NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN!

U.S. Ski & Snowboard Awards

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is a diverse organization of many sports with a vital backbone of athletes, officials, coaches and clubs nationwide all working together for the betterment of the sport. It’s important each year to recognize the work of those behind the scenes who are providing athletes of all ages with an opportunity to participate in ski and snowboard competitions.

The U.S. Ski & Snowboard awards program is designed to recognize a wide range of individuals and organizations for their work over the past year. As a U.S. Ski & Snowboard member, you are eligible to nominate into many of the award categories. To learn more about the full range of U.S. Ski & Snowboard awards, go here.

Award Selection:

• Nominations are accepted all at once and at large from members who have a valid and current membership for the 2024-25 Season.
• Each sport committee will select the respective sports winners for Club and Coach of the Year.
• Selection of other awards winners is determined by a vote of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Awards Working Group.
• Winners are announced at the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Awards Dinner on May 14, 2025.

Nominations: 

• Click on the nomination link for each individual award for which you wish to nominate.
• Complete the nomination paying special attention to highlighting accomplishments required for each award.
• Nominees must also be current members of U.S. Ski & Snowboard.
• Click to submit.
• Remember, you need to submit nominations for each award separately.

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT NOMINATIONS: Friday, March 28, 2025

NOMINATION CATEGORIES

Paul Bacon Award (event organization)

The Paul Bacon Award is given to an individual or group for the greatest contribution to U. S. Ski & Snowboard in the field of race organization during the 2024-25 season. Traditional nominees include local clubs or individuals whose work has made a difference in providing good events for athletes.

PAUL BACON AWARD Nomination Form

John J. Clair Award (service to national teams)

The John J. Clair Jr. Award is given for outstanding service that benefited the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team in 2024-25. Past recipients have included outside team support personnel, donors, journalists, movers and shakers. Most recipients have been individuals, though some organizations have been recognized. The recipient’s service should be to the national teams.

JOHN J. CLAIR JR. AWARD Nomination Form

Bud & Mary Little Award (service to FIS or USOPC)

The Bud & Mary Little Award is a lifetime achievement award presented to an individual who has contributed significantly through a long-term involvement with the International Ski & Snowboard Federation or U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Recipients are eligible to receive the award only once. Achievement should be lifetime; it is not specific to this past year.

BUD & MARY LITTLE AWARD Nomination Form

Buddy Werner Award (sportsmanship)

Have you seen any great acts of sportsmanship this past year? Nominations should be based on actions from the 2024-25 season. It is only open to individuals.

BUDDY WERNER AWARD Nomination Form

Russell Wilder Award (service to youth)

The Russell Wilder Award recognizes the most outstanding effort during 2024-25 in focusing the interests of American youth on the sports of skiing or snowboarding. It can be awarded to an individual or an organization.

RUSSELL WILDER AWARD Nomination Form

OFFICIALS NOMINATION AWARD CATEGORY

West Family Award (outstanding official)

The West Family Award is a lifetime achievement honor, recognizing an outstanding certified official at any level.  Nominations come from the pool of current U.S. Ski & Snowboard Officials membership.

WEST FAMILY AWARD Nomination Form

Nominations only open to those who hold a current U.S. Ski & Snowboard Officials membership. 

FIS TECHNICAL DELEGATE NOMINATION AWARD CATEGORY

Westhaven Award (outstanding FIS technical delegate)

The Westhaven Award is a lifetime achievement award, recognizing an outstanding FIS technical delegate for his or her service over time. Nominations come from the pool of current FIS TDs.

WESTHAVEN AWARD Nomination Form

Nominations only open to those who hold a current U.S. Ski & Snowboard Technical Delegate membership. 

CLUB OF THE YEAR AWARD CATEGORY

U.S. Ski & Snowboard Club of the Year Award

The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Club of the Year is the club that achieved the most outstanding high-performance athletic and organizational results in the current season and best meets the athletic and club performance benchmarks.

This award will be granted for each sport: Adaptive, Alpine, Cross Country, Freeski, Freestyle, Snowboard & Ski Jumping/Nordic Combined

U.S. SKI & SNOWBOARD CLUB OF THE YEAR AWARD Nomination Form

Nominations only open to those who are current U.S. Ski & Snowboard Clubs.

DEVELOPMENT COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD CATEGORY

U.S. Ski & Snowboard Development Coach of the Year Award

The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Development Coach of the Year Award recognizes outstanding contribution to development and international programs by a coach resulting in high-level performance by his or her athletes in competition during the past season. Coaches of the year are recognized for their leadership, commitment, sport knowledge and passion, including proven ability to foster athletic excellence amongst their constituents or teams. 

