2006 Award Winners
OUTSTANDING AUXILLARY PATROLLER
Denise Bianchi, Prospector Patrol
OUTSTANDING NORDIC PATROLLER
Penny Hutchinson, Pinecrest Nordic Patrol
OUTSTANDING INSTRUCTOR
John Keenan, Prospector Patrol
OUTSTANDING ADMINISTRATIVE PATROLLER
Ken Bergmann, Sugar Bowl Patrol
OUTSTANDING APLINE PATROLLER
Steve Christensen, Prospector Patrol
OUTSTANDING PATROL REPRESENTATIVE
Jeff Gurrola, Pinccrest Nordic Patrol
OUTSTANDING NORDIC PATROL
Pinecrest Nordic Patrol
OUTSTANDING APLINE PATROL(SMALL)
Soda Springs
OUTSTANDING APLINE PATROL (LARGE)
Prospector (Dodge Ridge)
2005 Award Winners
Certificate if Appreciation: Keith Romig – Donner Ski Ranch
Service to the Mother Lode Region: Steve Barr – Pinecrest, Karen Herr – Dodge Ridge
Yellow Merit Star: Vicki Day – Sugar Bowl
Blue Merit Star: William Dierks – Bear Valley, Al Baker – Bear Valley
Purple Merit Star: Kendall Baker – Bear Valley.
Distinguished Service Award: Ron Evenson – Donner Ski Ranch
Meritorious Service Award: Karen Herr – Dodge Ridge.
Outstanding Auxiliary Patroller: Andrew Morse – Sugar Bowl
Outstanding Nordic Patroller: Irene Patton – Pinecrest
Outstanding Instructor Patroller: Chris Peterson – Dodge Ridge
Outstanding Professional Ski Patroller: Frank Marshall – Sugar Bowl
Outstanding Alpine Ski Patroller: Mike Loy – Dodge Ridge
Outstanding Patrol Representative: Ed Shea – Sugar Bowl
Outstanding Nordic Patrol: Pinecrest
Outstanding Small Alpine Patrol: Soda Springs
Outstanding Large Alpine Patrol: Sugar Bowl
National Appointment #10242: Ed Shea – Sugar Bowl
2004 Award Winners
MERIT STARS
Ted Runge, Donner Ski Ranch, was honored with a purple merit star for saving the life of a 19-year-old snowboarder with severe head injuries. According to neurosurgeons, the patient would have expired had care been delayed by five minutes. Hawk Wight was honored with a Yellow Merit Star for assisting Ted in the rescue.
Paul Sassenrath and Mack Bishop, Donner Ski Ranch, were honored with Green Merit Stars for their dramatic rescue of a young snowboarder caught upside down, ten feet below the lip of a crevasse. Mack scaled the face of a cornice and into the crevasse to find the victim, while Paul set up the rope rescue and eventually extricated the victim.
Mike Shellito was presented with a Blue Merit Star for saving the life of Mr. Robert Cooley at a Roseville City Council Meeting. Mr. Cooley went into cardiac arrest and Mike located the city’s AED, and successfully administered a shock restoring Mr. Cooley’s cardiac rhythm.
Green Merit Stars we awarded to the Pinecrest Nordic Patrol for locating and extricating two lost snowboarders who went out-of-bounds from Dodge Ridge Ski Area. It had snowed heavily during the night and one of the boarders was in poor shape. Due to the snow conditions, it took the six rescuer’s 90 minutes to transport the victim half a mile to a helicopter-landing zone. The six patrollers honored were Todd Fitch, Jeff Gurrola, Bart Teeuswisse, Penny Hutchinson, Steve Barr and David Kelly.
Region Webmaster Christophe Marcant was honored with a Yellow Merit Star for his many hours contributed to the NSP doing Website design. Christophe not only designed the Region’s website, but he also set up the Division’s online voting site and his local patrol website. Our thanks to Christophe for his generous contribution to the NSP.
Distinguished Service Award
Leo Northart was honored with the NSP’s Distinguished Service Award for his years of service to the NSP and the OEC program. The Distinguished Service Award is presented to individuals who have performed extraordinary service to the NSP and skiing public over a long period of time. Leo has served 20 years in the NSP as an OEC instructor, Instructor Trainer and the Region OEC administrator.
