2023-09-30 04:52:33
Billy Demong, a Vermontville native and Olympic medalist in Nordic combined, addresses a crowd at the Olympic Speedskating Oval in March 2022.
(Enterprise photo — Lauren Yates)
ISHPEMING, Mich. — The U.S. National Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum Friday announced that Vermontville native Billy Demong will be one of eight people inducted into the hall of fame on March 23 at the four-day Snowsports History Celebration in Park City, Utah.
The Class of 2023 was unveiled at a media announcement party on Sept. 19 at the Black Rock Mountain Resort in Park City.
Class of 2023
¯ Billy Demong: As an athlete and a team leader, Demong, won the first Olympic gold medal by an American Nordic skier, inspiring Team USA to an unprecedented four medals at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. He grew up in New York’s Olympic region in the Adirondack Park, inspired by the culture emanating from the 1980 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid. In an international racing career that spanned 16 seasons, he won Olympic gold and silver, four World Championship medals including one gold and earned 21 World Cup podiums with nine wins. He was the executive director of USA Nordic Sport, the national governing body for ski jumping and Nordic combined in the U.S., from 2016 to 2022.
¯ Ross Anderson: A Native American speed skier from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Anderson holds the record as the fastest American on skis, hitting a speed of 154.060 mph in 2006 at Les Arcs, France. A native of Durango, Colorado, he grew up as a ski racer and ski jumper, discovering speed skiing in 1994. He became one of the top athletes on the U.S. Speed Skiing Team, also winning bronze at the 2005 World Championships and is an eight-time national champion.
¯ Shannon Bahrke: A Lake Tahoe, Nevada, native, Bahrke is one of only five women to win multiple Olympic medals. Known for her pink hair and as the exuberant face of moguls skiing, she won Olympic silver at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, then came back from injuries to win Olympic bronze in 2010. In a 12-year career with the U.S. Ski Team, Bahrke won the 2003 World Cup title, claimed 27 World Cup podiums with seven victories and earned six U.S. titles. She competed in three Olympics and was on six World Championship teams.
¯ Jeff Brushie: Hailing from Burlington, Vermont, Brushie had one of the greatest and most successful contest careers for any American snowboarder. In an era before the X Games and Olympics, he thrilled millions of fans around the globe and became the most commercially successful pro snowboarder of his generation. He won over 20 major contest wins including three world championship titles. In the 1990s, his crossover appeal to mainstream media on MTV and ESPN was America’s first real look into snowboarding style and culture, also serving as a role model for future stars including Shaun White.
¯ Jake and David Moe: Skiing was just entering a dynamic phase of growth in 1971 when Jake and David Moe — of Seattle, Washington — introduced the world to POWDER Magazine. Under the mantra “Powder to the People,” the brothers offered a new, more independent look at the sport with the photos and words on their pages, literally changing the direction of skiing, pushing skiers to discover their own independence on the mountain. As publisher and editor, the Moe brothers had a knack for finding the wordsmiths and photographers to tell the story of skiing in a new way. The magazine continued its mission with continual publication for nearly a half-century.
¯ Les Otten: A resort developer from New York City, Otten had a profound impact on the entire industry as an innovator and visionary. He parlayed a college gig as a ski instructor to build a career in the industry, eventually owning nine ski areas and building American Ski Company into a publicly traded resort leader. Otten’s hallmark was finding ways to do things better. He innovated teaching techniques to make sport entry easier, focused on quality for snow making and was one of the first to recognize the benefits of shaped skis. Never satisfied with the status quo, his pioneering efforts transformed the industry of today.
¯ Mike Porter: In a career that spanned a half century, Porter, of California, left an indelible mark as one of the world’s most influential ski educators. He served the PSIA National Alpine Team as both a member and later its longest standing head coach. Porter was also one of the founders of the American Teaching System. Through his long-time leadership, he became a key mover in bringing global recognition to the PSIA-AASI worldwide, overseeing much of the U.S. content presented every four years at Interski. With his in-depth research on ski racing, he also served a pivotal role in bringing coaches and instructors together.
¯ Hank Kashiwa: After winning the 1975 World Pro Skiing Championship, Kashiwa, an Olympic ski racer from New York City, parlayed his success and passion for skiing into a thriving career as an entrepreneur in the ski industry. Together with brother Bucky, he founded Volant which went on to become the largest American ski manufacturer with its innovative stainless-steel cap. After the sale of Volant to Atomic, he went on to help lead marketing efforts for Montana’s Yellowstone Club as the world’s first private ski and golf community. which now boasts 875 families in its private membership.
To view the full schedule of events during the annual Snowsports History Celebration in March, visit
The mission of the U.S. National Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum is to honor and celebrate the athletes, pioneers and visionaries of the United States who have significantly enriched the global sports of skiing and snowboarding, and to showcase their stories and historic memorabilia in a national museum located at the birthplace of organized skiing in America, Ishpeming, Michigan.
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