On September 25, Darrell Robison, Erik Schlopy & Craig Badami joined the Intermountain Ski Hall of Fame.
Originally from Peoria, Illinois, Darrell "Pinky" Robison moved to Utah and began skiing at age 12 at Alta - where he hauled supplies to the Watson Shelter so he could ski for free. He was a member of Salt Lake City’s East High School Ski Team and in 1948 was U.S. Junior Slalom National champion.Robison won the Harriman Cup downhill at Sun Valley in 1951, the Snow Cup at Alta in 1953 and the slalom in the Pan American Games in Bariloche, Argentina in 1954. The pinnacle of his career came in 1952 when the U.S. Olympian finished 22nd in the Games in Oslo, Norway.
If there were a “skier of the generation,” it would be Erik Schlopy. If racing podiums had nameplates, they would be engraved with Erik Schlopy. If determination, drive, commitment, and inspiration had a hero, it would be Erik Schlopy. He was that good. Schlopy is the only ski racer in history to successfully go from World Cup skiing to the Pro Tour and back to World Cup ski racing. For 22 years Erik Schlopy amassed one of the longest and most successful careers in U.S. ski racing history.
The legacy of Craig Badami is extensive. His uncanny penchant to see the “big picture” and the promotional acumen to make it happen enhanced Utah’s international image forever. As part owner and vice president for marketing at Park City Resort, Badami upended the status quo of the European racing establishment by staging the first alpine World Cup race in Utah in 1985, a spectacle enjoyed by a U.S. record 12,000 high-spirited spectators.
This incredible trio comprises the Intermountain Ski Hall of Fame Class of 2019.