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AVSC to hold its annual Hall of Fame celebration on Saturday night

The Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club will host its annual Hall of Fame celebration Saturday at T-Lazy-7 Ranch. There are four inductees this year, including longtime club supporter Alpine Bank as the Most Valuable Partner.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to reconnect with the past,” AVSC executive director Mark Godomsky said, “and bring some of the individuals in front of our current club members and to hear the stories of the past and how we got here. This is a storied club of 81 years and there are so many neat stories.”

The other inductees include Ace Lane, Sim Thomas and the Callahan family.



Lane is receiving the Visionary Award for helping create the Stapleton Training Center at Aspen Highlands, which has become one of the premier alpine venues in the country. Even Lindsey Vonn trained there over the holidays.

Lane also has been a strong supporter of AVSC’s adaptive program.




“Both of those have been important pieces of the growth of the club,” Godomsky said.

Thomas will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. He was an AVSC athlete in the 1950s and later returned as the alpine program director in the ‘70s, where the club regularly produced some of the country’s best ski racers.

“Just unparalleled success in alpine skiing with a huge number of U.S. Ski Team athletes that came out of Aspen from Sim’s days,” Godomsky said. “Probably the more important thing with Sim is he started the club on the commitment, integrity and teamwork concept, that the club should be inclusive of everyone who wants to participate.”

The Callahans are receiving the Legacy Family Award. Their Aspen roots go back to the 1960s when John and Cynthia moved to the valley from Los Angeles. John was the first fluent Spanish-speaking ski instructor in Aspen, helped build the Braun huts and helped start Mountain Rescue. Their children include Olympian John Callahan and AVSC coach Pat Callahan, who served as the Chief of Course for the World Cup Finals in Aspen.

Tickets for Saturday’s celebration are on sale until 5 p.m. Friday. Cost is $100 for adults and $50 for children 11 and under. They also can be purchased at the door. A shuttle will be provided from Aspen High School beginning at 5 p.m. The program begins at 6 p.m.

To purchase tickets, go to http://www.teamavsc.org.

acolbert@aspentimes.com