This page contains an overview of leading racers in three categories:  (1)  number of first-place medals;  (2)  number of podium appearances;  and (3)  number of years participating in the Finals.  Details can be found elsewhere in the book.

All-Time Leaders  (1969 – 2012)

First-Place Medals.   Only six racers have won six or more first-place medals.        Helen Brace leads with  nine victories.

Podiums.   Six racers have won medals in ten or more years.  Dennis Novak  leads with  16 podium appearances.

Best Overall Handicaps.  For  four consecutive Finals events, Rob Zehner  recorded the best handicap in all age groups to become the all-time male leader in that category.

Ewa Dzieduszycki and  Nicole Taylor  have done it twice to lead women.

Participation.    Dennis Novak  leads with 16 trips to the Finals.

“Modern-Era” Leaders  (1998 – 2012)

First-Place Medals.   Helen Brace won eight of her nine first-place medals during the “modern” era to lead all other competitors.

Podiums.   Six  racers have won medals in ten or more years at the “modern-era” Finals.  Bernhard Palm  and  Dennis Novak  have been on the podium in all 15 events.

Alternative Sliders.   Snowboarder  Scott Maynard  has nine victories to lead all other competitors.  Peggy Martin  has eight wins.

Junior Racers.   Three alpine racers – Bridger Gile,  Scott Snow and Brianna

Trudeau – have five wins apiece to lead all other junior alpine competitors.  Snowboarder  Katie Crawley  also has five wins to lead junior Alternative Sliders.

Participation.  Three racers – Doris Jones, Bernhard Palm and Dennis Novak – have competed in all 15 Championships since 1998.  Starting in 2000 (when juniors were first included)  Danny Elkins  has raced thirteen times.

“Schlitz/Miller Lite” Leaders  (1969 – 1991)

First-Place Medals.   During an era when there were strict limitations on how often a racer could be invited to the Finals,   Maria Morant  won five first-place medals, and  George Hovland won three during the  Schlitz/Miller Lite years.  (Hovland  returned in the “modern era,”  winning in 1998 and 2012, for five total victories.)

Podiums.   Hovland  and  Morant  made the podium seven times each in the “Schlitz/Miller Lite era.”

Best Individual Handicap of All Time.   In 1977 at Keystone, Perry Bryant recorded several times that were faster than those of Ken Corrock, the national pacesetter.  Bryant was awarded a handicap listed as “0.00.”  It was actually a negative number.

Participation.   Hovland  competed eight times in the “Schlitz/Miller Lite” years,        and  Morant  raced  seven.

Leading Alpine Winners (6-Plus Years)

 (1969 through 2012)

Since the beginning of the NASTAR National Championships in 1969, there have been more than 14,000 persons who have competed in 37 Finals events. Yet 

only six elite alpine ski racers have won their age-and-ability division six or more times.  Helen Brace leads with nine victories.   Details of the Top Six are shown on this page.  Other racers with two through five wins are listed on pages that follow.

               Racer  (2012 Div. – Home State)         Years as First-Place Winner

Nine-Year  Winner  – One Racer

               Brace, Helen   (F 80 – MI)                    1990 – 98 – 01 – 03 – 04 – 05 – 06 – 07 – 09

Eight-Year  Winner  – One Racer

               Novak, Dennis  (M 65 – WI)                1998 – 99 – 04 – 05 – 07 – 08 – 09 – 12

Seven-Year  Winners  – 2 Racers

               A – Cooley, Bob  (M 80 – NM)            2003 – 05 – 06 – 07 – 08 – 09 – 10

               Palm, Bernhard  (M 75 – WI)             1999 – 03 – 04 – 05 – 06 – 09 – 12

Six-Year  Winners  – 2 Racers

               A – Beckstrom, Erica  (F 30 – UT)        2003 – 05 – 06 – 07 – 10 – 11

A – Elkins, Danny  (M 21 – NJ)            2006 – 07 – 08 – 09 – 10 – 12

  

