Nomination Form for Honored Membership

U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame

Please submit $100 with your nomination form for it to be considered.

Mail completed nomination form to:

U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame
P.O. Box 191
Ishpeming, MI 49849

or email to: [email protected]

Nomination and Election Process

Election as an Honored Member of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame is the highest honor in snowsports in America. Since 1956 the national Hall of Fame has been recognizing individuals for their achievements and contributions as athletes and snowsports builders. The Hall has established an orderly process of selection to ensure both the opportunity for election and the maintenance of appropriate standards of admission. Those nominating candidates must first understand the vision of the Hall of Fame and its national scope.

Vision

The vision of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame is to provide highly respected perpetual recognition of the athletes competing in skiing and snowboarding and the builders of those sports who have made the highest level of national and/or international achievement and contribution to American skiing and snowboarding.

Individuals put forward as candidates for nomination or election for this honor must have accomplishments at the highest level of skiing and snowboarding in America. Their accomplishments must have impacted the sport on a true national scope.

Definitions of Categories

Note: These categories have been developed to assist the Selection committee and National Voting Panel in the review and fair election process of Honored Members.


1.) Athletes


Candidates are recognized in a wide range of skiing and snowboarding disciplines for their national and international accomplishments. Candidates will be recognized for their specific athletic accomplishments or exploitation of their athleticism. They must have achieved the highest levels possible in their discipline. Consideration must also be given to the candidate’s contribution to the promotion and development of their particular discipline. Candidates may be considered from any of the categories listed. Nomination documents must speak directly to the accomplishments in the specific category. Up to six candidates will be accepted for the ballot with at least two and up
to four selected, based on the achievement of 50% of the votes cast.


Minimum criteria for consideration as a candidate:
Olympic or Paralympic medallist
FIS or IPC World Championship medallist
X Games medallist in skiing or snowboarding
Top-three finish in a FIS or IPC World Cup event.
Athletes who competed prior to modern-day World Cup or comparable tours who
distinguished themselves as notable international athletes for their achievements in
the most recognized events of their time.
Freeride or big mountain athletes who achieved the highest level of national or
international notoriety related to their athletic accomplishments
Professional skiers in alpine, snowboarding or speed skiing who consistently won
events or placed in the top three in season standings on professional tours.


2.) Snowsports Builders


Candidates in this category must have been involved at a significant level in ski or snowboard sports. Candidates must have had a clear national impact for their contribution and be widely known for their work. Candidates' qualifying experience must have been achieved as an individual, but may have been in conjunction with work with an organization.


3.) Heritage


Candidates in this category must have been retired from their qualifying activity for 25 years or have participated in it for at least 25 years. The category is open to Olympic Athletes, Non-Olympic Athletes or Sport Builders. Candidates must have satisfied the criteria of one of the three categories in order to be considered as a candidate in the heritage category. A member of the Selection Committee or a member of the Board of Directors must sponsor each candidate.
The Heritage category may include candidates whose previous candidacies were unsuccessful. In such cases their previous candidacies may not have come before the Selection Committee for at least five years. A member of the Selection Committee or a member of the Board of Directors must sponsor each candidate.

Nomination and Selection Process

Anyone may nominate a deserving individual as a candidate for selection to the Hall of Fame. Here is a step-by-step outline of the nomination and election process:

  1. Rules of Governance: Become familiar with the selection process as outlined in the Hall of Fame’s Rules of Governance. These rules specify the details of the process. They are reviewed annually to ensure that they serve the purpose of selecting candidates in a fair and open fashion. The Rules of Governance can be obtained on the Hall of Fame’s web site under the tab How to Nominate.
  2. Nomination Form: A standard form has been developed for nominations. All nominations must use this form and may be obtained from the How to Nominate web page. The entire form must be completed accurately and all collateral material, including photographs, and letters of support must be included with the submission.
  3. Timeline: The annual deadline for all nominations is June 1. The selection timeline is specified in the Rules of Governance and is outlined below as well.  All nominations must arrive with a completed nomination form and all supporting materials prior to this date.
  4. Biographical Form: The key part of the application is the biographical form. Keep in mind that candidates must have impacted the sport on a true national scope. It is wise to ensure that the biographical form very specifically addresses the national contribution of the nominee convincingly and in detail.
  5. Categories: There are three categories for nominations: Athletes, Snowsports Builders and Heritage.
    • Athletes: Candidates are recognized in a wide range of skiing and snowboarding disciplines for their national and international accomplishments. Candidates will be recognized for their specific athletic accomplishments or exploitation of their athleticism. They must have achieved the highest levels possible in their discipline.
    • Snowsports Builders: Candidates in this category must have been involved at a significant level in ski or snowboard sports. Candidates must have had a clear national impact for their contribution and be widely known for their work. Candidates' qualifying experience must have been achieved as an individual, but may have been in conjunction with work with an organization.
    • Heritage: Candidates in this category must have been retired from their qualifying activity for 25 years or have participated in it for at least 25 years. The category is open to athletes or builders. Candidates must have satisfied the criteria of one or the two categories in order to be considered. The Heritage category may include candidates whose previous candidacies were unsuccessful. In such cases their previous candidacies may not have come before the Selection Committee for at least five years.
  6. Selection Committee: Each completed nomination application is reviewed in May by the Selection Committee, whose members are regarded as experts in the field and are appointed by the Hall of Fame Chairman. The committee looks closely at each application to ensure the candidate has met the criteria for national contribution to the sport. Unsuccessful candidates from prior years are also considered and remain in a candidate pool for up to five years. The Committee then votes on the candidates with up to four being selected out of each category to be placed on the election ballot.
  7. National Voting Panel: A ballot containing the selected candidates in each category is sent to a National voting Panel in June/July. The panel may elect up to two persons in each of the four categories.
  8. Board of Directors Certification: Following the election the Board of Directors of the Hall of Fame will review and certify the election.
  9. Announcement: Following certification the Board will publicly announce the successful new inductees.
  10. Induction: An induction ceremony is held at a rotating site, usually a prominent ski resort, in the spring. The Hall of Fame induction is one of the most prestigious events in American snowsport and attracts a large audience for the formal ceremony.
  11. Enshrinement: In addition to the induction ceremony, a special enshrinement is held each September at the Hall of Fame in Ishpeming, Michigan.

Annual Hall of Fame Selection Timeline

June 1: Deadline for the receipt of fully completed candidate packages

May: Selection Committee Review

June: Official Ballot sent to the National Voting Panel

July: Balloting deadline and submission of the election results to the Board of Directors

September: Formal enshrinement of the current year’s inductees in Ishpeming
-Board of Directors meets to certify the election results.
-Winners are advised

October: Announcement of the inductees for the coming year.

March/April: Induction Ceremony