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Awards

Vote now for the 2026 NASJA Awards

Members can now vote through April 20th for the Carson White Snowsports Achievement Award, the Bob Gillen Memorial Award, the Mitch Kaplan Award, and the Paul Robbins Outstanding Competitor Award. Log into your member's area and cast your vote today.

NASJA Award Categories

Carson White Snowsports Achievement Award – NASJA’s highest honor, bestowed to an individual or individuals who have made a significant contribution to the advancement of snowsports in North America, either achieved with a single, defining accomplishment or through a lifetime of snowsports endeavors. Carson White was the first president of the U.S. Ski Writers Association, our predecessor organization. Nominations are submitted by and voted on by Active press members of NASJA.

Bob Gillen Memorial Award – Awarded to an individual corporate member of NASJA for contributions to the advancement of snowsports, exemplifying the highest standards of professionalism in public relations and communications and understanding the working relationship between the information specialist and the journalist. Named for Bob Gillen, former SKI Magazine editor and marketer at Crested Butte and Sugarbush resorts, and a staunch ally of NASJA. Nominations are submitted by and voted on by the journalist members of NASJA.

Mitch Kaplan Award – Presented to the journalist whose work best captures the spirit, enthusiasm and dedication that Mitch Kaplan brought to the coverage of snowsports. Mitch was a former NASJA Secretary-Treasurer and multiple Harold S. Hirsch Award winner. The nominee does not have to be a NASJA member. Focusing on a specific assignment or a body of work, any member can nominate a candidate, who will be submitted to the NASJA Board for consideration and final choice.

Paul Robbins Outstanding Competitor of the Year Award – Awarded to North American snowsports participants who have distinguished themselves in amateur or professional competition during the current season. The award is named in memory of Paul Robbins who was the primary journalist for the U.S. Ski Team for over 30 years. The nominations by any NASJA member are submitted by and voted on by all members.

Members are asked to submit a short bio and/or corroborating materials and/or photos to justify their nominations.

NASJA RECOGNIZES EXCELLENCE IN SNOWSPORTS MEDIA AND COMPETITION - PAST WINNERS (2025)

Seth Masia wins Carson White Snowsports Achievement Award;

American X-C Skier and Biathlete Jake Adicoff Wins Competitor of the Year

ESSEX, Massachusetts (July 9, 2025) – The North American Snowsports Journalists Association (NASJA), founded over 60 years ago, today honored excellence in snowsports media and competition with its highest awards. Some 102 active snowsports professionals and corporate communicators voted online to recognize their peers in the “Oscars” of snowsports journalism.

Award recipients were announced on July 8, 2025, during a Zoom ceremony emceed by board vice president and extreme skiing pioneer Dan Egan.

“The 2025 NASJA awards recognize North America’s top snowsports journalists as well as the industry leaders and athletes who inspire their outstanding writing, podcasting, and photography,” said NASJA President Bob Curley.

The winners are:

Seth Masia

2025 Carson White Snowsports Achievement Award

Seth Masia, president of the International Skiing History Association (skiinghistory.org), received NASJA’s highest honor, bestowed to an individual or individuals who have made a significant contribution to the advancement of snowsports in North America, either achieved with a single, defining accomplishment or through a lifetime of snowsports endeavors.

In 1974, Masia joined the staff of Ski magazine at an influential time, becoming a senior editor, technical editor, head of ski testing, and editing Ski Business and Cross-Country Skiing magazines. Around the same time, he became a ski instructor at the former Squaw Valley and ended up a Level 3 instructor at Snowmass.

Masia recently retired from teaching skiing at Snowmass and is living sustainably in Paonia, Colorado. In 2023 he was elected to the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame.

Carson White was the first president of the U.S. Ski Writers Association, NASJA’s predecessor organization.

Jake Adicoff

Paul Robbins Outstanding Competitor of the Year

American cross-country skier and biathlete Jake Adicoff, a two-time Paralympian and 2018 Paralympics gold medalist in the 10K cross country competition, was honored by NASJA with the Paul Robbins Outstanding Competitor of the Year Award.

Recent past winners of the Paul Robbins Award were stand-out competitors Jessie Diggins, Lindsey Jacobellis, Ted Ligety, Mikaela Shiffrin, and Maggie Voisin. The award is named in memory of the late Paul Robbins, who spent 30 years as the primary journalist for the U.S. Ski Team.

The Harold S. Hirsch Awards

The Harold S. Hirsch Awards recognizes excellence in writing, photography, and podcasting among NASJA’s active journalist members. The 2025 honorees are:

Words, Recurring: Moira McCarthy, “Ski Wednesday” column, Boston Herald

Words, Stand-alone: Lisa Ballard, “The Big Why,” Adirondack Explorer
Words, Stand-alone (Honorable mention): Josh Laskin, “Can Backcountry Skiing Survive in the Northeast?”, The New York Times.

Photo: Bob Legasa

Images: Bob Legasa, Chatter Creek “Pillow Line,” taken in the backcountry of Golden, British Columbia.

