Colorado Ski Hall of Fame to welcome five new members

The Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame will induct five new members later this month in Denver, including the founding fathers of two of the state's premier resorts.

The five inductees are Ray Duncan, Henry Christian Hall, Barbara Ferries-Henderson, Mark Tache and Jim Temple. 

The 30th annual Hall of Fame Induction Gala is scheduled for Oct. 14 at Denver's Marriott City Center. The gala serves as a major fundraiser for the non-profit Colorado Ski Museum in Vail. Tickets to the gala cost $150, and the public is welcome. 

Duncan arrived in the southwestern Colorado town of Durango in 1958 with his sights set on promoting the family oil business, but his vision soon shifted to the surrounding hills. Lamenting the fact that the area lacked, in his words, “a big mountain to ski on,” Duncan zeroed in on an area not far from town, raised some money, secured Forest Service permits and gained support of civic leaders for a new ski area. The Durango Ski Corporation was born and Purgatory Ski Resort opened in 1966 with the christening of Lift No. 1. Known today as Durango Mountain Resort, the area boasts diverse terrain on Purgatory Mountain, and Duncan is credited with helping usher in skiing in southwest Colorado. 

Temple grew up in Colorado as a third-generation rancher, but after returning from World War II he began working in the ski industry as an instructor and patroller. In 1955, he dreamed of building a ski resort back home in Steamboat Springs on Storm Mountain. He spent three summers trying to convince others to back his plan, and in 1958 Temple formed the Storm Mountain Ski Corporation and laid plans for a ski area, filing permits, cutting trails and acquiring land at the base. Storm Mountain officially opened for business in 1962, and was later renamed Steamboat. Storm Mountain was later renamed Mount Werner in honor of local Olympian Buddy Werner.

Hall was one of the first great American ski jumpers. Born in Ishpeming, Mich., Hall set the world amateur record in 1913 at age 19. In 1917 at a jumping meet in Steamboat Springs at Howelsen Hill, Hall became the first jumper to fly more than 200 feet to set a world record. Hill served in World War I but resumed his jumping career after the war, reclaiming the world record at 229.5 feet. His final jump came in 1972 at age 79. He was inducted into the National Skiing Hall of Fame in 1967. Hall died in 1986.

Ferries-Henderson grew up in Michigan, but she spent her junior year of high school in Aspen, Colorado. That year, 1960, she won the U.S. Junior National Championship in both downhill and combined on Aspen Mountain. Named to the U.S. Ski Team in 1962, Ferries-Henderson went on to a illustrious World Cup career, winning the bronze medal in downhill at the World Championships in 1962. She also raced in the 1964 Olympic Games in Austria. 

Tache also grew up in Aspen and was named to the U.S. Ski Team in 1978. In 1980, Tache won the Roch Cup downhill and was named Junior Alpine Ski Racer of the Year by Ski Racing. Tache raced on the World Cup circuit until 1985. He then competed on the World Pro Ski Tour from 1986 through 1992. Tache has remained active in the Aspen racing community, serving as an ambassador of skiing for the Aspen Ski Co.

For more information on the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame induction ceremony, call the Colorado Ski Museum at 970-476-1876.