This award will be granted for each sport: Adaptive, Alpine, Cross Country, Freeski, Freestyle, Snowboard & Ski Jumping/Nordic Combined

U.S. SKI & SNOWBOARD DEVELOPMENT COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD Nomination Form

Nominations only open to those who are current U.S. Ski & Snowboard Coaches.

The 2025 FIS Para Snowboard World Championships started with a bang as Noah Elliott and Zach Miller finished third place in banked slalom, taking home bronze medals in Big White, Canada. 

The action in Canada began with banked slalom qualifications on Wednesday, where six U.S. athletes were placed in the top eight to advance to the finals. Elliott took the top spot in the men’s LL1 classification along with Mike Schultz, who qualified third. Miller advanced in the men’s LL2 category in fourth. On the women’s side, Darian Haynes moved on in women’s UL alongside Brenna Huckaby and Kate Delson in women’s LL. 

On finals day, the sun was trying to peek out behind clouds, emitting a cool, flat light onto the course. All the U.S. men won their quarterfinals, putting them in contention for a medal. On the women’s side, Huckaby and Delson had incredibly tough matchups and did not advance to the semifinals. Huckaby finished the day fifth and Delson sixth. Haynes finished just off the podium in fourth place. 

Miller went up against 2025 overall Crystal Globe winner Emanual Perathoner (ITA) in the semifinals, putting up a great time, but could not overtake the Italian, advancing to the small final. Schultz and Elliott also had tricky matchups in the semis, leading them to advance to the LL1 small final. Elliott and Schultz went head to head in the small final, where Elliott would put down the fastest time of the day for their classification, snagging the bronze medal. Schultz finished the day fourth. Miller took on Keiji Okamoto (JPN) in the small final, winning by over five seconds to earn his seventh World Championships medal. 

"A big goal of mine this year was to continue adding to my World Championships medal collection," said Miller. "This season saw a pretty noticeable rise in our sport's skill ceiling and the competitiveness of my LL2 classification. Bringing home another World Championships podium is a great feeling, knowing I’ve been able to check off that goal!" 

The athletes take a short break before returning to the snow for snowboard cross World Championships on Sunday, Mar. 9. Tune in on FIS at 1:30 p.m. ET. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

The Toyota U.S. Para Snowboard Team took advantage of their first home snow World Cup start since 2017 by landing six on the podium in Steamboat Springs, including Mike Schultz, who earned his first World Cup win of the season. 

"It's been a long time since we've raced a World Cup here in the U.S., and it felt amazing to land on top of the podium today," said Schultz. "It was a beautiful day, exciting racing, and a fun course to ride."

The conditions were picture-perfect at Steamboat Ski Resort, with warm weather and winds to keep the course intact. The women kicked things off in qualification, where Brenna Huckaby took the top seed heading into the finals with the best women’s time of the day. Huckaby would stay in the top spot throughout the day, all the way to the top of the podium. Kate Delson qualified in second place, Rebecca Johnston in fourth, Jackie Hamwey in fifth, Courtney Godfrey in sixth and Dennae Russell in seventh. 

In the men’s LL-1 qualification, Schultz led the way, qualifying in second place just 0.3 off the top spot. Noah Elliott qualified in third. Zach Miller was the top qualifier in the men’s LL-2 class, finishing in fourth, followed by Aleks Godowski in eighth and Joe Pleban in 10th. Colby Fields qualified in fifth for the men’s UL. 

In the semifinals, Huckaby and Delson both took the top spot in their respective heats, sending them to the big final along with Johnson. Godfrey, Hamwey and Russell comprised the small final. Due to the number of competitors in the men’s LL-1 class, there was a preheat to determine who would advance to the big final. Elliott won the heat to secure the final spot in the big final alongside Schultz. In the LL-2 preheat, Joe Pleban earned his way into the semifinals. Zach Miller continued to shine, advancing to the big final. Pleban and Fields advanced to the small finals.

Anticipation was building among the athletes as the finals neared. Huckaby was unphased, and won the women's LL big final by a considerable margin, earning her second win and fourth podium of the year. Delson came in second, her third podium of the season. Johnson finished just off the podium in fourth, followed by Godfrey in fifth, Russell in sixth and Hamwey in seventh. Isabelle Hicks was the lone competitor in the women’s UL class but put down great runs all day, earning experience and the win on the way.

Elliott and Schultz went head to head in the men’s LL-1 big final, both vying for the top spot on the podium. Despite Elliott’s best efforts, Schultz found that next gear to earn his first win of the season in front of his family cheering in the finish. Elliott finished in second, his seventh podium of the season.

"It's been too long since I took the top spot, so this one feels incredible, especially since my family was here to experience it," said Schultz. "They haven't seen me race since 2018, so this one was special. "Right now, I'm focused on the race tomorrow, followed by World Championships in Canada next week, which carries a lot of weight for us as we head into the Paralympics in Italy next year."