Podcasts: Stuart Winchester, The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast, #179, interview with Snow Angel Foundation Co-Founders Chauncy and Kelli Johnson (stormskiing.com)

Podcasts (Honorable Mention): Nicole Feliciano, The Ski Moms, Tori Collins Teach Your Children episode (theskimoms.co).

The Hirsch Awards are named for Harold S. Hirsch, founder of White Stag Skiwear, who was elected to the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame in 1990.

Other Honorees

Bob Gillen Memorial Award: Honoree Hugh Johnson, Smugglers’ Notch Resort’s snow reporter, has provided the daily snow conditions as well as a local’s perspective of the Smuggs world for nearly 30 years, including writing and providing images for the daily “Hugh’s Views” column (now “Views from the Notch”), updating local media, and lending his distinctive voice to both the snow report and on-mountain activities.

The Gillen recognizes achievements in snowsports public relations and communications. It is named for the late Bob Gillen, former Ski magazine editor and marketer at Crested Butte and Sugarbush resorts, and a staunch ally of NASJA.

Mitch Kaplan Award: Honoree Iseult Devlin is a former NASJA president andskiing columnist for the Bergen (New Jersey) Record. The award is named for the journalist whose work best captures the spirit, enthusiasm and dedication that the late NASJA member Mitch Kaplan brought to the coverage of snowsports. Kaplan was a former NASJA Secretary-Treasurer and multiple Harold S. Hirsch Award winner.

Judges for the 2025 awards were:

Nancy Marshall, who previously worked as Director of Communications at Sugarloaf in Maine, until she launched her agency, Marshall Communications in 1991. She said of the awards, “The winners in this competition were without a doubt of extremely high quality, which will make an impact on the sport overall. Images, stories, and podcasts promoting the beauty and desirability of snowsports as a way of life will only help attract more participants to guarantee a healthy future.”

Dave Meeker, the editor for Ski Area Management (SAM) magazine, the B2B resource for the North American ski industry. Prior to joining SAM nearly 10 years ago, he was the communications manager and then marketing director at Mount Snow, Vermont.

Meeker commented, “Ski journalists have historically been talented storytellers, and that remains true today as evidenced by the strong entries we received for this year’s NASJA awards. Congratulations to the winners, and here’s to everyone who contributes to elevating the craft of ski journalism.”

The third judge was Adam White, executive director of communications at the University of Vermont. White was formerly the sports editor and snowsports multimedia reporter at the Burlington Free Press, served as communications director for the Vermont Ski Areas Association (Ski Vermont), and was the Northeast director of communications and marketing for Vail Resorts.

White commented, “Creating world-class content is a process that, like skiing, is fueled by passion and enthusiasm, a true labor of love. This year’s recipients of the Harold S. Hirsch Awards show a true love for the mountains, winter, and snow that shines through in their words and images.”

THE HAROLD S. HIRSCH AWARDS

Created by the founder of the White Stag clothing to promote professionalism in winter sports coverage, the Harold S. Hirsch Awards recognize creativity and excellence in editorial and artistic content in both print and broadcast journalism.

Be sure to check out the story behind the Hirsch awards, written by Honorary Member Vicki Hoefling Andersen. A list of the past winners of the Harold S. Awards can be found here.

Since 1963, the Harold S. Hirsch Award has recognized excellence in snowsports reporting, emphasizing journalistic creativity and editorial or artistic content. The concept for these awards came after the 1960 Winter Olympics from Hirsch, a ski clothing pioneer and founder of White Stag, to promote professionalism in winter sports coverage. Award recipients are chosen by a panel of judges with the highest credentials in the fields of journalism, writing, education, snowsports and visual media.

The Hirsch Awards were revamped in 2018 to better reflect the changes in the ways journalists communicate. Several categories were merged so that words could be judged against words, whether in paper or digital form. Video and photography are judged together in the ‘Images’ category. The ‘Book’ award is given every third year and the competition was opened to all journalists, not just NASJA members.

WORDS CATEGORY
WINNER: DAN EGAN

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BOOKS CATEGORY - TIED
WINNER: JOHN W. LUNDIN

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John W. Lundin is a lawyer, historian and award winning author, who after a career practicing law in Washington D.C. and Seattle, turned to researching and writing about Washington and Idaho history. He is a founding member of the Washington State Ski and Snowboard Museum (WSSSM), works with the National Nordic Museum in Seattle, and the Center for Regional History at The Community Library in Ketchum, Idaho. John splits his time between Seattle and Sun Valley.
John is the author of several books including: Early Skiing on Snoqualmie Pass was published in 2017,Sun Valley, Ketchum and the Wood River Valley in June, and Skiing Sun Valley.

BOOKS CATEGORY - TIED
WINNER: JIMMY PETTERSON

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Jimmy Petterson is a writer, photographer, author who has spent 69 years of his life skiing, amassing approximately 4700 ski days. For the past 35 years, he has also worked as a ski journalist.
From early on, Jimmy’s goal was to ski in as many countries as possible, and by now, he has glided on his skis in 650 ski resorts, 75 countries on all seven continents. He has probably skied in more countries than anybody in history. In so doing, he has been an ambassador of sorts, sharing his tireless passion for skiing along with his guitar and yodel with local people from almost every place on the planet where skiing is possible.

