Several TELUS Awards of Excellence for Alpine Canada Alpin were handed out Tuesday at a gala event in Laval, while other winners will be presented with their awards at an event in Western Canada later in the season.
Among the award winners, Terry Hooper, a board member for the past two years at Sask Alpine, is the 2009 Volunteer of the Year (Western Canada) while Prentice Smith, the Chairman of the Georgian Peaks Ski Club GMC Cup race for the past five years, has been named 2009 Volunteer of the Year (Eastern Canada).
Hooper developed a provincial "Learn to Ski" Day, involving the clubs and hill operators in Saskatchewan in providing time and equipment to introduce the sport of skiing to future participants in local Nancy Greene Ski League programs. Hooper remains on the Regina Alpine Race Team executive as Vice President, attending every Sask Cup race event last season.
Prentice is a national official who has been instrumental in the success of Northwest Funds Coupe Nor-Am Cup, GMC Cup and national FIS races at Georgian Peaks, Ontario.
Ontario’s Bob Shore is the Official of the Year. Shore, who retired as a FIS Technical Delegate three years ago, continues to officiate and provide leadership at FIS and national races in Ontario and at other national events in the east and west.
The Jason Lapierre Domestic Coach of the Year went to Richard Jagger from Alberta Alpine’s Men’s Ski Team.
The Grouse Mountain Tyee Ski Club of North Vancouver, British Columbia was named Ski Club of the Year with the Race Organizing Committee for the Lake Louise Northwest Funds Coupe Nor-Am Cup speed races earning Race of the Year.
Mélanie Turgeon, a World Downhill champion in 2003 who remains active in alpine ski racing in both broadcasting and coaching, received the Alumni of the Year award.
“Alpine ski racing requires hardworking and passionate people in order to conduct high-quality ski races with a focus on safety and developing future champions. The recipients of the TELUS Awards of Excellence each showed a tremendous dedication to the sport this past season,” said ACA President Gary Allan.
“We thank them for their effort and we applaud the valuable contributions that all our volunteers, officials, coaches and alumni made last season. We’re looking forward to another great season of exciting races in 2010 and encourage more people to get involved in the sport at this exciting time in our history,” Allan said.
The TELUS Awards of Excellence for Alpine Canada Alpin began in 2002 with a mandate to honor outstanding individuals who excelled during the previous ski racing season. Through the years, more than 100 outstanding recipients have been honored for their relentless pursuit of excellence. ACA will announce the winners in various athlete categories later today.
The Winterstart Award, presented annually to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the sport of skiing as a volunteer, broadcaster, coach, administrator, or competitor, will be presented during the Bombardier Lake Louise Winterstart next month.
TELUS AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE FOR ALPINE CANADA ALPIN
- Terry Hooper … Volunteer of the Year – Western
- Prentice Smith …Volunteer of the Year – Eastern
- Bob Shore … Official of the Year
- Richard Jagger … Jason Lapierre Domestic Coach of the Year
- Mélanie Turgeon … Alumni of the Year
- Lake Louise Nor-Am (Speed) … Race of the Year
- Grouse Mountain Tyee Ski Club … Ski Club of the Year