Miller was the sole U.S. representative in the men’s LL-2 big final, going against some of the toughest competitors in the race. In the closest battle of the day, Miller finished on the podium in third place, his first snowboard cross podium of the season. Pleban finished eighth in the small final. Fields finished seventh in the men’s UL small final. 

On Feb. 26, the team does it all again for the second World Cup in Steamboat Springs. Tune in at 12:10 pm ET on live timing. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

On the second day of competition in Kühtai, Austria, Noah Elliott completed his perfect banked slalom season, winning all four events to take home the 2025 FIS Banked Slalom Crystal Globe. 

The beautiful conditions from day one continued into the second day of competition, a great contrast to the past two World Cup stops where weather played a role in the results. Darian Haynes, Mike Schultz and Elliott advanced to the finals for the U.S. after finishing in the top four in their respective classifications in qualifying. In the women’s LL1/LL2 class, Kate Delson led the way in fifth, followed by Brenna Huckaby in ninth, Rebecca Johnston in 11th and Dennae Russell in 13th. In the men’s LL2 classification, Zach Miller finished fifth, securing a third-place finish in the overall banked slalom standings. Joe Pleban followed in 11th and Aleks Godowski ended the day 14th. Colby Fields finished 13th in men’s UL. 

In the finals, Haynes was once again head-to-head with Anna Drobna (POL). Haynes put up a great fight but fell behind and finished the day fourth. Elliott and Schultz went head to head in the big final, fighting for first and second place. Elliott triumphed, earning his fourth banked slalom win of the season, which allowed him to earn the Overall Banked Slalom Crystal Globe. Schultz finished second, earning his fourth podium of the season.

The team is returning to the States for a training block before heading to Steamboat Springs for the first domestic World Cup since 2017. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

The Toyota U.S. Para Snowboard Team athletes are back in the banks for the first time since November, and the wait did not disappoint, with Noah Elliott and Brenna Huckaby taking the top and third steps of the podium, respectively. 

The conditions were picture-perfect in Kühtai, Austria, for the first of two banked slalom races. After two great days of training and a few days of joyriding, the team was ready to be back in competition mode. In qualifying, Huckaby, Elliott, and Darian Haynes were the three U.S. athletes to advance to finals, as only the top four finishers in each classification move on to finals in banked slalom. Mike Schultz finished fifth in the men’s LL1 class. Zach Miller led the LL2 category in seventh, followed by Joe Pleban in 13th and Aleks Godowski in 14th. Colby Fields finished 13th in men’s UL. On the women’s side, Peggy Martin finished fifth in women’s UL. Kate Delson ended the day eighth in the LL1/LL2 classification, Dennae Russell in 12th and Rebecca Johnston in 13th. 

In the finals, Huckaby was paired against Yanhong Geng (CHN) and prevailed, winning the small final by over 10 seconds. Huckaby admitted that she was surprised she finished on the podium today after struggling with a few of the turns on the course, so the third place was a major win in her book. Haynes finished the day fourth after her battle with Anna Drobna (POL). After qualifying in the top spot, Elliott continued his dominance by winning by almost two seconds over his opponent Zhongwei Wu (CHN) in the big final, earning his third win and fifth podium of the season. 

Tomorrow, the team takes on the second banked slalom event in Austria starting at 3:35 am ET. Follow along on FIS Live Timing. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

The start of the snowboard cross season was worth the wait for The Toyota U.S. Para Snowboard Team. After a weather cancelation on day one due to icy conditions, the athletes battled through thick, fluffy snow on day two to get the event off the ground. Despite the weather, the team had a fantastic day all around, with Brenna Huckaby and Kate Delson (Team Utah Snowboarding) landing on the podium in the women’s LL2 classification in first and third, respectively. 

Also in the women’s LL2 class, Dennae Russell of Team Utah Snowboarding made the women’s small final, finishing eighth and Courtney Godfrey in ninth. 

On the men’s side, Colby Fields from Adaptive Action Sports and the lone U.S. athlete in the UL category, ended the day 14th. Mike Schultz finished fifth in the LL1 classification, followed by Noah Elliott in sixth. This is Schultz's first snowboard cross event in over a year, and he said it "felt good to be back in the start gate." Schultz had a great time trial, finishing third, but made a mistake in the heats, which kept him off the podium. Aleks Godowski of Team Utah Snowboarding led the way for the men’s LL1 category, making the small final and finishing eighth, followed by Zach Miller in 10th and Joe Pleban in 15th. 

Next week, the team is heading to Lenk, Switzerland for two more snowboard cross races Jan. 23-24.