For years, Tom Kelly served as the voice of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard teams. In 2018 he was inducted into the National Ski Hall of Fame. He served on the board of directors for the Hall for Fame for six years and now serves as the chairman of the selection committee. Given all he’s done, the Executive Director of the Hall of Fame Justin Koski says Kelly is very deserving of the honor.
“What isn’t he doing? I couldn't run the organization without him,” Koski said. “He's got countless hours put into that work. He's very integral in pulling together our amazing tribute videos that debut at the induction ceremony every year. So, he's got his hands on a lot of things including curation of museum exhibits, and virtual tours - things that we're working on at skihall.com. And, you know, the list goes on and on. He's really a godsend, a mentor, and, you know, we're really excited to give him the award.”
A celebration will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 19, at Blackrock Mountain Resort from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. It’s free to the public and no registration is necessary.
“People can come out for free,” Koski said. “There are VIP dinner tickets for that if you want to buy and include dinner there for $75. But you can come for free. There's going to be some light hors d’oeuvres and things for people to enjoy. A lot of media are coming. Trace Worthington's hosting that party and that's where we will give Tom his award and at the same time announce the seven or eight new members that are currently being chosen from in our annual election.”
Voting for the Class of 2023 inductees is underway. Koski says as many as eight inductees will be named - paired down from 75 applicants in three categories including athletes, sport builders and the heritage category that recognizes someone who has made a significant impact in the ski or snowboard industry for more than 25 years.
The induction week ceremony and industry gathering will be held in Park City March 2024. The induction ceremony is set for Saturday, March 23.
