The 2024 Class Represents Durango, Vail, Aspen, Breckenridge, and Colorado at large; The Induction Ceremony Will Take Place on September 7, 2024, at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail, Colorado.

VAIL, Colo. – May 22, 2024 – The Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame is pleased to announce the Class of 2024, an inspiring group representing a wide range of people across the snow sports industry. From speed skiing and alpine racing on international fronts to the snow sports devotees building the sport behind the scenes, this year’s inductees have dedicated their lives to snow sports, making a lasting impact in Colorado.

"This year truly represents Colorado’s snow sports industry with inductees having connections to Durango, Breckenridge, Aspen, and Vail," said Jennifer Mason, Executive Director of the Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame. When asking Jennifer if one inductee stands out to her from the Class of 2024, she explains: "We're honored to celebrate all the inductees, but we're especially excited to recognize the accomplishments of the legendary Sigurd Rockne, in person with him, a few months before his 92nd birthday. We look forward to celebrating Sigurd alongside his third-generation Breckenridge family!"

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The Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame Class of 2024:

Ross Anderson | Athlete

Native American Ross Anderson became the fastest skier in the Western Hemisphere. Born in New Mexico, he grew up in Durango, Colorado, and started racing gates at an early age. He was on skis by three at Purgatory Resort, where his father was on the ski patrol. By six, he was ski racing but was drawn to speed skiing. He later became one of the top US Speed Skiing Team athletes, winning bronze at the 2005 World Championships, and is an eight-time national champion. Ross has held the record for the fastest American ever on skis: 154.06 miles per hour (247.930KPH) achieved in 2006. Ross is also known for leveraging his athletic success to bring skiing to native youth. He began engaging in programs, initially at Purgatory Resort, together with the Southern Ute tribe, as well as the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes of Oklahoma and the Mescalero Apache tribes of New Mexico. His goal was to bring diversity and to represent all indigenous and Native American Indians, motivating them to achieve their dreams, no matter the color of their skin. The programs utilized snow sports as an incentive to encourage youth in the classroom. With support from General Norman Schwarzkopf, his grassroots program inspired resorts across North America to invite over 10,000 native youth back to ski and ride on their ancestral mountains. Ross was inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in 2023 and the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame in October of the same year.

Bjorn Erik Borgen | Sport Builder

Bjorn has been a force in elevating the sport of skiing through a lifetime of providing leadership and support for athletes, venues, and major events. His efforts and persistence were pivotal in bringing the FIS World Championships to the Vail Valley in 1989, 1999, and 2015. He consistently supported athletes in the United States, and his home country of Norway, making it possible for athletes to achieve their dreams on and off the snow through the creation and funding of educational scholarships. Through board service and leadership for the US Ski & Snowboard Team, Ski & Snowboard Club Vail, and the Vail Valley Foundation, his efforts have resulted in the successful completion of major projects in the U.S. and abroad, from the Ski & Snowboard Club Vail Clubhouse and race venue expansion to the USSA Center for Excellence in Park City to the expansion and enhancement of Kvitfjell Resort in Norway.

John McBride | Sport Builder

Raised in Aspen, “Johno” trained with the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club (AVSC). He was named to the US Development Team and went on to race for the University of Vermont. He started coaching with AVSC from 1989 until 1995 and then the US Ski Team from 1995 to 2008 where he led his athletes to a US record number of wins and podium finishes on the World Cup in addition to Olympic and World Cup medals. In 2002, he became the head men’s downhill and super-G coach. From 2007-2008, he coached Bode Miller to Olympic medal performances and two overall Crystal Globes and Daron Rahlves to 28 World Cup podiums and 12 World Cup victories. In 2008/2009, Johno returned to Aspen and coached at Challenge Aspen, a competitive ski team for individuals with cognitive or physical impairment. From 2010 to 2014, the Canadian Team recruited Johno to lead their speed team through the 2014 Sochi Olympics. He led the Canadian team to twenty podiums in addition to Eric Guay’s gold medal at the 2011 World Championships and a bronze medal by Jan Hudec in the super-G at Sochi. Johno is currently focusing on the family ranch and stepped down from Alpine Director with AVSC (2014-2017, 2019-2024) at the end of May 2024 but would like to return to coach U12 athletes next winter.