Note A:  Multiple Flights.   From its beginning in 1969 through 2001, the NASTAR Finals had only one flight.  Racers needed to record the best handicap in their age division to be declared “national champions.”   A flighting system based on qualifying handicap was introduced in 2002 which has since grown to four flights.   Although many racers win first-place medals without achieving the best handicap in their age divisions, all winners are called “national champions” by NASTAR headquarters.   This chart  differentiates  between the top-performing champion on the race course used by the leading divisions and other first-place winners with poorer handicaps.  In most age brackets, that race course was used by Platinum and Gold divisions through 2011.  In 2012, Platinum racers had their own course exclusively.

• If a racer’s name is printed in bold face WITHOUT an “A,” it signifies that the racer recorded the best handicap on the top race course in his/her age division EVERY YEAR  he/she  won.
• Conversely, when a racer’s name is printed in light-face type with an “A,” it signifies that on AT LEAST ONE OCCASION the racer won a lower flight and/or recorded a handicap that was NOT the best in his/her age division on the top race course.

5- and 4-Year Alpine Winners

(1969 through 2012)

                             Racer  (Age Div. of Recent Victory – St.)      Winning Years

Five-Year Winners   –   17 Racers

A – Coulter, Steven  (M 35 – MO)       2005 – 08 – 09 – 10 – 12

Fuchsberger, Franz  (M 50 – CO)      2006 – 08 – 10 – 11 – 12

Fushimi, Fred  (M 75 – OH)               2001 – 04 – 05 – 06 – 07

Gile, Bridger  (M 11 – CO)                 2004 – 06 – 08 – 10 – 12

Hovland, George  (M 85 – MN)         1971 – 78 – 87 – 98 – 12

A – Jones, Doris  (F 75 – MO)             2008 – 09 – 10 – 11 – 12

A – Langer, Brigitte  (F 80 – MA)        2002 – 05 – 07 – 09 – 10

Morant, Maria  (deceased)                 1979 – 83 – 87 – 89 – 91

A – Murer, Abigail  (F 13 – MO)         2008 – 09 – 10 – 11 – 12

A – Olen, Marilyn  (F 75 – CO)           2004 – 09 – 10 – 11 – 12

A – Parcheta, Mary  (F 70 – MN)        2008 – 09 – 10 – 11 – 12

A – Patty, Margaret  (F 75 – CO)         2005 – 06 – 07 – 08 – 11

Sherman, Sharron  (F 65 – CO)         2006 – 07 – 09 – 10 – 11

Snow, Scott  (M 13 – ID)                    2001 – 02 – 04 – 05 – 06

Trudeau, Brianna  (F 11 – CO)          2007 – 08 – 09 – 11 – 12

A – Wolk, Rosvita  (F 65 – MN)          2001 – 03 – 04 – 06 – 11

Zehner, Rob  (M 21 – CO)                  2006 – 08 – 09 – 10 – 11

Four-Year Winners    –   15 Racers

A – Black, James C.  (M 70 – AZ)       2006 – 08 – 10 – 12

A – Coulter, David  (M 65 – MO)        2006 – 07 – 11 – 12

A – Dooley, James  (M 90 – TX)         2003 – 05 – 06 – 12

A – Huff, Ian   (M 17 – CO)                2007 – 08 – 09 – 10

Laxar, Pat   (F 80 – PA)                     2003 – 04 – 05 – 06

A – Mairle, Herbert   (M 75 – NY)      2007 – 08 – 11 – 12

McKay, Janet   (F 70 – NM)              2004 – 05 – 07 – 10

A – Morgan, Jessica   (F 21 – NJ)        2008 – 09 – 10 – 11

Ruskin, Lisa   (F 55 – UT)                  2003 – 05 – 06 – 08

Russell, Douglas  (M 85 – HI)             2000 – 01 – 03 – 05

A – Schillig, Ken  (M 80 – CA)           2007 – 08 – 09 – 10

A – Thieme-Weinberg, Joni (F70-CO) 2007 – 08 – 09 – 11

A – Vehik, Jaan   (M 70 – AZ)            2009 – 10 – 11 – 12

Whitney, Riley   (F 13 – WI)               2003 – 05 – 07 – 08

A – Zehner, Patti  (F 65 – CO)             2007 – 09 – 10 – 12

Note A:  Boldface and Lightface Listings.  This chart  differentiates  between champions who have the best handicap in their age division and other first-place winners.   For complete details, please see the previous page.

