Marriott Ski Archives honors USSA's Korfanta

Former U.S. Ski Team athlete and longtime USSA official Karen Korfanta was honored Thursday for her service to the sport by the J. Willard Marriott Library Ski Archives. Korfanta received the historical organization's S.J. Quinney Award.
Former U.S. Ski Team athlete and longtime USSA official Karen Korfanta was honored Thursday for her service to the sport by the J. Willard Marriott Library Ski Archives. Korfanta received the historical organization's S.J. Quinney Award.
    The presentation was made at the Ski Archives' 18th annual Ski Affair in Salt Lake City, one of the region's largest ski fundraising events. The award is named in honor of the late S.J. (Joe) Quinney, civic and government leader and founder of Alta Ski Area.
    "Karen typifies the passion and commitment of our thousands of USSA officials working to help young athletes achieve their dreams and goals," said USSA National Competiton Director Walt Evans. "She has provided great leadership in our sport for over three decades since she helped bring the U.S. Ski Team to Park City."
    Korfanta is a native of Pinedale, Wyoming, and a 1968 U.S. Olympic Ski Team member. She was a dominant skier in the 1960s, winning races ranging from junior competitions to international events during the decade. Later in her career, Korfanta served as a competition manager for the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Olympic Competition Venue in Park City. Earlier this year Korfanta received yet another honor, being named chair for the International Ski Federation's Sub-Committee for Ladies Alpine.
    She was introduced to skiing by her parents, Sunny and Fanny, who owned what is now the White Pine Ski Area near Pinedale, growing up racing in USSA Intermountain races. She won national junior titles in the early 1960s. She began racing for the University of Utah in 1965 and was named to the U.S. Ski Team from 1967-70, including the 1968 Olympic Team that competed in Grenoble, France.
    Her career shifted to coaching in 1971. And in 1973 she joined Willy Schaeffler as assistant director of the new U.S. Ski Team National Training Center at the Park City Ski Area where she worked until 1978. In 1986 she took over a new position as race department manager at Park City and guided the resort through some historic times as one of the world's most notable competition venues. Today, she continues to manage a very robust competition environment at the resort.
    Since becoming a FIS technical delegate in 1977, she has been a significant contributor to ski officiating worldwide, playing a key role in many major international events including the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. In recent years she has expanded to a staff role with the USSA managing its alpine NorAm and Junior Olympic events. As chair of the FIS Subcommittee for Ladies Alpine Skiing, she plays a key role in the development of women's skiing including rules, schedules and representation of women in the sport. She has served on the subcommittee since 1990 and was named chair in May 2008.
    "I am certainly very appreciative of the award and humbled with the company of past recipients," Korfanta says. "As I reflect back, the key thread has been and is still providing the environment for all levels of alpine ski racers to be the best that they can be. I've had some wonderful experiences as a USSA alpine official and witnessed many outstanding athletic accomplishments."
    Also honored by the Ski Archives were past members of the University of Utah Ski Team, which won 11 NCAA titles since 1947.
    Proceeds from the Ski Affair support the Ski Archives, which were founded in 1989 to locate, preserve, catalogue and make available to the public the ski history of the region. The archives contain more than 100,000 images (20,000 digitized and available on line), 250 manuscript collections and more than 250 oral histories.

    — USSA press release