LUTSEN, MN- World Cup champion Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) was named as the Paul Robbins Outstanding Athlete of of the Year by the North American Snowsports Journalists Association. Vonn was selected at the organization's annual meeting at Lutsen Mountains in northern Minnesota.
This was the second year in a row that Vonn has won the award.
"I'm honored that they've given me this award for the second time in a row. It means a lot to receive this," Vonn said. "You work with a lot of journalists over the course of your career and to have their respect means a lot. I feel like I have gotten to know a lot of the journalists over the last couple of years and everyone has been really nice to me and really supportive."
Vonn continued to build her legacy during the 2009 season as she accumulated the most World Cup wins of any American female skier, surpassing U.S. great Tamara McKinney's previous high mark of 18 established in the 1980s with an astounding 22 wins. She also swept the women's speed events at World Championships for two gold medals and finished out the season with back-to-back World Cup downhill and overall titles as well as the first super G title awarded to a U.S. woman.
Other nominees for the 2009 season included World Championship gold medalists Billy Demong (Vermontville, NY) and Lindsey Van (Park City, UT), as well as Olympic gold medalist Shaun White (Carlsbad, CA).
Former Winners
2009 - Lindsey Vonn
2008 - Lindsey Vonn
2007 - Julia Mancuso
2006 - Shaun White
2005 - Bode Miller
2004 - Hannah Teter, Daron Rahlves
2003 - Bode Miller
2002 - Bode Miller
2001 - Daron Rahlves
2000 - U.S. Disabled Ski Team
1999 - Victor Roy
1998 - Sara Bilmeier
1997 - Canadian freestyle team
1996 - Picabo Street
1995 - Picabo Street
1994 - North American Olympic gold medalists (Myriam Bedard, Jean-Luc
Brassard, Tommy Moe, Diann Roffe)
1993 - Georgene Bihlman
1992 - Donna Weinbrecht
1991 - Julie Parisien
1990 - U.S. Disabled Ski Team
1989 - Jan Bucher
1988 - Pam Fletcher
1987 - Kerry Lynch
1986 - Diana Golden
1985 - Cindy Nelson
1984 - Bill Johnson
1983 - Tamara McKinney
1982 - U.S. Women's Alpine Ski Team
1981 - Phil Mahre
1980 - Phil Mahre
1979 - Phil Mahre
1978 - No award
1977 - Phil Mahre
1976 - Bill Koch
1975 - Hank Kashiwa
1974 - Martha Rockwell
1973 - Jean Claude Killy
1972 - Barbara Cochran
1971 - Cochran Family
1970 - Billy Kidd
1969 - No award
1968 - John Bower
1967 - Jimmie Heuga
The North American Snowsports Journalists Association (NASJA) is a professional group of more than 250 writers, authors, photographers, filmmakers and broadcasters who report ski- and snowboard-related news, information and features throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico, via the various media.
