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Far West Council's Volunteer of the Year...



FWSA Council's Volunteer of the Year Winners


In the beginning (1970), the contest was mostly a beauty pageant for the women where the contestants modeled ski apparel. There were rounds of cocktail parties, publicity photographs followed by a hectic day of interviews, tours and parties.

In 1975, the Bay Area entered a man, Don Drury, in the pageant and he was proclaimed King. The following year FWSA opened the competition to men. They too had to model ski apparel.

In those early days, the “Sno Queen & King” were chosen by noteworthy & impartial judges. Many of the Far West Woman went on to be named Miss USSA**, first held at USSA's Nation Ski week in 1971. The King and Queen were often referred to as Mr. Far West and Miss Far West.

In 1981, the contest was not held because FWSA thought that the "Sno Queen & King" contest was too sexist. The contest reappeared the following year as the "Councils' Man and Woman of the Year" in the format we use today. Councils' Man and Woman of the Year should not be confused with the Wood and Mullin Awards where the winners were often referred to as Far West Man and Woman of the Year.

Until 2022, the Councils' Man and Woman of the Year was presented to both an outstanding man and woman at the grassroots level. Selection criteria is based on each individual's involvement in skiing; club, council, regional and national activities; and knowledge and enthusiasm for the snowsports. Candidates should have awareness of Far West programs and, in particular, its public affairs involvement.

The name of this program was changed after the 2021 FWSA Convention to the Councils' Volunteer of the Year.   

Beginning with in 2022 the award is presented to an outstanding individual at the grassroots level. Selection criteria is based on each individual's involvement in skiing; club, council, regional and national activities; and knowledge and enthusiasm for the snowsports. Candidates should have awareness of Far West programs and, in particular, its public affairs involvement.

Learn more about the FWSA Councils' Volunteer of the Year Program.

Year Volunteer of Year Council
2024 Linda Johnston  Arizona
2023
Tony Baker BAC
2022 Fran Long Central


Year Woman of Year Council Men of Year Council
2021 Sandi Schaub Northwest
Bill Behnke Arizona
2020
No Award    No Award  
2019 Becki Robinson Northwest Todd Hood NBSWR
2018 Kim Hovren Intermountain Michael Bouton Intermountain
2017 Jane Gutierrez Los Angeles Mark Barnard Intermountain
2016 Colleen Stroeder Northwest Mike Ferketich Bay Area
2015 Linda Westlund Arizona David Felker Los Angeles
2014 Nancy Ellis Sierra Gene Fulkerson Los Angeles
2013 Jennifer Milstein Bay Area Dale Parshall Northwest
2012 Sigrid Noack Los Angeles Norm Azevedo Bay Area
2011 Debbie Stewart Sierra Gary Gunderson Northwest
2010 Helen Harris San Diego Jim Sommer Sierra
2009 Lennia Machen Intermountain Don Anderson Intermountain
2008 Sheri Parshall Northwest Dennis Heffley Bay Area
2007 Jessica Freeman Los Angeles Bob Ellis Sierra
2006 Mary Beth Fitchlee Arizona Jeff Peebles Arizona
2005 Barbara Bryant Sierra Steve Coxen Northwest
2004 Marge Fons Arizona Emilio Trampuz Northwest
2003 Elaine Cabos Arizona Andreas Vogel Los Angeles
2002 Maxine Hanlon Orange Bob March San Diego
2001 Dotti Gallagher Sierra Donn Bryant Sierra
2000 Catherine Ohl Los Angeles Dan Halcomb Sierra
1999 Diane Hicks Northwest Joe Loader Sierra
1998 Karen Davis Bay Area Ethan Chickering Bay Area
1997 Kathy Hoffmann Bay Area Mark Hanlon Orange
1996 Connie Smith San Diego Mike Sanford San Diego
1995 Linda Keller Orange Hal Richey Los Angeles
1994 Marge Fons Arizona Tucker Hoffmann Bay Area
1993 Judy Sobel Los Angeles Steve Ziomek Arizona
1992 Susie Vetter San Diego Randy Lew Bay Area
1991 Debi LeVine Los Angeles Steve Smith Los Angeles
1990 Julia Guifford Central Norm Cullen San Diego
1989 Pat Nangle Orange Woody Hogan Central
1988 Lauren Nagle Central Dennis Doty Inland
1987 Judy Purdom Bay Area Bill Silliman Orange
1986 Terry Mayle Orange Cloyde Howard Orange
1985 Louis Buhler Los Angeles
1984 Linda Walker San Diego Robert Jiminez Inland
1983 Alan Christian Bay Area
1982 Kay Cofield-Raab Los Angeles John Davidson Los Angeles
1981 not held not held
1980
1979 Howard Wickersham Los Angeles
1978 Leo Stytle Los Angeles
1977
1976 Pam Pontius San Diego Dennis Eggert Los Angeles
1975 Connie Cox Inland
1974 Pamela Kay Anderson** Los Angeles
1973 Faye Halden** Central
1972 Tyoni Busch** Central
1971 Lori Spann Central
1970 Sharon Reece** Southern
**Named Miss USSA at USSA's "Nation's Ski Week"





Councils' Volunteer of the year Sponsor





2024 Volunteer of the Year - Linda Johnston, Arizona Ski Council



 2023 Volunteer of the Year - Tony Baker, Bay Area Snow Sports Council


1970 - Sharon Reece from the Southern Council was the first "Miss Far West"


1973 -  Striking with sureness and surprise, the women's lib element within the Bay Area's S.O. Ski Club staged a reversal of the usual beauty contest by putting male members of the club through the rigors of a flesh competition, including a grueling interrogation. When it was all over, Igor Goulaevsky was named Snow King.


1976 – Pam Pontius of San Diego Council was named the new “Miss Far West" at the Far West Fall Forum in Anaheim, Oct. 1 – 3, and Dennis Eggert of Los Angeles Council was named the first-ever "Mr. Far West."


1992 – Randy Lew of BAC and Susie Vetter of San Diego.