The Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club earned its seventh title as U.S. Ski and Snowboard Ski Jumping/Nordic Combined Club of the Year, earning the distinction more than any other club in North America. 

The awards were presented at the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Awards Banquet on Wednesday evening in Park City, Utah. 

SSWSC had previously won the award in 2007, 2010, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. The award is handed out each year to the club that has distinguished itself as a premier program that provides direction to young athletes through high-level competition, resulting in athletic success. 

“Winning the 2024 U.S. Ski and Snowboard, Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Club of the Year is a testament to the dedication and hard work of everyone involved in our amazing organization,” Todd Wilson, SSWSC ski jumping and Nordic combined program director, said in a news release. “I am truly humbled to be surrounded by such a strong and supportive team … there is simply no other place on earth like the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club.”

SSWSC Athletic Director Dave Stewart said ski jumping and Nordic combined play a major role in the foundation of the club and the Steamboat Springs community. He credits Wilson and the club’s Nordic team for continuing to strengthen North America’s leading Nordic program.

“Today, what is most special about the program is the way that Todd Wilson, together with head coaches Karl Denney, Garrett Fisk and Sam House, have created a tight-knit and supportive community built around positive culture, fun, motivation and the pursuit of dreams. The community they have created has become the program’s greatest strength, supporting the remarkable accomplishments of so many athletes.” 

In addition to the club of the year award, former SSWSC Executive Director Walt Evans was honored with the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Julius Blegen Award, the highest-level award bestowed by U.S. Ski and Snowboard. 

Evans served as the club’s first full-time executive director 1979-1983, and helped bring continuity to the club and give it direction and goals for the future. After leaving the club in 1983, he began working with U.S. Ski and Snowboard and continued within that organization for 30 years. 

The Julius Blegen Award is given out annually to one recipient as recognition for contributing “outstanding service” to skiing and snowboarding in the U.S. over a significant period. It has been awarded since 1946 and Evans joins Sven Wiik, 1974 recipient, as the second award winner with close ties to Steamboat Springs.  

The banquet also recognized SSWSC alumni Olivia Giaccio and Erik Belshaw, who earned Freestyle Athlete of the Year and Ski Jumping/Nordic Combined Athlete of the Year, respectively. 

“From recognizing the athletic achievements of SSWSC alumni to honoring the ski jumping and Nordic combined program and celebrating the lifetime achievements of Walt, these awards speak to the impact and prominence Steamboat has in the competitive snowsports community,” SSWSC Executive Director Brian Krill said. “Erik, Olivia, Todd, Garrett, Karl, Sam and Walt represent the full spectrum of character and achievement that makes Steamboat so special.”

Todd Wilson, SSWSC ski jumping and Nordic combined program director, gives his acceptance speech for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Ski Jumping/Nordic Combined Club of the Year award at the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Awards Banquet on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Park City, Utah. Ashley Deibold/Courtesy Photo

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