INDIVIDUAL OUTSTANDING AWARDS
Outstanding Professional Patroller: The Outstanding Professional Patroller Award was presented to Mark McNamara from the Dodge Ridge Ski Patrol. Mark joined the NSP in 1997 and earned certification number 559 in 2001. A natural leader, Mark quickly became a mentor and trainer with both the paid and volunteer staff. Said Mark; “I am a big advocate of integrating the paid and volunteer staffs in a seamless unit” Our congratulations to Mark McNamara.
Outstanding Nordic Patroller: Jeff Gurrola from Pinecrest Nordic Patrol was named as the Region’s Outstanding Nordic Patroller. Jeff joined the NSP in 2002 and earned his Senior in 2002. He has served as his patrol’s assistant director and candidate training mentor. In the letter of recommendation accompanying Jeff’s nomination, the author said: “Jeff has displayed a sustained superior performance without equal…He is always willing to help and consistently seeks ways to improve the quality and enjoyment of patrolling.”
Outstanding Auxiliary Patroller: Scott Lessard of the Sugar Bowl Ski Patrol was honored as the Outstanding Auxiliary Patroller. Scott joined the NSP in 1999 and now serves as his patrol’s head OEC trainer. A dedicated patroller, when he’s not working in the first aid room, he is out on the hill assisting with set up, maintenance and is constantly trying to improve his patrol skills. A chiropractor, Scott donates his services to the patrol as well as a local retirement home for nuns (really, no kiddin’, retired nuns, you can’t make this stuff up).
Outstanding Student Patroller: Josh Wight of Donner Ski Ranch was called to the podium to be honored with this award. Josh is 16 years old and is already contributing to his patrol on the board of directors as secretary. He is an OEC instructor, Instructor of Record for the patrol’s refresher, and helped plan the Senior clinic hosted by the patrol. In addition Josh has attended several Senior clinics, Powderfall, skiing enhancement seminars, toboggan enhancement seminars, Level I avalanche, and Mountaineering I. The Region was proud to present Josh with this award.
Outstanding Instructor Patroller: The Region named Sean Brennan of Sugar Bowl patrol as the outstanding instructor patroller. Sean is a Toboggan, OEC, and Instructor Development instructor and serves as the Region’s I.D. advisor. A consummate teacher, Sean has served as a lead instructor for the peninsula OEC class and his patrol’s candidate class. A dedicated patroller, Sean recently used his vacation time to take a highly regarded Wilderness EMT class in Wyoming and is currently involved in the NSP Certified program.
Outstanding Alpine Patroller: The recipient of this award lives on Bainbridge Island in the state of Washington, but chooses to patrol at Sugar Bowl. He joined the NSP in 1951, became a Senior in 1961 and received National Appointment #3182 in 1967. He holds two Gold Merit Stars and helped found the Sugar Bowl ski patrol in 1961. In 1975 he left patrolling, but returned 16 years later as a candidate when he took OEC, and went through the candidate-training program. He currently serves on the patrol’s Board of Directors and as a Toboggan instructor. Since he lives two states away, his patrol tricked him into attending the awards banquet by creating a fable about how he needed to attend to present one of his closest friends with an award. He took the bait, hook line and sinker and was shocked when the Region presented the Outstanding Alpine Patroller Award to Don D’Alessandro of Sugar Bowl Patrol.
Outstanding Patrol Representative: Lance Vaughan of the Dodge Ridge Ski Patrol was honored as the Region’s Outstanding Patrol Representative. Lance joined the NSP in 1985, became a Senior in 1995, Certified in 1998, and received national appointment #9652 in 2002. As Patrol Representative of the Dodge Ridge Ski Patrol Lance Vaughan helped pioneer his patrol‘s involvement in the Jr. College program and set up a scholarship program for dispersal of the funds. He has aggressively promoted patroller involvement in NSP enhancement programs in an effort to improve the skills of the patrol staff beyond the basic level. Lance has also integrated PSIA Level III ski instructors in ski checks and toboggan training. Lance is the consummate leader and a friend to all who meet him. Congratulations to Lance Vaughan.
