Utah Ski Archives Newsletter: 1992 (Autumn), no. 1

Achievements and Contributions and Sverre Engen

Achievements and Contributions and Sverre Engen Some words just seem to go together. Like achievements and contri- butions and Sverre Engen. But Sverre Engen will be recorded in the annals of the American skiing scene more for his deeds than his words. And rightly so, for his deeds as they relate to the sport of skiing are not likely to be matched. That's because he not only helped shape the industry, he recorded it on movie film for generations yet to come to enjoy and appreciate. That's why the University of Utah Marriott Library's Ski Archives Pro- gram honors Sverre with a special award during its 1992 Ski Affair. The library's "Achievements and Contribution Award" is destined to be one of skiing's most prestigious and will be presented annually to an individual "whose involvement with skiing in Utah has had a major impact on the sport," says Dr. Gregory C. Thompson, director of the library's Special Collections section which encompasses the ski archives program. Sverre Engen's contributions to the sport are immeasurable and likely to be felt indefinitely because he was a ski instructor for thousands and his films of the sport touched millions. His competitive exploits won him addi- tional honors from the ski archives program (see related story). Sverre is an author, championship ski coach, ski area developer, world- class ski jumper, and one of the nation's first snow rangers. That latter activity earned him the Silver Merit Star award from the National Ski Patrol "for the high caliber of interest and actions in upholding the highest traditions of the N.S.P.S." As an all-around expert on the budding sport, he served on one of the first committees to certify ski instruc- tors in the late 1940s and, in 1947, helped certify the first ski instructors in the intermountain area. As an author, Sverre's "Skiing, A Way of Life" won this plaudit from a newspaper reviewer: "One can learn more about what it takes to be a skiing champion in two hours with this book than with years on the slopes. More, the reader will be heartened by a mag- nificent document on human courage." Sverre Engen, achievements, and contributions. The words are a perfect blend-especially when you add incredible foresight, unbending spirit of adventure, humble, unselfish, untir- ing, and a true friend of skiing. Sverre Engen at Alta in 19.56