Note B:  Possible Omissions.   Because of the very large number of racers  (more than 14,000 since 1969) and divisions, it is very possible that some deserving competitors may have been overlooked inadvertently and are missing from these lists.  We apologize for this when it happens.  If any errors or omissions are discovered,        please advise by telephone at  214-691-8802.

“Fabulous 15” Multi-Year Winners in the Schlitz/Miller Lite Era

Since the NASTAR National Championships were revived in 1998, racers have been allowed to qualify and compete as often as they wish.   Because of the current rules, several individuals have already built an impressive record of first-place medals won, podium appearances, etc.  (Some persons have raced in every NASTAR Finals since 1998, and a few have made the podium each year.)

That definitely was not the practice during the 22 years the Finals were sponsored by either the Schlitz or Miller Lite beer companies.  Management leaders of both companies and the NASTAR organization wanted to make the Championships – and the all-expenses-paid trip that went with it – as accessible to as many different persons as possible.

So stringent regulations were imposed regarding how often an individual could be invited to compete.  With such restrictions, only

15 elite ski racers – nicknamed “the Fabulous 15” by a NASTAR publicist – were able to win more than one national championship during the period.  The list includes:

Racer (Home Town)                                             Years as Champion

5-Time National Champion – One Racer

Maria Morant  (Windham,NY)                1979 – 83 – 87 – 89 – 91

3-Time National Champion – One Racer

x – George Hovland  (Duluth,MN)                    1971 – 78 – 87

2-Time National Champions – 13 Racers

Margi Albrecht   (Seattle,WA)                           1973 – 88

Ernie Alger   (East Haven,CT)                                     1976 – 90

Beverly Francis   (Bend,OR)                              1983 – 89

Lilla Gidlow   (Wayzata,MN)                                      1986 – 91

George Goodrich   (Cincinatti,OH)                    1977 – 86

Steve  Graham   (Strafford, PA)                        1986 – 90

George Hulbert   (Sun Valley,ID)                      1980 – 84

Margareta Lambert   (Dillon,CO)                     1975 – 86

Phil Letourneau   (Duluth,MN)                          1984 – 88

Andrea Neiley   (Langdon,NH)                           1978 – 87

Margarethe Richter   (New Haven,CT)              1979 – 89

Carol Sweeney   (Rocky Hill, CT)                       1978 – 87

Tom Temple   (Bend,OR)                                   1973 – 83

          x – In 1998, George Hovland won a fourth national title in the inaugural season of the “Modern” championships.  Fourteen years later (in 2012) George returned to win a fifth title.

 

Leading Non-Alpine Sliders (4-Plus Wins)

2001 through 2012                                               

Numerical victory totals include Alternative Slider races only.  When a racer  also has a win in alpine, it is explained in a footnote.  Wins include only Friday-Saturday results;  Sunday races are NOT included.

 

Racer   (2012 Division – Home State)                                        Winning Years               

9-Time First-Place Winner – One Racer

Scott Maynard (M 40  Snowboard – VT)      03 – 04 – 05 – 07 – 08 – 09 – 10 – 11 – 12

8-Time First-Place Winner – One Racer

X – Martin, Peggy  (F 45  Two Categories – CO)                 08 – 09 – 10 – 11

7-Time First-Place Winners – 2 Racers

Y – DeGroff, Tom   (M 60   Telemark – CO)                       06 – 07 – 08 – 09 – 10 – 11 – 12

Y – Moore, Patrick   (M 60   Snowboard – CT)                   04 – 05 – 08 – 09 – 10 – 11 – 12

