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NASJA Awards presented at 2011 Annual Meeting, Alyeska Resort, Alaska
By Greg Snow and Pat Turner Kavanaugh
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Mel Dalebout |
The North American Snowsports Journalists Association honored four women and men who have made significant contributions to winter sports endeavors, and also bestowed the Harold S. Hirsch Awards in the fields of snowsports writing, and photography/videography for 2011 at the NASJA Annual Meeting, at Alyeska Resort, Alaska, March 4th.
The Carson White-Golden Quill Award, named after the group's first president, honors an individual who has made a significant contribution to snowsports in North America. This year that is Mel Dalebout. Dalebout is "Mr. Made in America." His company, Daleboot, manufactures the only ski boots that are made in the United States - and he's done it since 1969 when he invented the world's first foaminjection filled boot.
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Thom Perkins |
NASJA's 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring a lifetime of snowsports innovation, competition, design and other endeavors went to Thom Perkins. Perkins has been Executive Director of the Jackson Ski Touring Foundation in New Hampshire's White Mountains for a third of a century.
Nathan Rafferty, Executive Director for Ski Utah in Salt Lake City, was the recipient of the 2011 Bob Gillen Memorial Award. This award, named in honor of a former Ski Magazine editor and marketing wizard at Crested Butte and Sugarbush ski resorts, honors an individual who exemplifies the highest standards of professionalism in public relations and media communications.
The Paul Robbins Outstanding Competitor Award is voted on at the general membership meeting by press and corporate membership, and went to Hannah Kearney of Norwich, Vermont. Kearney has five World Cup freestyle victories this season and, at the time of the Annual Meeting, was currently ranked number one in moguls and tops overall on the circuit. She also took silver in moguls competition and bronze in the dual moguls event at the World Championships.
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Peggy Shin |
Gerry Pallor |
Claudia Carbone |
The Harold S. Hirsch Award, named after the ski-clothing pioneer, and creator of the White Stag Company, honors the best in craft in the snowsports journalism. The awards were underwritten by prize grants from Salomon Sports and Sport Obermeyer.
In Feature Writing, Peggy Shinn of Rutland, Vermont, won the top award. She writes for Vermont Life, Stratton Times and others.
Shinn and all top winners of the Hirsch Awards received the Hirsch trophy and a pair of Salomon skis.
Gerry Pallor of New Paltz, N.Y., a videographer and editor for RadX sports, took the Video Category honors for 2010.
Tops in Columns for 2010 was Center Conway, New Hampshire's Marty Basch. Basch is a freelancer, outdoor column writer and book author.
Blog honors for 2010 went to Claudia Carbone from Denver, Col. Carbone is a book author and writes a women's centric blog.
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Marty Bash |
Tom Winter |
In the category of Photography, Tom Winter, of Vail, Colorado., earned the Hirsch; his work appears in Powder, Ski, Skiing and many other publications.
New this year, NASJA is awarding The Mitch Kaplan Award For Excellence in Snowsports Coverage. This award is named for the late NASJA Secretary- Treasurer and multiple Harold Hirsch and Lowell Thomas Awards winner. The first Kaplan Award goes to Jim Cantore of the Weather Channel.
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Jim Cantore |
Also acknowledged at the organization's banquet were those who took honorable mention in the Hirsch competition.
Prizes for honorable mention winners are underwritten by Sport Obermeyer, which donated a state-of-the-art Obermeyer jacket to each recipient.
For feature writing, honorable mention went to Tom Winter, who also won first place in photography; Lauren Traub Teton, of Pound Ridge, N.Y., took the honorable mention for video; Heather Burke, of Kennebunk, Maine, received honorable mention for column writing; Mike Doyle, Stillwater, N.Y., honorable mention in blogs; in photography, the honorable mention spot was awarded to Dino Vournas, Hayward, Calif.
