IncredibleHeritage
Our origins are rooted in the Sun Valley Ski Club (SVSC) – our foundation was established as an integral part of the club in 1966 as a way for the SVSC to provide racing opportunities for juniors.
Since that time, SVSEF has helped numerous junior racers achieve dreams of Olympic medals, World Championship podiums, World Cup victories, and National Championship gold. More importantly, we have helped an innumerable number of athletes become skiing aficionados for life. Not only are the alumni of the ski foundation some of the best skiers on any mountain, anywhere, they are “setting the bar high” in all facets of life including family, work and community.
Timeline
SVSEF's incredible heritage as a community has produced 25 Winter Olympians by innovating to meet the changing demands of our society.
Early 1960s | Junior alpine racing program founded by the Sun Valley Ski Club
April 17, 1966 | Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation is incorporated
1972 | SVSEF cross country program is founded
1982 | Warren Shillington donates Lake Creek property to SVSEF
1985 | SVSEF acquires alpine hut in Warm Springs
1991 | Freestyle program is founded
1992 | Snowboard program is founded
1997 | IMD Coach of the Year—Nick Lewis
1998 | Inaugural Janss Pro-Am Classic
1999 | SVSEF named USSA “Club of the Year”
2001 | IMD Coach of the Year—Pat Savaria
2003 | IMD Volunteer of the Year—Steve Schowengerdt
2004 | IMD Coach of the Year—Tyler Palmer
2005 | Olympic Development Team (now the XC Gold Team) is founded
2012 | The United States Olympic Committee designates Sun Valley as first cross country U.S. Olympic and Paralympic training site
2013 | SVSEF is named USSA “Club of the Year” and USSA “Snowboard Club of the Year”
2015 | USOC Olympic & Paralympic Training Site designation expanded to include all five SVSEF disciplines; alpine, cross country, freestyle, freeskiing and snowboard
2017 | Big Mountain program is founded and SVSEF is upgraded from silver to gold USSA club status
2017 | IMD Coach of the Year—Nate Schwing
2003 | IMD Volunteer of the Year—Heather Flood Daves
2018 | IMD Coach of the Year—Adele Savaria
2021 | SVSEF named USSA “Cross Country Club of the Year” and renewed gold USSA club status
2022 | SVSEF named USSA “Adaptive Club of the Year” and renewed gold USSA club status
2023 | SVSEF renewed gold USSA club status
2023 | IMD Coach of the Year—Charlotte Gourlay
2023 | IMD Volunteer of the Year—Sean O’Connor
2024 | SVSEF Alpine Alum Ryder Sarchett wins Junior World Giant Slalom Championship and Stifel U.S. Ski Team’s Most Improved.
2024 | SVSEF XC Gold Team member Jake Adicoff named Para Nordic Visually Impaired (VI) World Cup Champion, bringing home the crystal globe
2024 | SVSEF XC Gold Team member Sammy Smith and XC Alumni John Steel Hagenbuch named Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team Rookies of the Year. Sammy Smith also presented with the US Nordic Olympic Women (US NOW) Gold Rush Award.
2024 | SVSEF is named USSS “Club of the Year” and SVSEF renewed gold USSA club status
2024 | IMD Coach of the Year—Gladys Weidt
2025 | SVSEF XC Gold Team member Sammy Smith named Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team Rookie of the Year