Ted Ligety To Be Inducted Into Utah Sports Hall Of Fame

Two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist and retired Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete Ted Ligety will be inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame Foundation along with Stein Eriksen during the annual dinner and ceremony September 18 at the Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Official titles that have been ascribed to the late Stein Eriksen include Knight First Class in Norway, Olympic Ambassador in Utah and the “Patriarch of Elegant Skiing” at Deer Valley Resort. Yet those labels only begin to describe a man who was known for his grace on the ski slopes and his graciousness everywhere he went. If one word could capture Stein, it would be “charisma.” He’s one of those people who just had a distinguishable aura, a charm that he exuded with everyone he met. No wonder Deer Valley loved having him as its director of skiing for 35 years- a Norwegian who became synonymous with Utah’s unique snow.

Stein was initially involved in the development and layout of Park City Mountain Resort after moving to Utah in the late 1960s. So it is fitting that he joins Ted Ligety, who grew from a PCMR toddler into an Olympic champion himself, in the Utah Sports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023.

Utah was blessed to have Stein become an adopted son, after his legendary ski racing exploits on behalf of Norway. He was the gold medalist in the giant slalom in Norway’s 1952 Winter Games in Oslo, then became the first Alpine skier to win three gold medals in the World Championships in 1954 (an achievement Ligety would match in 2013). Stein’s legacy goes even further. By doing flips on the slopes, he essentially created the sport of aerials, now a major component of the Winter Olympics and the focus of World Cup competition at Deer Valley almost annually.

When Stein passed away in 2015 at age 88, Deer Valley President/General Manager Bob Wheaton labeled him “an integral part of the Deer Valley family since the resort’s inception,” crediting him with “infinite” influence in the ski industry. Stein helped Deer Valley founder Edgar Stern fulfill a vision of creating one of the most luxurious ski resorts in the country, and the mid-mountain Stein Eriksen Lodge was named in his honor. His job description was basically “being Stein Eriksen,” and he performed it well. Skiers hoping to spot Stein on the Deer Valley slopes merely needed to check the ski suit on the mannequin of the Bjorn Stova shop run by his wife, Francoise, to see what he was wearing that day. Or, they could approach him at his regular lunch table inside the Glitretind Restaurant.

Ligety started competing at age 10 at the then Park City Mountain Resort, now Park City Mountain. He joined Park City's Winter Sports School where could receive an education while skiing full time, working on his craft. It was not long until he made his World Cup debut at the age of 19 in giant slalom in 2003 at his home resort in Utah.

Ted started competing at age 10 and eventually became a two-time Olympic gold medalist and one of the top three giant slalom skiers in history, thanks to a steady climb through the ranks of ski racing in Utah. As one of his Park City coaches, Aaron Atkins, once said, “I use him as an example of somebody who persevered through the tougher times. He wasn’t one of the prodigies.” Ted has remained loyal to his friends, family and home state. Even after his 2006 breakthrough with an Olympic gold medal in the combined (downhill/slalom) event in Italy at age 21, his closest friends remained those who grew up with him on the Park City Ski Team. One friend described as “the same old Ted,” complimenting his humble persona. “I wouldn’t have ever expected to be where I am now,” Ted said at the time.

Ligety became a force within the giant slalom circuit and alpine combined. His first major success came in the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino when he won Olympic gold in the combined.

Giant slalom became Ligety's bread and butter. His first World Cup victory came in Yongpyong, Korea in 2006. From then on he dominated the event, many referred to him as "Mr. GS" in which he won five giant slalom Crystal Globes between 2008 and 2014 and took home the giant slalom world title in 2011 and 2013.

In the 2014 Sochi Olympics, Ligety had his eye on the giant slalom gold. He succeeded, winning by almost a half second. He followed up this immense success with a fifth world title in the 2015 World Championships.

Ted went on to build some of ski racing’s most impressive credentials, with his 2014 Olympic gold medal in the giant slalom in Russia adding to the context of his career. A lot had happened in those eight years, dramatically raising the expectations for his third Winter Games. After his son convincingly won another gold medal, Bill Ligety said, “I was definitely more nervous than I’ve ever been for a ski race.” “Relief” was Ted’s overriding emotion that day, after he fulfilled the demanding forecasts for his performance. He came through in Russia a year after having become the first male skier in 45 years to win three gold medals in the World Championships. A five-time World Champion in the giant slalom, Ted posted 25 victories in World Cup competition.

Ted’s legacy includes being an entrepreneur and promoter of the sport. He once taped “Mom + Dad” on his ski helmet to thank them as sponsors. By the time he won his second Olympic medal, his helmet proclaimed the “Shred” nickname that symbolized his own line of skiing products.

Ligety is one of the most successful alpine skiers to come out of the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team with 25 alpine World Cup victories to his name, two Olympic gold medals and five World Championships gold medals, making him a clear choice for this honor.

Always known for his love of skiing, not just racing, Ted retired from competitive skiing in 2021. He and his wife, Mia, are parents of three children and live in Park City.

For reservations to this event go to USHOFF.org.