6-Time First-Place Winners – 3 Racers

Heid, Ray   (M 70   Telemark – CO)                                        07 – 08 – 09 – 10 – 11 – 12

Randolph, Gary  (M 65 Two-Track Skier – CO)                   01 – 03 – 06 – 08 – 10 – 11

Stansbury, David   (M 50 Upper Extremity Impaired – CO)     06 – 07 – 08 – 09 – 10 – 12

 

5-Time First-Place Winners – 3 Racers

Crawley, Katie  (F 15  Snowboard – AZ)                              07 – 08 – 09 – 11 – 12

Keem, Mike   (M 65   Snowboard – MI)                                02 – 06 – 07 – 09 – 12

Simonson, Ron  ((M 50  Four-Track Skier – DE)                  03 – 04 – 05 – 06 – 07

4-Time First-Place Winners – 6 Racers

Anderson, Zach  (M 21  Telemark – WI)                               01 – 02 – 03 – 04

Carlson, Arne  (M 60  Snowboard – CO)                               09 – 10 – 11 – 12

Hancock, Cameron  (M 55  Snowboard – CO)                     02 – 03 – 09 – 12

Lembitz, Alan   (M 50  Telemark – CO)                                 03 – 04 – 08 – 12

Silverman, Myles   (M 13  Snowboard – ME)                      09 – 10 – 11 – 12

Spink, Brian   (M 35   Snowboard – CT)                                04 – 05 – 07 – 12   

Note X:   For four years  (2008 through 2011),  Peggy Martin  had victories in both Snowboarding and Upper Extremity Impaired skiing for eight total wins.

Note Y:   Both  Tom DeGroff  and  Patrick Moore  have one Alpine victory to make their total wins eight apiece.

 

National Pacesetters   (from 2007-08)

 

2007-08.    Daron Rahlves was the national pacesetter.   A. J. Kitt was the traveling pacesetter.   Six racers were used as pacesetters at the Finals.   Included were  Phil Mahre, 

A. J. Kitt,  Kaylin Richardson,  Kristina Koznick,  Debbie Armstrong  and  Chad Fleischer.  Billy Kidd  spoke at many of the activities.

 

2008-09.   Phil Mahre was the national pacesetter.   A. J. Kitt  was the traveling pacesetter.   Five racers were used as pacesetters at the Finals.   Included were  A. J. Kitt, 

Daron Rahlves,  Diann Roffe,  Doug Lewis  and  Heidi Voelker.   Special guests at the activities included  Billy Kidd and former U.S. Men’s Team Coach  Phil McNichol.

 

2009-10.   Daron Rahlves was the national pacesetter.   A. J. Kitt  was the traveling pacesetter.   Seven racers were used as pacesetters at the Finals.   Included were Steve Nyman,

A. J. Kitt, Phil Mahre, Kaylin Richardson, Doug Lewis, Heidi Voelker and Jimmy Cochran.

Former U.S Men’s Team Coach  Phil McNichol  was a special guest who conducted race clinics.

 

2010-11.   Steve Nyman  was the national pacesetter.   A. J. Kitt  was the traveling pacesetter.   Six racers were used as pacesetters at the Finals.   Included were  Heidi Voelker,  Kaylin Richardson,  Doug Lewis,  Jimmy Cochran,  A.J. Kitt, and  Steve Nyman.

 

2011-12.     Steve Nyman  won the Pacesetter Trials and was declared national pacesetter for 2011-12  (his second consecutive year).   However, Nyman was injured in October and  missed the entire ski season.   A. J. Kitt was the traveling  pacesetter.  Seven racers were used as pacesetters at the Finals.  Among them were  Picabo Street,  A. J. Kitt,  Jake Fialla,

Ted Ligety,  Heidi Voelker,  Sarah Schleper and  Doug Lewis.

