude and heart.  As a leader, he demands innovation and is continually working to learn more himself. He’s readily willing to share his thoughts with and support others, showing interest down the developmental pipeline.

The USSA cited the award as a tribute to Rearick’s entire staff in a great season, but truly it is  a reflection of the strong values that he instills as a leader – values that will drive his athletes to continually perform at their best.

2010 ALPINE DOMESTIC COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD
Adam Chadbourne, Burke, VT 
A coach at Burke Mountain Academy, Chadbourne has driven a sound technical philosophy at five years. He has been instrumental in the development of athletes such as Olympian Nolan Kaspar; NCAA giant slalom champion Lindsay Cone; World Junior Championships team members Keiffer Christiansen and Abigail. In 2010, his young group of girls demonstrated skill, tactics and fast skiing. Recently Lizzie Kistler was the top junior at the FIS races in Jackson in which an Olympic field was present. She scored a 19 point result finishing ahead of many French and American national team members. Her second run was four tenths off the race winner, Sarah Schleper.

The other girls whom Chadbourne has in his group at Burke this year were also fast in that series and have dominated the Eastern Cup speed events this season – Katelyn Barclay, Mackenzie Brown, and Cate Kistle
r. Adam and his program have also helped develop J3 Mikaela Shiffrin who won both events at Topolino and will no doubt turn some heads soon at the FIS level.

In addition to what he has done with his athletes, Chadbourne has done a lot to help develop ski racing in the Eastern Region. He is a supporter of bringing the east together in a more cohesive fashion through his work with the Eastern Development Committee as well as cooperating with other programs to benefit any Eastern athlete.

2010 CROSS COUNTRY INTERNATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD
Chris Grover, Park City, UT
As sprint coach for the U.S. Ski Team, Chris Grover orchestrated an impressive season for his athletes.  Andy Newell had a third-place podium result and earned fourth in overall World Cup sprint standings. Kikkan Randall scored World Cup points in four distance events, along with four top 10’s in the sprints on World Cup.

2010 CROSS COUNTRY DOMESTIC COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD
Jan Buron, Anchorage
A coach for the Alaska Winter Stars, Buron’s athletes have had outstanding performances in 2010. This includes Scott Patterson, Caitlin Patterson, Erik Packer, Pat Johnson and Tyler Kornfield – all are skiers who came up through the Alaska Winter Stars program and made the Junior or U23 World Championships teams in 2010.

His efforts also resulted in Alaska Winter Stars being awarded USSA’s Cross Country Club of the Year honor. Buron, a former Polish national team member, also received the Domestic Coach of the Year Award in 1999.

2010 FREESTYLE INTERNATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD
Scott Rawles, Breckenridge, CO
The U.S. Ski Team’s moguls athletes had unprecedented success in 2010 under the leadership of Scott Rawles. Rawles’ team amassed a total of 21 World Cup podiums, six of which were wins, and three Olympic medals – one gold and two bronze. The gold, earned by Hannah Kearney, was the first of its kind since Jonny Moseley’s 1998 Olympic win.

This year’s success also promises future success with athletes like Heather McPhie, who rose to the A team this year after three World Cup podiums to finish second in the World Cup standings, and Bryon Wilson who reeled off back to back podiums in Finland and took a bronze medal at Vancouver.

It marked the third time Rawles has been honored as International Coach of the Year, including 2003 and 2007.

2010 SKI JUMPING/NORDIC COMBINED DOMESTIC COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD
Casey Colby, Lake Placid, NY
The New York Ski Education Foundation’s Casey Colby now heads a successful program that spawned Olympic Champion Billy Demong. In recent years, however, the level of participation and success had lagged. Colby stepped in to boost development teams. Within the last year, he has built a team of assistant coaches who have significantly increased attendance at their development camps known as “the grasshoppers.”

With Colby at the helm, the New York Ski Educational Foundation (NYSEF) has also had an increase in the number of new skiers to the club itself.

Additionally, 2010 saw two of NYSEF’s skiers earn positions on the Olympic team. They included the 17-year-old prodigy Peter Frenette and 21 year old Nick Alexander.

2010 SNOWBOARDING INTERNATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD
Mike Jankowski, Portland, OR
For the past four years Mike Jankowski has led the U.S. Snowboarding halfpipe athletes, and that leadership culminated in 2010 with the continuation of the third straight four medal Olympics for the U.S. Team, all in his first Olympic coaching experience.
In order to reach the level of success again, Jankowski set up ideal training opportunities for his athletes, including camps in Aspen and Copper, CO, as well as Park City, UT.

2010 saw more U.S. Snowboarding athletes on the 2010 Olympic halfpipe team than ever before and Jankowski’s hard work is to credit for much of the team’s success.