IMAGES CATEGORY
WINNER: RAY AND ALICIA ALBA

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In the Images category, Ray and Alicia Alba of Alba Adventures won for Anything but Ordinary – A wintery fairy tale odyssey fit for the Greek Gods. It can be viewed here: https://tinyurl.com/NasjaAlbaAdventures

WINNER OF THE 2020
MITCH KAPLAN AWARD:
MIKE ROGGE

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Mike Rogge winner of the 2020 Mitch Kaplan Award

This award is presented to the individual whose work and spirit best captures the enthusiasm and dedication the late Mitch Kaplan, former NASJA Secretary-Treasurer and multiple Harold S. Hirsch Award-winner, brought to NASJA and to the coverage of snowsports. A gentleman and a gentle man, a fine journalist and a friend to all, he was especially interested in programs and activities for children. Nominees may be, but do not have to be, a member of NASJA, and the 250-500 word nomination can focus on a specific assignment or overall contributions to the public understanding and enjoyment of snowsports. Any NASJA member may nominate a candidate for this award, which will be decided by a simple majority vote in November at the Interim Board Meeting. In addition to Board members in attendance, the Executive Secretary, are allowed to vote for the Mitch Kaplan Award.

Mike Rogge, a self-described award winning and sometimes losing journalist, is on a mission to revive an ideal and the iconic way to communicate this ideal. He is convinced that no one writes about the joys of being outside anymore. His cure is resurrecting the fabled magazine, the Mountain Gazette, once home to the writings of Edward Abbey, Delores LaChapelle and gonzo-journalist Hunter S. Thompson, to again tell the tales of outside joy.

Mike, who calls North Lake Tahoe home with his wife and young son, started writing and film producing at Ski The East and continued at Powder, Vice Sports and The Ski Journal, to name a few of his outlets. He said that an invitation to a ski writer’s conference in Stratton and a pep-talk of sorts from Mitch Kaplan convinced him that this life he was pursuing was possible. Mike said that for “the past two decades I worked relentlessly to tell authentic stories about real people living in real mountain towns” and not so much about the “Top 10 Hot Tubs in Aspen,” “I prefer folks who live in vans, play music, create art, and make their own way in life. I like people who, when given a choice, prefer to do it outdoors.”

After taking over the magazine and its website, Mike reprinted the archive, and offered cover art, clothing and accessories to his followers. His short-term goal is to produce two unforgettable issues per year with original writing and photography. “Mountain Gazette aims to deliver tales straight from the hearts of mountain town people to your inbox, feed, and mailbox.”

Winner of the Carson White
Snowsports Achievement Award:
Brian Fairbank

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Brian Fairbank of The Fairbank Group, received NASJA’s highest honor, bestowed to an individual or individuals who have made a significant contribution to the advancement of snowsports in North America, either achieved with a single, defining accomplishment or through a lifetime of snowsports endeavors.

Fairbank is widely recognized as a pioneer in green energy and sustainability.

Carson White was the first president of the U.S. Ski Writers Association, our predecessor organization.

Winner of the Bob Gillen
Memorial Award:
Kim Jackson

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This award is named for the late Bob Gillen, former SKI Magazine editor and marketer at Crested Butte and Sugarbush resorts, and a staunch ally of NASJA. It honors an individual corporate member for contributions to the advancement of snowsports, and exemplifies the highest standards of professionalism in public relations and communications. The individual also understands the working ]relationship between the information specialist and the journalist. The individual may be chosen for a particularly significant action or campaign, or for a career of such deeds. The winner will be selected by online vote of Active and Retired Press members.

By a vote of active-journalist members, the Bob Gillen Memorial Award for 2021 honors Kim Jackson.

KIM JACKSON-DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, VERMONT ADAPTIVE
Kim Jackson, director of communications of Vermont Adaptive, won for contributions to the advancement of snowsports, exemplifying the highest standards of professionalism in public relations and communications. Vermont Adaptive offers inclusive sports and recreational programming for people of all ages, with cognitive, developmental, physical and emotional disabilities.

Winner of the Paul Robbins
Outstanding Competitor Award:
Lindsey Jacobellis

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Awarded to North American snowsports participants who have distinguished themselves in amateur or professional competition during the current season. The winner will be selected by online vote of Active Press, Retired Press and Corporate members.

Lindsey Jacobellis, the most decorated female snowboard cross athlete of all time, took a moment while prepping and training for the upcoming season to Zoom in live from Europe for a brief Q & A with Kelly.

Recent past winners of the Paul Robbins Award were Jessie Diggins, Maggie Voisin, Mikaela Shiffrin, and Ted Ligety. The award is named in memory of the late Paul Robbins, who spent 30 years as the primary journalist for the U.S. Ski Team.