 

2012-13.      Ted Ligety  won the national Pacesetter Trials at Winter Park in March, 2012, and will serve as national pacesetter.   Ligety has already had a superb racing season in 2012-13  (still in progress).   In February at Schladming, Austria, Ted captured  three gold medals  at the World Alpine Championships.  He became the first man to achieve that feat          in 45 years.                                                                                                                                       

 

A. J. Kitt  will be the traveling pacesetter (his 14th season in that capacity starting in 2000-01).   From early December, 2012,   the NASTAR  program conducted a series of regional Pacesetter Trials to calibrate accurately   the handicaps of local pacesetters throughout the nation.   Leading all  these regional events   were   A. J. Kitt and NASTAR Director  Bill Madsen. 

 

National Pacesetters  (1991 – 2007)

Note A:  Starting in the 1991-92 season, all pacesetter listings are verified by Bill Madsen, director of operations for NASTAR.  The information is also supported by official NASTAR documents and by many participating racers.

1991-92.     Matt Grosjean  was the national pacesetter, and  Mike Brown  was the traveling pacesetter.  No Finals event was held.

1992-93.     Eric Schlopy  was the national pacesetter, and  Bill Madsen  was the traveling pacesetter.  No Finals event was held.

1993-94.     Daron Rahlves  was the national pacesetter, and  Bill Madsen  was the traveling pacesetter.  No Finals event was held.

1994-95.    Tommy Moe  was the national pacesetter, and  Bill Madsen  was the traveling pacesetter.  No Finals event was held.

1995-96.    The national pacesetter was listed as “the U.S. Ski Team.”   Jack Miller  was the traveling pacesetter.  No Finals event was held.

1996-97.     The  U.S. Ski Team  was listed as the national pacesetter.   Jack Miller  was the traveling pacesetter.  No Finals event was held.

1997-98.     The  U.S. Ski Team  was listed as the national pacesetter.   Jack Miller  was the traveling pacesetter.  After a six-year interruption, the National Championships were resumed.   Jack Miller  was the only pacesetter.

1998-99.     The  U.S. Ski Team  was the national pacesetter.   Jack Miller  was the traveling pacesetter and also at the National Finals.

1999-2000.   Picabo Street  joined NASTAR  as a special spokesperson and was called the “national pacesetter.”  Jack Miller  was the “zero” handicapper, and  A. J. Kitt  was the traveling pacesetter.   Three pacesetters were used at the Finals, including  Jack Miller, 

A. J. Kitt  and  Chad Fleischer.

2000-01.    Chad Fleischer  was the national pacesetter.   A. J. Kitt  was the traveling pacesetter.   Four racers were used to paceset the Finals.  Included were  Tommy Moe, 

A. J. Kitt,  Picabo Street  and  Chad Fleischer.

2001-02.     Eric Schlopy   was the national pacesetter.   A.  J. Kitt  was the traveling pacesetter.  Pacesetting at the Finals were  Phil Mahre,  Tommy Moe,  A. J. Kitt  and

Eric Schlopy.

2002-03.     Bode Miller  was the national pacesetter.   A. J. Kitt  was the traveling pacesetter.   Six racers were used to paceset the Finals.   Included were  Bode Miller,

Steve Nyman,  Jake Zamanski,  A. J. Kitt,  Doug Lewis  and  Resi Stiegler  (daughter of  1970s pacesetter  Pepi Stiegler).

2003-04.     Bode Miller  was the national pacesetter.  A. J. Kitt  was the traveling pacesetter.   Five racers were used as pacesetters at the Finals.  Included were  Daron Rahlves,  A. J. Kitt,  Casey Puckett,  Doug Lewis  and  Bryon Friedman.

2004-05.     Daron Rahlves  was the national pacesetter.  A. J. Kitt  was the traveling pacesetter.  Five racers were used as pacesetters at the Finals.  Included were Daron Rahlves,

A. J. Kitt,  Kristina Koznick,  Doug Lewis  and  Casey Puckett.

2005-06.     Daron Rahlves  was the national pacesetter.  A. J. Kitt  was the traveling pacesetter.  There were five pacesetters, including  A. J. Kitt,  Phil Mahre, Diann Roffe, 

Jake Fiala  and  Doug Lewis.  Olympic silver medalist  Billy Kidd  spoke at many activities.

