Colorado Snowsports Museum

10/13/2026

Tribute Tuesday • Norton Billings • Hall of Fame Class of 1999 • Athlete

Nort was born in 1904, near Lyons, Colorado. His grandparents were early pioneers of the area and homesteaded near what is now Hygiene in 1860. His paternal grandfather arrived in the Lyons area by covered wagon in 1880.

Nort graduated from Estes Park High School in 1923. During much of his youth, his father operated a timber operation where Nort learned to live in the mountains and in primitive conditions.

When chores permitted, he learned to cross country ski. Nort and his friends regularly skied over the Continental Divide from Estes Park to Grand Lake. At age seventeen, his first skiing job was carrying supplies from Estes Park to the winter headquarters of the Colorado Mountain Club at Fern Lake, a job requiring great legs and stamina.

Nort entered regional ski competitions and was seldom outdone. Most of his skiing was as a member of the Rocky Mountain National Park Ski Club, an organization founded by the Town of Estes Park. He won possession of the club's Elkhorn Trophy by finishing first in annual competitions in 1924, 1925, and 1926.

After Nort married in 1928 and became a father, he did not have the time to compete regularly, yet he was still one of the top cross country skiers in the U.S. and was chosen for the team at the Olympic Winter Games. Unfortunately, snow conditions were poor for the Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, and Nort splintered the tip of his ski and had to retire from the 50km competition.

Colorado sent three of its native sons to the 1932 Olympics: Norton Billings, Jim Harsh of Hot Sulphur Springs, and John Steele from Steamboat Springs. Nort's coach, Julius P. Blegan, reported, "For the first time in any Winter Olympic Games, United States has a full ski team competing…the Games are the biggest boost the sport has ever had in the US, and should open the eyes of American boys and girls to the possibilities of this wonderful health-bringing, clean outdoor pastime…".

Until he died in 1994, Nort remained healthy and active in the Longmont area. He still put on his skis for a run once in a while and always marveled at the beauty of his beloved mountains.

10/12/2026

10/12/2026

Alan Henceroth — Class of 2026 🌟

10/12/2026

Congratulations to the Class of 2026! We are honored to share and preserve your stories and impact. What a fun and inspiring night!

Thank you to all our inductees, their family and friends, our volunteers, staff, Board of Directors and HOF committee, and each and everyone one of you for supporting this special night. THANK YOU!

Inductees (left to right):

Tim and Tracey Canaday | Sport Builders
Trent Bush | Sport Builder
Alan Henceroth | Sport Builder
Chris Pappas | Sport Builder
Jeffrey Grell | Pioneer

Photo credit Rex Keep

10/10/2026

Our 2026 Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame exhibition debuts to the public this Sunday, October 11 at noon. Stop by and learn about our legendary Class of 2026!

We’re open daily 10-6.

10/10/2026

Our 2026 Silent Auction runs until TODAY at 4 pm. Bid now and directly support the Colorado Snowsports Museum & Hall of Fame.

Thank you to our bidders and to all our donors!

Link 🔗 to bid: https://us.givergy.com/2026HOF/?controller=lots&action=showLot&id=22&imageWidth=1280&imageHeight=720&v=

10/09/2026

Some people make history. Others help shape the future of an entire sport. 🏂

Chris Pappas has done both.

One of Colorado’s earliest snowboard pioneers, he embraced snowboarding in its infancy, hiking Berthoud and Loveland passes in the early 1980s in search of powder when riders were still prohibited from using ski lifts. As a competitor, instructor, and ambassador, Chris helped expand opportunities for snowboarders by establishing instruction programs, competitions, and organized teams while advocating for acceptance at ski areas throughout Colorado and beyond. Chris was the first snowboard instructor at Jackson Hole, founding the program for future generations. His groundbreaking riding, including the first documented snowboard descent of Jackson Hole’s Corbet’s Couloir and the world’s first to land an inverted aerial in a halfpipe, helped redefine what was possible on a snowboard.

His greatest legacy isn’t just how he changed the sport, but how many people he helped change it for, including Olympic medalists J.J. Thomas and Red Gerard, as well as countless others.

Chris has, firsthand, overcome great adversity. His story will be preserved through the Hall and will inspire the next generation in perpetuity.

Join us in celebrating Chris Pappas, Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame Class of 2026! 🎉

Tickets are still on sale for tomorrow, Saturday, October 10. See you at the Vilar!

10/09/2026

Our 2026 Silent Auction is offering an original Loveland Ski Area two-person chair from the 1975 lift that connected Loveland Valley to Loveland Basin and traveled over the top of US Highway 6. This item comes with a Full Treatment Bench Restoration Package from Last Chair Customs.

The Last Chair Customs Full Treatment Bench Package includes: Shortening the original top bar, adding legs, sandblasting and powder coating (standard color), teak wood seat & backrest, and adding the number of your choosing.

Chair Dimensions: 110″ Long x 43″ Wide x 20″ Deep. Weight: 110lbs

More details and bid placement Colorado Snowsports Museum link 🔗 in bio.

10/09/2026

There's still time to place your bids!

This year's Silent Auction is fully online. Bid on lift tickets from Aspen/Snowmass, Loveland, and more, as well as gear, food/beverage items, recreation experiences, gifts, and more.

Let the bidding wars begin! Click here: https://us.givergy.com/2026HOF/?controller=home

All proceeds directly benefit the Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame and ensure that we fulfill our mission.

10/09/2026

Sometimes, you don’t realize how much someone has shaped your experience until you dive a little deeper.

At a reception last week, our curator was talking with Derek Dvorak from Colorado Ski Country USA about the upcoming Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame Class of 2026. When asked who he was excited to see inducted, Derek immediately said Trent Bush.

Then he said something that stopped us:

“Trent has had a hand in making every piece of snow sports clothing I’ve ever owned.”

It was a simple statement, but it put Trent’s impact into perspective.

Trent worked at Wave Rave and co-founded Twist. He went on to co-create Analog at Burton, co-founded Section Clothing and Brandbase, and helped build brands including Technine, Nomis and SOUND. He drove apparel innovation at Oakley, Mountain Hardwear, Black Diamond, Spyder, Dakine, his own brand ARTILECT, and YETI, including leading the team behind the 2022 Beijing Olympic uniforms.

But Trent’s legacy is bigger than a list of brands.

He has helped shape what snowboarding and snow sports look like, feel like, and mean to the people who participate in them. He has influenced the gear we wear, the culture we belong to, the athletes we celebrate, and the stories we pass on.

And perhaps the most remarkable part is that his impact is woven into the everyday experience of snow sports. You may not know Trent Bush, but there’s a good chance you’ve worn something, used something, or experienced something that he helped bring to life.

That is impact.

And that is why we’re proud to welcome Trent Bush to the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame Class of 2026. 🏂

This photo 📸 shows Trent riding at A-Basin in June 1991, sporting a Twist tee. Trent co-founded Twist in 1989, defining the new school movement that snowboarding reflects today.