John Skajem (2024) - CU Athletic Hall of Fame - University of Colorado Athletics

John Skajem

Induction:
2024
Class:
1988

Earned two letters skiing for the Buffaloes in 1986 and 1987 (he was limited to just two years because of NCAA age restrictions) … The first CU skier, male or female, to win four races in the same season when he won four slaloms as a junior in 1986, including the NCAA individual title (only three have done it since, one male and one female) … The NCAA individual champion in the slalom in 1986 his junior year and swept the titles in the slalom and giant slalom in 1987 as a senior; his three individual national titles are tied for the fourth-most by a Buff skier … Finished third in the GS as a junior, thus earned four first-team All-America accolades … Also a two-time RMISA/NCAA Western Regional champion in the slalom (1986-87) as well as in the giant slalom (’87) … Recorded 12 career alpine wins over the ’86-87 seasons (seven slalom, five GS), the most by a male skier in CU’s illustrious history; those are still tied for the ninth-most by a Buff (and the sixth-most by a male) … The seven slalom wins also top CU’s all-time list … Recorded 17 podium (top three) career efforts (nine as a junior, eight as a senior) … Posted 19 top five finishes in 21 starts, eighth-most overall but the top number for a two-year performer … Won 12 of 42 runs, one of the higher percentages at Colorado … Two-time recipient of the Buddy Werner Memorial Award (top alpine skier) and a three-time CU Athlete-of-the-Week (all sports) … The NCAA Alpine Skier of the Year for both 1986 and 1987 … Prior to enrolling at CU, he was a member of the Norwegian Alpine team, participating in World Championships, and in World Cup Tour and European Cup Tour events … He won over 40 international ski races while attending CU (e.g., NorAm and FIS) … His top FIS rankings were 28th (slalom) and 36th (GS) … His best World Cup finish was 16th at Heavenly Valley, Calif., as a junior at Colorado … Was CU’s alpine assistant coach under Tim LaVallee in 1988, when he earned his bachelor’s degree from CU in Business (Finance) … After graduating, he started off as a trainee on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) trading floors … His career path then took him to New York, London and Paris before he returned to his native Norway in 1997 as an investment banker … He joined J.P. Morgan as the country manager of the Norwegian operation and a part of the European leadership in 2014 and eventually transitioned into the CEO of one of its clients, Huddlestock Fintech (an Oslo Stock Exchange listed company and member of the UN Global Compact) … Honored with the CU Ski Team Mountain of Honor Award in 2013, recognizing great program performers of the past … He returned to Oslo in 1997 after 12 years living abroad, where he has lived since … John also owns a country farm south of Oslo where he raises horses and alpacas, in addition for hiking, leisure and one of Norway’s best golf resorts … Fluent in English, Norwegian and German and to a degree in French and Spanish … Married (Gina) and the father of three grown children, sons Cristian and Tomas and daughter Carolina … He was born on November 24, 1963 in Oslo.