2006-07.   Daron Rahlves  was the national pacesetter.   A. J. Kitt  was the traveling pacesetter.  Seven racers were used as pacesetters at the Finals.  Included were Daron Rahlves,  A. J. Kitt, Phil Mahre, Diann Roffe, Doug Lewis, Kaylin Richardson  and Steve Nyman.  Billy  Kidd,  the first American male to win an Olympic alpine medal, spoke at many activities.

National Pacesetters  (1968 – 1991)

(Years NASTAR was sponsored by Schlitz or Miller Lite)

Note A:   Verification is shown in parenthesis for several pacesetters in the early NASTAR years.

Schlitz-Sponsored Years  (1968-69 through 1981-82)

1968-69.         Jimmie Heuga,  the 1964 Olympic bronze medalist in slalom, was NASTAR’s first national pacesetter.  He performed that function at both the first Pacesetter Trials at Waterville Valley and at the first Championships at Heavenly.  (Verified in personal interviews with Heuga and by many magazine articles.)

1969-70.      Austrian  Pepi Stiegler,  an Olympic medal winner at both the 1960 and 1964 Games, took over as national pacesetter.  (Verified by many documents.)

1970-71.      Pepi Stiegler.   The seven-year reign of  Stiegler  as NASTAR’s “zero” handicapper is the longest in the history of the program.   (Verified in personal interviews with Stiegler  and by many magazine articles.)

1971-72.      Pepi Stiegler.

1972-73.      Pepi Stiegler.

1973-74.      Pepi Stiegler.

1974-75.      Pepi Stiegler  was the national pacesetter.   Jim “Moose” Barrows  was pacesetter for the Finals.  (Verified by a NASTAR press release.)

1975-76.      Pepi Stiegler.

1976-77.      Ken Corrock was the national pacesetter and also at the Finals. 

Tyler Palmer was the “eastern” traveling pacesetter.  (Verified by SKI Magazine, Oct., 1977.)

1977-78.      Otto Tschudi  paceset the Finals.  (Verified by Ski Racing,  April, 1978.)

Ken Corrock, Hank Kashiwa and Tyler Palmer were also listed as national pacesetters in a NASTAR press release.

1978-79.      Doug Woodcock was the “zero” handicapper. (SKI Magazine, March, 1979.)

1979-80.      Cary  Adgate was the national pacesetter and also at the Finals.  (Verified by the records of  Bill Madsen  at NASTAR headquarters.)

1980-81.      Lonnie Vanatta was the national pacesetter, and Bill Shaw paceset the Finals.  (Verified by NASTAR press release and racer Ken McKenna.)

1981-82.     Peter Dodge and Bill Shaw  were listed as national pacesetters.  No Finals event was held.  (Verified by a NASTAR press release and several public racers.)

Miller Lite-Sponsored Years  (1982-83 through 1990-91)

Note B:   Starting with  the 1982-83 season, all pacesetter listings have been verified by official NASTAR documents,  Bill Madsen,  Zeno Beattie  and/or several racers at the Finals.

1982-83.      Mack Lyons.

1983-84.      Mack Lyons,  Reidar Wahl  and  Jan Stenstadvold  (at Finals).

1984-85.      Jan Stenstadvold.

1985-86.      Jarle Halsnes,  Gunnar Grassl  (at Finals).

1986-87.      Gunnar Grassl,  Reidar Wahl,  Jan Stenstadvold  (at Finals).

1987-88.      Troy Watts,  Jan Stenstadvold,  Reidar Wahl  (at Finals).

1988-89.      Tiger Shaw,  Reidar Wahl,  Mike Brown  (at Finals).

1989-90.      Bob Ormsby,   Felix McGrath,  Mike Brown and Nate Bryan  (at Finals).

1990-91.      Nate Bryan, Mike Brown  (at Finals).