2010 SNOWBOARDING DOMESTIC COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD
Dylan Omlin, Truckee, CA
With over 10 years at the Auburn Ski Club, Dylan Omlin has been responsible for the success of many athletes who have achieved great results at USASA Nationals, the US Open and the Van’s Triple Crown.

In his job Omlin is responsible for the evolution of the Riders Team and Snowboard program. He is also instrumental in the development of the high school program in the Truckee area.

His program now has over 180 snowboard competitors and several of his athletes have qualified for the 2010 FIS Junior World Championship team.

2010 ADAPTIVE CLUB OF THE YEAR AWARD
National Sports Center for the Disabled, Winter Park, CO
The USSA’s Adaptive Club of the Year, the National Sports Center for the Disabled, is an adaptive-specific club that offers its athletes the chance to take their skiing to the next level. This is evidenced by the success of NCSD athletes who are competing and succeeding at all levels of the sport.

In 2010 NCSD had two of its athletes earn medals at the 2010 Paralympics, including newcomer Alana Nichols who stole the show with four medals including two gold. The club also produced 18 World Cup podiums this season.

2010 CROSS COUNTRY CLUB OF THE YEAR AWARD
Alaska Winter Stars, Anchorage
The Alaska Winter Stars program produces many of cross country’s top performers in the U.S. In 2010 AWS athletes had outstanding performances, including those by Scott Patterson, Caitlin Patterson, Erik Packer, Pat Johnson and Tyler Kornfield. Each of them made the Junior or U23 World Championships teams in 2010. The program was started in 1997 by former Polish cross country athlete Jan Buron, who is also a past USSA domestic cross country coach of the year.

2010 FREESTYLE CLUB OF THE YEAR AWARD
Nybora Freestyle, Hyland Hills Ski Area, MN
The Nybora Freestyle Club, which will mark its 20th anniversary next year, had a successful 2010 season with the entry of 24 athletes to compete at Junior Olympics – 14 slopestyle and 23 in aerials.

The club was started in 1991 by U.S. Freestyle Ski Team veteran Martin Sundquist and his brother Lewis at the popular Hyland Hills Ski Area in the Twin Cities. The club’s goal is to provide a subsidized opportunity for freestyle athletes to train at a top level club, and as such the club retains 110 athletes who participate in freestyle, slopestyle, and new school aerials.

2010 SKI JUMPING/NORDIC COMBINED CLUB OF THE YEAR AWARD
Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, Steamboat Springs, CO
Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club is Colorado’s mecca of skiing and snowboarding. Now, thanks to the investment it has made over the years in the sport of nordic combined, it has the honor of calling three of its own Olympic medalists. The club has been one of the home training facilities for gold medalist, Billy Demong, as well as the home club of silver medalists Todd Lodwick and Johnny Spillane,

Additionally, the club also hosted the 2010 Olympic Trials event, the 2010 NCAA Championships, and the USSA Junior Olympics for ski jumping and nordic combined. It is the second time the club has won the Jumping/Nordic Combined Club of the Year. The club has won the overall Club of the Year award three times.

2010 SNOWBOARDING CLUB OF THE YEAR AWARD
Auburn Ski Club, Boreal, CA
The Auburn Ski Club receives its recognition for 2010 snowboard club of the year thanks to its investment in USSA events and the production of top notch athletes. The club is a key stop on the U.S. Snowboarding Revolution Tour and put two athletes on the 2010 Junior Worlds Team.
The Auburn Ski Club has twice been recognized as USSA’s Cross Country Club of the Year. It is the first time for the snowboarding honor.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARDS
Special recognition awards from the USSA Chairman were presented to each of the USSA’s Olympic or Paralympic gold medalists.

Olympic Champion Award – 2010 Halfpipe Olympic Gold Medal – Sha
un White
Olympic Champion Award – 2010 Nordic Combined Large Hill Olympic Gold Medal – Billy Demong
Olympic Champion Award – 2010 Moguls Olympic Gold Medal – Hannah Kearney
Olympic Champion Award – 2010 Super Combined Olympic Gold Medal – Bode Miller
Olympic Champion Award – 2010 Downhill Olympic Gold Medal – Lindsey Vonn
Olympic Champion Award – 2010 Snowboardcross Olympic Gold Medal – Seth Wescott
Paralympic Champion Award – 2010 Downhill Paralympic Gold Medal – Alana Nichols
Paralympic Champion Award – 2010 Giant Slalom Paralympic Gold Medal – Alana Nichols
Paralympic Champion Award – 2010 Super Combined Paralympic Gold Medal – Stephani Victor