Outstanding Administrative Patroller: This award was presented to Sandy Kowalis of the High Sierra Ski Patrol from Sierra Summit Ski Resort. The award is for outstanding administration of NSP programs and patrols. I have personally seen Sandy at work and can attest to her enthusiasm and skill in all things patrolling. Sandy joined the NSP in 1994 and made her Senior in 1996. She spent over 600 hours on and off the hill working for her patrol. She in an OEC instructor and Instructor Trainer. She has worked with numerous candidate classes and administers her patrol’s refresher. According to her Patrol director; “Sandy bleeds NSP and has contributed perhaps more than any single individual to the success and growth of our patrol over the last five years.”
PATROL AWARDS
Outstanding Nordic Patrol: The outstanding Nordic patrol award was presented to the Pinecrest Nordic patrol. The Pinecrest patrol has a long history of excellence, having recently been named the outstanding Nordic patrol in the nation by the NSP. The patrol boast 44 highly trained members and the highest quality training. The patrol has hosted numerous NSP training events including MTR I, II, Avalanche I, II and Senior Nordic toboggan events. In all, the patrol contributed over 2,464 hours in training and testing this last season. The patrol was an integral link in the rescue of two lost skiers this season and has a model relationship with the US Forest Service.
Outstanding Alpine Patrol Small (Under 40 members): Was presented for the second year in a row to the Soda Springs Ski Patrol. The 13 members of this patrol make up a tight knit family that provides excellent service to their home mountain. The patrol has hosted Senior OEC and Avalanche I and is best known for its bumpshack BBQ and bonfires after sweep. This patrol is fully integrated into its host mountain, doing whatever it takes to make the day run successfully. Members can be found assisting Ski School, performing lift line management and crowd control, directing traffic and running a safe mountain. The members include Pilots, Nurses, therapists, teachers, small business owners, freeheelers, mogul-mashers, 3 patroller couples, several kids and one sweep dog.
Outstanding Alpine Patrol Large (Greater than 40 members): This prestigious award was presented to the Dodge Ridge Ski Patrol. The Dodge Ridge Patrol has a long history of NSP involvement including a past division director, several region directors and numerous division and regional appointments. The patrol is the host to the Region’s innovative 3 day Senior S&T clinic and has hosted clinics in every NSP discipline. Of the 107 members an astounding 22 have national appointments. The resort recently added 320 acres of new advanced terrain and the patrol stepped up to the challenge by utilizing PSIA Level II instructors to improve their skiing ability and an aggressive program to improve toboggan handling. The patrol is also responsible for spearheading the Region’s marketing program by creating the first “Ski with a Patroller Day” The patrol boasts several skier education programs including a skier safety class which replaced the old stand by of clipping tickets and a class on Out of Bounds skiing to address issues with their newly opened terrain. This patrol is rabid about training and improving skills. Each month they host a “Target Day” where all members are encouraged to patrol and spend the greater part of the day training. This season the patrol celebrates their 44th anniversary with a well deserved award. Congratulations to their members and my personal congratulations to their current and past leadership; Dave Boyd, Lance Vaughan and Bill Bingamin.
NATIONAL APPOINTMENTS
The National Appointment is the highest single recognition provided by the National Ski Patrol. A patroller with an appointment is an individual who has demonstrated leadership, good character, diplomacy, a positive attitude, good judgment, unusual qualities of patrolling ability, a genuine desire to serve the skiing public, and extraordinary service to the NSP. Barbara Hickman of the Dodge Ridge Ski patrol has demonstrated these qualities numerous times. Barbara has served the NSP for ten years as a patroller, eight years as an instructor and is currently doing an excellent job as the Region’s OEC advisor. She has redesigned her patrol’s refresher into a scenario based, hands-on affair that has been well received by the members. She does a tremendous amount behind the scenes; working smoothly and helping people improve in such a way that they don’t even realize they’ve been helped.
I have been personally impressed by Barbara’s tenacity. She has served as a model on setting and achieving goals. This is particularly true of her desire to become a Senior. Barbara worked toward this goal for five years, improving her skills and inspiring others in the process. Of all the awards presented on May 22nd it was my personal honor to present Barbara Hickman with National Appointment #10070.
