Golden Ski to Morse and Merryweather

FRANCONIA, NH (May 15) - The North American Snowsports Journalist Association East has named Sam Morse (Carrabassett Valley, ME; Carrabassett Valley Academy) and Alice Merryweather (Hingham, MA; Stratton Mountain School) the Don A. Metivier Golden Ski Award winners for 2014. Each spring, the organization - formerly known as the Easter Ski Writers Association - presents the honor to the most promising male and female junior alpine racers in the Eastern U.S. The awards will be presented at a reception at the New England Ski Museum in Franconia, NH on Friday, May 30 from 5-7 p.m.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The North American Snowsports Journalist Association East (NASJA - East) has named Sam Morse (Carrabassett Valley, ME; Carrabassett Valley Academy) and Alice Merryweather (Hingham, MA; Stratton Mountain School) the Don A. Metivier Golden Ski Award winners for 2014.
• The annual prize honors the top male and female skiers in the Eastern United States.
• Morse and Merryweather will receive the award on Friday, May 30 during a 5-7 p.m. ET at the New England Ski Museum in Franconia, NH.
• Former winners of the prestigeous Golden Ski include Olympic gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) and double Junior World Champion Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, VT).
• Morse, who was recently nominated to the 2015 U.S. Alpine Ski Team, won every Maine Alpine Racing Association championship he entered this year.
• Morse was also second among U18 athletes in the Nations Team Event downhill, placed 21st at Nature Valley U.S.  Alpine Championships slalom and was 17th in the FIS Alpine Junior World Ski Championships downhill.
• Merryweather's  2014 season highlights include finishing third in super combined at the FIS Alpine Junior World Ski Championships held in Jansa, Slovakia, and was the only high school woman named to the USSA Eastern Region Team.
• Additionally, she finishing No. 1 her age group at the U. S. Championships downhill and closed the season ranked ranked third in the world in super G and ninth in downhill for her age group. 

Golden Ski History
The Golden Ski Award has been presented to the top junior male and female skiers in the East since 1969, the year after the modern World Cup circuit started.  Many of the Golden Ski winners have gone on to World Cup and Olympic gold as well. In 1975, the Golden Ski was "lost." In 2007, the New England Ski Museum was given some artifacts, and in that donation was the original Golden Ski. ESWA revitalized the honor, and named it in memory of long-time snow-sports journalist Don A. Metivier, former editor of Ski Racing Magazine. 

Previous Golden Ski Award Winners
1969: Tyler Palmer, Karen Middleton
1970: Charles Bent, Karen Middleton
1971: Judy McNealus, Rod Taylor
1972: Jody Palmer, Laurent Gaudin
1973: Jerry McNealus, No female winner
1974: No award
1975: Holly Flanders, Scott Light
1976-2007: Award Lost
2008: Bump Heldman, Julia Ford
2009: Nolan Kasper, Julia Ford
2010: Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Julia Ford
2011: Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Mikaela Shiffrin
2012: Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Mikaela Shiffrin
2013: Kieffer Christianson, Mikaela Shiffrin