The Vermont Alpine Racing Association
Proudly Announces Honorees for the
2019 Celebration of Vermont Ski Racing Gala
and
Hall of Fame Induction
October 19, 2019
Okemo Mtn. Resort's, Jackson Gore
Kirk Dwyer
2019 V
ARA Hall of Fame Inductee
VARA is honored to be inducting Kirk Dwyer to the VARA Hall of Fame on October 19th, 2019, at the Celebration of Vermont Ski Racing Gala.
Kirk has a long and revered history in Vermont ski racing. Kirk was the Headmaster of Burke Mountain Academy (BMA) for 15 years. During that time, he led BMA to become one of the premier academies in the country. In addition to ensuring that the academic and athletic offerings operated smoothly at BMA, Kirk also coached athletes at the U16 and U14 age groups. Throughout his tenure, he helped many of the athletes he worked with attain the highest level of success in the sport. Notably, Kirk was Mikaela Shiffrin's primary coach during her time at BMA.
Before arriving at BMA, Kirk served in several capacities at Green Mountain Valley School. Over his 25 years there he served as Assistant Headmaster, Head Women's Coach, Head Men's Coach, and Head Alpine Coach as well as an English, humanities, and economics teacher.
Kirk's accomplishments and his role as an integral part of Eastern and national ski racing are a testament to his commitment to the betterment of the sport. In 1989 Kirk was recognized as the USSA Domestic Coach of the Year. Kirk holds an International coaches' certification. VARA honored Kirk as the Development Coach of the Year in 2011. His involvement within the alpine community includes roles such as past chairman of the USSA Eastern Development Committee, National Development Committee, and Eastern Alpine Competition Committee. Kirk was a member of the VARA Board and was the Children's Committee chair. While involved with VARA Kirk was responsible for shaping many new development initiatives as well as helping VARA's competition management to be innovative and cutting edge.
Currently, Kirk is the Executive Director of Ski and Snowboard Club Vail. VARA is proud to recognize Kirk for inspiring the Vermont ski racing community with his leadership and commitment to alpine racing.
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Christopher Eder and Dale Solotruck
Castleton University
De
velo
pment Co-Coach of the Year
The Castleton University Alpine Ski Team has grown to be a successful and accomplished program under the leadership and guidance of the Co - Head Coach team, Christopher Eder and Dale Solotruck.
Chris Eder has been with the Spartans for 16 years and Dale for 13 years. Throughout their time working at Castleton, they have fostered a thriving team culture. Chris and Dale are responsible for molding athletes and also helping to create young adults with strong character, work ethic, and passion.
Chris and Dale have a long history in the sport. In addition to their team's accomplishments, they have many of their own. In 2016 Chris was named Castleton Employee of the Year, in 2008 he was honored as Castleton Student Association Coach of the Year, in 2005 he was the ECSC Coach of the Year. He currently serves as Chair of the ECSC.
Dale, in addition to his 13 years at Castleton, has worked with other programs including Dartmouth College and Green Mountain College. During his time away from Castleton Dale earned many honors including an NCAA Division 1 Championship as the Development Coach at Dartmouth.
This past season the Spartan team performed on par with its most recent successes at the USCSA Nationals. For the fourth time in program history, the Men's team finished on the podium in 3rd place overall. The women were second overall, placing 2nd in the SL and 2nd in the GS at the USCSA Nationals in Jackson Hole, WY. The Women placed second in the team dual slalom; the men were third in the team event, second in the slalom and fourth in the giant slalom. The men and women totaled 19 USCSA All-American accolades (13 women/6 men). These accomplishments are just the tip of the iceberg for this outstanding Spartan Team.
 Sue Kramer
Bromley Outing Club
VARA Junior Development Coach of the Year
Sue is the lead Technical Coach at the Bromley Outing Club. She has spent her career teaching, coaching, and studying the sport of alpine skiing with passion and dedication.
Sue is a US Ski and Snowboard clinician, level 300 coach, Alpine Examiner with PSIA, coach of Eastern Division Children's Education Team, and Children's Committee. Sue is also on the VARA Children's Racing Committee, representing the SVC and helping to guide the state in youth development. In addition to her impressive accomplishments, Sue holds a Masters in Kinesiology and is the author of, Be Fit to Ski, a scholarly book on alpine skiing fitness, which was published in 2015.
Sue is an incredibly accomplished instructor and coach, who never rests on her laurels. She always pushes to learn more and to continue to be well versed in both PSIA and USSS. Sue excels at being able to traverse both instructing and coaching, which makes her more knowledgeable and proficient when working with both athletes and coaches.
While leading at Bromley Outing Club, Sue also works with U12 and U10 athletes. She also educates coaches, officiates races, and oversees Bromley Ski Club's tactical plan. She does all this while serving on multiple committees, and leading clinics for both PSIA and USSS.
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Jud Bartlett
Middlebury Ski Club
VARA Volunteer of the Year
Jud has been a vital member of the Middlebury Ski Club as a parent and volunteer. On a volunteer basis, Jud runs, manages, and executes all of the races hosted at the Middlebury College Snow Bowl. Middlebury hosted the VARA U14 State Championships for which he took the lead. He worked diligently with the Snow Bowl to insure that the hill was homologated for the first-ever run Super G.
Jud led the charge for Middlebury on all fundraising efforts and organization for the states and other hosted events. His oversight and volunteer hours are what made the state championships and Middlebury's additional events run smoothly. Middlebury Ski Club received many compliments towards Judd's efforts. All due to many hours spent organizing and facilitating the events of the weekend.
Jud is very understated. He works to ensure perfection and is extremely thorough. He does what he does and makes his best effort always. It is just his way, to do the best you can and expects nothing less.
Jud has skiing and ski racing in his blood. He attended KMS and competed at the FIS and Nor-Am Level. Jud is a Middlebury College Alpine Skiing Alumni; he was captain and a 3x NCAA Championship competitor. Jud has a love for the sport and a desire to help make everyone's experience at an event great one. Last year, he was a finish volunteer for the Women's World Cup hosted at Killington. Jud has been with Middlebury for ten years and always works with a smile on his face.
Robbin Gibson
Stratton Winter Sports Club
VARA Alpine Official of the Year
Robbin has been a part of Southern Vermont racing for many years and has been an essential part of Stratton Winter Sports Club. In addition to her work as race administrator, her roles at Stratton have been varied including, volunteer, fundraiser, and mom to many, especially her own two ski racers, Libby and Cole.
Robbin is a steadfast Race Administrator who is always looking for ways to make the process from race registration to the final minutes before awards as friendly and positive as possible. She is an advocate for the athlete and families who spend so much time and effort involved in ski racing. The race day process can be complicated and a Race Administrator is often the first line of contact with the family and athlete. Keeping the experience positive is one of Robbin's primary work traits. In addition to her friendly and caring nature, Robbin is a highly qualified and knowledgeable Race Administrator. She can go from timing manager to timer, to IT person and runs the timing shack with precision, all with a bright and positive demeanor. She attends VARA Alpine Official updates staying current with new protocol and is always ready to learn more. Robbin is very willing to pass her knowledge on and to share best practices with others to make the racing experience better for all involved.
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