Sigurd Rockne | Pioneer

Before his days of working for Colorado ski resorts, Sigurd was an accomplished ski racer winning three Norwegian Championships, starting first in the Hahnenkamm in Kitzbühel, ranked in the FIS top fifteen, and was named to the Norwegian ski team for the 1956 Olympics. While he never raced due to a compound tibial fracture right before the Olympics, after recovery, he still raced. Then, Sigurd received a letter from an old teammate, Stein Eriksen, to please come work for him as a ski instructor for Aspen Highland's first year of opening. Sigurd landed in America on December 5, 1958, and was a ski instructor for Stein for three years. Sigurd, however, was famous for being one of the founders of the Breckenridge Ski Resort, which opened on December 16, 1961. He was intimately involved with laying out where the runs would be and the lifts to service them. He was an early ambassador and promoter of Breckenridge. Sigurd undoubtedly contributed to the early growth of skiing in Colorado and helped create and run one of our state's most popular world-class resorts, even to this day.

Lindsey Vonn | Athlete

Lindsey’s extraordinary achievements have solidified her place in history as one of the greatest American skiers of all time. Throughout her 15-year career, Lindsey achieved 82 World Cup victories and became the first-ever women’s Olympic downhill champion. She redefined the boundaries of alpine skiing, setting numerous records including eighteen victories on the same course (Lake Louise), twenty crystal globes, and forty-three downhill victories. In 2023, Lindsey became the first woman to ski the legendary Streif in Kitzbühel, Austria. And on top of that, Lindsey is the first ever to ski the course at night. A true sports icon, Lindsey’s impact has transcended the world of skiing through her creation of the Lindsey Vonn Foundation. Lindsey used her platform to provide programming for education, sports, and enrichment programs to help young girls grow as athletes, leaders, and individuals. Lindsey continues to give back and build our industry by serving on the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games Governing Board as their Chief of Athlete Experience. Due to her efforts, on July 24, 2024, our neighbors in Salt Lake City were awarded the 2034 Winter Olympics. Her biggest contribution to this bid was to help create an Olympic Village for the athletes’ families. In Lindsey's opinion, taking care of families should be just as important as the athletes.

"On behalf of the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame, we are incredibly proud to announce the Class of 2024, which features two truly extraordinary athletes, two remarkable sports builders who played enormous roles in allowing dozens if not hundreds of athletes to fulfill their World Cup and Olympic dreams, along with one legendary pioneer who in the early days of Breckenridge Resort's development, saw its potential and executed its growth making it a world-class resort," said Bill Tomcich, board member of the Colorado Snowsports Museum and chairman of the Hall of Fame Committee.

Hall of Fame candidates are nominated under the established criteria of Athlete, Sport Builder, Inspirational, or Pioneer categories, with the Hall of Fame Nomination Committee evaluating and confirming the nominees to move on to the final ballot. The 140-member Hall of Fame Voting Panel is comprised of current Hall of Fame members, key snow sports industry representatives, snow sports resorts, and the Hall’s board of directors. Learn more about our Hall of Fame here, https://www.snowsportsmuseum.org/hall-of-fame

The annual induction ceremony – an inspiring, family-friendly event – will occur on Saturday, September 7, 2024, at the beautiful Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail, Colorado. The event is a great way to celebrate the inductees and Colorado snow sports, and ticket prices start at just $50 for adults, with all proceeds going to support the Colorado Snowsports Museum, a non-profit organization, and the State of Colorado’s official snow sports museum. Tickets can be purchased HERE.

About the Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame:

Founded in 1975 and located in Vail, Colorado, our mission is to celebrate Colorado snow sports by telling stories that educate and inspire others to seek adventure. The priceless artifacts we collect and display tell the story of the birth, rise and explosion of skiing and snowboarding in Colorado. The Museum features displays including Climb to Glory about the 10th Mountain Division, Vail’s DNA, The Colorado Snowboard Archive, and The Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame, among many others. Learn more and consider supporting the Museum by becoming a member: www.snowsportsmuseum.org.

Media Contact:

Jen Mason | Dana Mathios

jen@snowsportsmuseum.org | dana@snowsportsmuseum.org

(970) 476-1876

Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2024