Intermountain Ski Hall of Fame announces 2022 inductees

Luke Bodensteiner (left) and John Simms (right) will be inducted into the Alf Engen Museum's Intermountain Ski Hall of Fame on August 24. Photo: courtesy Luke Bodensteiner and John Simms.

PARK CITY, Utah— Luke Bodensteiner and John Simms, whose contributions, talents, and enterprise propelled them to the pinnacles of their respective skiing disciplines, will be inducted into the Intermountain Ski Hall of Fame on Wednesday, August 24, at the Utah Olympic Park.

Wisconsin native Bodensteiner is an NCAA classic cross-country skiing champion for the University of Utah in 1990 and 1993 and a member of the U.S. Olympic Team those same years. In 1994 and 1995, he was U.S. National Champion in that discipline.

Bodensteiner went on to become the U.S. Olympic Ski Team’s vice president of athletics and chief of sport and a trustee of the Salt Lake Olympic Organizing Committee for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. He helped establish Utah’s Soldier Hollow Legacy Foundation, was chairman of the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation and is currently the chief of sports development and general manager of Soldier Hollow, the 2002 Olympic Games cross-country/biathlon venue and now a world-class training site.

John Simms of Jackson, Wyo., is an internationally acclaimed snow avalanche researcher whose expertise and inventions have saved the lives of countless avalanche victims worldwide. Simms was one of the first ski patrollers at the Jackson Hole ski area. He developed tools and techniques to determine the mechanical properties of snow to better understand and improve avalanche forecasting and expedite avalanche rescue procedures that are used worldwide. His inventions include ski poles that link together to form probe poles and a lightweight, collapsible fanny-pack shovel used by rescue crews and patrollers in their avalanche search operations.

Simms and fellow early-day ski patrol member Charlie Sands were the first to ski the then-unnamed north-facing couloir off Jackson Hole’s Rendezvous Mountain. Their storied leap into the chute—later named S&S in their honor—occurred only after they promised each other they would never tell who went first.

With the induction of Bodensteiner and Simms, the Will and Jean Picket Intermountain Ski Hall of Fame will now include 85 individuals who have demonstrated exemplary achievements and contributions toward the excellence of winter sports in the Intermountain Region.

Induction ceremonies will be at the Alf Engen Ski Museum in the S. J. (Joe) Quinney Winter Sports Center at Utah Olympic Park. A 6:00 p.m. reception will begin the festivities. Admission to the reception, dinner, and awards ceremony costs $100 per person. Tables of 10 are available for $1,500. Reserve a spot or table here.

“We are honored to be the site of the Intermountain Ski Hall of Fame and welcome these two extraordinary individuals on its 20-year anniversary,” said Connie Nelson, executive director of the Alf Engen Ski Museum.

Nelson said the program will also present its Crystal Award for Exemplary Service to three area residents in recognition of their in-kind donations to the Alf Engen Ski Museum over the past several years. The Crystal Award recipients include videographer Dobber Price, owner of PeakPhoto, a portrait and action photo firm at Alta; Neil Rossmiller, Park City photographer; and Larry Warren, Park City resident who produced the video portions of the induction ceremonies and will serve as emcee of the event.

The Intermountain Ski Hall of Fame is comprised of the following:

2002:  Junior Bounous · Zane A. Doyle · Alf M. Engen · Sverre Engen · Kaare “Corey” Engen · Gretchen K. Fraser · W. Averell Harriman · S. Joseph “Joe” Quinney

2003:  Axel Andresen · Bill Briggs · Stein Eriksen

2004:  Bill Lash · Suzy Harris Rytting · Edward L. Scott · Bill Spencer · Pepi Stiegler · “Mayor” George Watson

2005:  James R. Gaddis · Keith Lange · Lou Lorenz · M. Earl Miller · Neil Rafferty · Edgar B. Stern, Jr.

2006:  H. Devereaux “Dev” Jennings · Calvin “Cal” McPhie · Marvin A. “Marv” Melville · Richard “Dick” Movitz · Jack N. Reddish · Marthinius “Mark” Strand

2007:  Woody Anderson · Ted Johnson · Pete Karns · Paul McCollister · K Smith · Margo Walters-McDonald

2008:  Alvin F. Cobabe · Albert “Sunny” Korfanta · Pat Miller

2009:  Siegfried “Sigi” Engl · Richard D. “Dick” Bass · Alan K. Engen · Mike C. Korologos

2010: Peter S. Ecker · Claude F. Jones · Karen Korfanta · Gregory “Greg” C. Thompson

2011: Raymond R. Stewart · Kit DesLauriers · William “Bill” Levitt · Dean Robert “Bob” Theobald

2012: Phil Jones · Karen Budge Eaton · Beat von Allmen · Lyle Nelson

2013: Dean Perkins · Alan Schoenberger · LeRoy Schultz · Dr. Robert Smith

2014: John Aalberg · Wilby M. Durham · Spencer Fox Eccles · Harold Seeholzer

2015: Melvin (Mel) W. Dalebout · David H. Hanscom · Karen Huntoon Miller · Meeche White

2016: Steve Cook · Christin Cooper · Jan Leonard · Ron Steele

2017: Harry Baxter · Dick Mitchell · Dean Roberts · Picabo Street

2018: Gary L. DeSeelhorst · Mel Fletcher · Barbara Yamada

2019: Craig Badami · Erik Schlopy · Darrell “Pinky” Robinson

2020: Randy Montgomery · Howard Peterson · Larry Warren

2021: Wesley “Wes” Deist · Leif Odmark · Bruce Tremper

2022: Luke Bodensteiner · John E. Simms

Nominations for the Will and Jean Intermountain Ski Hall of Fame, named in memory of two late promoters of skiing in the region, can be made via the museum website.