The 2023 Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame Celebration is creeping up, with tickets fully on sale and the event itself occurring on August 27. As always, the celebration will induct several new members into the hall of fame, including Hilaree Nelson who passed away in September 2022. The organization announced the official list of inductees back in April and has just announced their annual awards for 2023.
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, the Competitor of the Year award goes to the incredible Mikaela Shiffrin. Hailing from the Vail Valley, Shiffrin is not just the greatest alpine skier from Colorado, but is the greatest alpine skier of all time.
This past ski season, she reached 88 overall World Cup victories, more than any other skier in the history of the sport. She also holds records for the highest Alpine Ski World Cup win percentage in history, the most women’s Alpine World Cup slalom podiums, the most giant slalom victories in Alpine World Cup history, the most Alpine Ski World Cup victories in one season, and so many more.
Three-time Paralympian and four-time Paralympic gold medalist Kendall Gretsch, who was born with spina bifida, will receive the Adaptive Athlete award to honor her achievements in cross-country skiing and biathlon. Gretsch won two gold metals at the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in nordic skiing and a bronze, silver, and gold medal at the 2022 Winter Paralympics in biathlon. She also won six World Para Nordic Skiing Championships in Sweden this winter.
The annual Lifetime Achievement award will go to David and Renie Gorsuch, both of whom helped to make the Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame what it is today through generous contributions. With their help, doors stayed open and opportunities were created. The couple entered the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame as a part of the class of 2021.
The two collegiate athletes of the year are Filip Forejtek of the University of Colorado Boulder and Nora Brand of the University of Denver. In 2023, Forejtek became the the third male ever to win national titles in the giant slalom two years in a row. He podiumed 22 times and won 6 races through this collegiate career. Brand returned to racing in 2021 after a knee injury in October of 2020. In 2023, she finished among the top 10 nine times in NCAA races.
SOS Outreach, which aims to provide children with opportunities to push their limits on the slopes and the trails, will receive the Top of the Hill award. Tickets for the August 27th event are available here.
Related: Colorado Snowsports Museum Announces Hall Of Fame Class of 2023
Images Courtesy of the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame