Vonn, who had earlier won the 2008 award, was selected again at the organization's 2009 annual meeting at Lutsen Mountains in northern Minnesota this past March. The award has been presented by NASJA for many years, but was renamed in honor of Robbins following his death in 2008. Robbins was a noted U.S. Ski Team press officer and journalist for three decades.
"I'm honored to receive this award. Paul Robbins was a good friend of mine and to have his award means so much to me," Vonn said. "No one loved ski racing as much as he did and he gave so much to the sport."
"On behalf of the North American Snowsports Journalists Association, we're proud to present this award to Lindsey for her incredible accomplishments as a U.S. Ski Team athlete," said NASJA member and noted Aspen area journalist Cindy Hirschfeld.
Robbins' son David (DC) was present to congratulate Vonn on her award and said his father would have been proud to present it to her.
"Shortly before he died he was able to do a press conference with Lindsey and Picabo Street after Lindsey won her World Cup downhill title. He said it was the highlight of his career," Robbins said. "He would have wanted Lindsey to have it. In fact, I'm sure he somehow found a way to sneak in his vote."
Vonn kept her momentum of success in 2009 as she accumulated the most World Cup wins of any American female skier, surpassing U.S. great Tamara McKinney's previous high mark of 18 established in the 1980s with an astounding 22 wins. Vonn also swept the women's speed events at World Championships for two gold medals and finished out the season with back-to-back World Cup downhill and overall titles as well as the first super G title awarded to a U.S. woman.
The North American Snowsports Journalists Association is a professional group of over 250 writers, authors, photographers, filmmakers and broadcasters who report ski and snowboard related news throughout North America.
