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Cottonwood Heights Journal

Ski & Snowboard News / U of U Ski Team and Rossignol’s exec VP earn awards

Nov 12, 2017 09:48AM ● By Harriet Wallis

U of U Ski Team wins 2017 NCAA Title and they have high GPAs / photo: Harriet Wallis

The country’s largest ski history and research organization, Ski Archives, held its gala and fundraiser to help support its mission. The annual event honors individuals and organizations that set a high mark for their influence on the ski industry.

This year, the U of U Ski Team earned the other top award, the J. Willard Marriott Library History-Maker Award. The team won its 11th overall title and its first national NCAA Ski Championship title. 

Also, Ron Steele, philanthropist and Rossignol’s executive vice president earned the Joseph Quinney Award. The award recognizes him for his ski industry commitment, vision, and business leadership.

From ski jumper and Olympian to Rossi's top exec: Ron Steele / photo: Harriet Wallis

Steele left his home state of Washington to become a champion ski jumper for the University of Utah, and he went on to compete on the U.S. Olympic ski team in Sappporo, Japan. Along the way he was an alpine technician for Rossignol and he rose through the ranks to become its president and now executive vice president. He also serves on ski industry boards.

“I got a great life after coming to Utah,” he quipped. 

The award Steele earned, the Joseph Quinney Award, is named for the late ski visionary and founder of Alta.

During the winter while the team was out skiing, the unique $2.8 million ski team building, the Spencer F. Eccles Ski Team building, was rising out of the ground on the campus. It’s believed the building is the first-of-its-kind facility on a U.S. college campus.

It’s named after Spencer F. Eccles, a former U of U All-American ski team member, and it was funded by private donations.

The donation program was headed by another skier well known in the industry, U of U All-American skier Jim Gaddis. The evening’s award winner Ron Steele was a major donor and played a major role in fund raising for that structure.

The Ski Archives collection is open to the public and it’s located in the U of U campus library.