Last night, in a packed ballroom of 500 people here in Sun Valley, ID, multiple legends of the ski world recieved their induction into the Ski Hall of Fame.
Shane McConkey, Daron Rahlves and Glen Plake were among the roster of six inductees that joined the ranks of those in the Ishpeming Michigan institition – names like Moseley, Moe, Coombs, Mahre and Ericson.
It was a historic evening and there were a lot of laughs and a few tears as each of the inductee speeches came from the heart and the gravity of the honor was felt througout the room.
Sherry McConkey gave an acceptance speech for Shane's posthumous induction and talked of her late husband's amazing ability to make the world laugh. There wasnt a dry eye in the joint.
Rahlves speech gave insight into his journey to being a champion and he thanked many of the people in the crowd for their support. He mentioned a late night phone call from his buddy Zach Crist after his victory in the World Cup victory in Norway. "Tonight you are the best in the world," Crist told his friend from across the Atlantic.
Plake took the stage last and gave a heartfelt, often tearful, speech that had the crowd mesmorized for 25 minutes. He implored us to remember the "ski areas," beyond the "ski resorts" and with his signature cackle left the stage to a standing ovation.
Check out the ski hall of fame: www.skihall.org
The other 2010 Inductees are:
Bobby Cochran- 7 time national champion and US Ski Team leader.
Muffy Davis- World champion and paralympian quadruple medal winner.
Earl Holding- Visionary leader and owner of Sun Valley Resort, Idaho and Snowbasin Resort, Utah.
