Mikaela Shiffrin no longer Competitor of the Year recipient by Colorado Snowsports Hall

When the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame honors its annual award recipients in Vail in September, it will be the first year that Mikaela Shiffrin is not eligible to receive the Competitor of the Year award.

Instead, the award is now named after Shiffrin, a change approved by Shiffrin which was announced at last year’s event.

“This change allows us to continue to celebrate Mikaela’s record-breaking career, while also recognizing other outstanding athletes from the state of Colorado,” according to the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame.

---

---

Local ski racer River Radamus will be the first recipient of the Mikaela Shiffrin Colorado Competitor of the Year Award, the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame has announced. On Monday he said he had been made aware that he will be the Mikaela Shiffrin Colorado Competitor of the Year Award and was honored to receive the recognition.

“I grew up in Colorado looking at the Mikaela Shiffrins, the Lindsey Vonns, the Sarah Schlepers, all the great Colorado ski racers before me, so to be able to put my name alongside them, and to see that I’m making a mark in Colorado skiing and the global stage is very rewarding and fulfilling for me,” Radamus said. “Mikaela has received that award probably 12 times now, so renaming it for her and now getting to receive the award named for her is pretty cool, for sure. She’s got big shoes to fill.”

---

---

Radamus, who grew up in Edwards, will be at a training camp in New Zealand during the Sept. 7 event in Vail and won’t be able to receive the award in person, he said. But he’ll be back in Eagle County for the annual Birds of Prey World Cup races in Beaver Creek in early December, an event he’s been attending his whole life, both as a young spectator and now an adult competitor.

“It might be even better to get the award at Birds of Prey, that’d be super special, because that’s the place I fell in love with the sport,” he said.

Now a member of U.S. Ski and Snowboard’s Alpine A team, Radamus says he uses a “trust the process” mindset to improve his ski racing a little each season, gradually climbing the result lists. In his best event, the giant slalom, he notched a top-30 finish in the 2018-19 season, two top-20 finishes in the 2020-21 season, three top-10 finishes in 2021-22, and two top-5 finishes in 2023-24, including his first-ever podium, a third-place finish at Palisades Tahoe in February.

“I think the exciting thing about doing what I do is I get to dedicate everything I have to being the best in the world at something,” he said.

And in watching those who have become the best in the world, like Shiffrin, Radamus said he has realized that the journey doesn’t have to end once you reach that mark, either.

“Even if you’re the best in the world, you can always go a little bit faster and push yourself a little more,” he said.

In addition to Radamus’ award, the Hall of Fame will also give out a Lifetime Achievement award to Kent Erickson and Barbara Krichbaum; a Top of the Hill award to the National Sports Center for the Disabled in Winter Park; an Adaptive Athlete award to Noah Elliott; and Andreas Kirkeng from the University of Denver and Magdalena Luczak of the University of Colorado will be named the Colorado Collegiate Athletes of the Year.

The Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame will induct its Class of 2024 as well, including Ross Anderson, Bjorn Erik Borgen, John McBride, Sigurd Rockne and Lindsey Vonn.

The event will take place at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail on Saturday, Sept. 7. The event will begin with a cocktail hour from 3 to 4:30 p.m., and the ceremony is scheduled to run from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now at SnowSportsMuseum.org/shop/2024celebrationtix.