Two Buffs Inducted Into Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame; Forejtek Honored

VAIL—John Dakin and Ron LeMaster, two ski legends with Colorado Ski Team roots, were inducted into the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame Sunday at the 45th Annual Celebration. Current Buff Filip Forejtek was also honored as the Male Collegiate Skier of the Year by the organization.

Dakin and LeMaster are two of the five people inducted Sunday.

Forejtek, who will return to the CU Ski Team for a fifth season in 2022-23, joins a growing list of Buffs recognized by the organization as the Collegiate Skier of the Year, becoming the 16th CU skier given the honor since 2009. Most recently, the honor was presented to Cass Gray and Magnus Boee a year ago.

Forejtek was the National Skier of the Year, the individual NCAA Champion in the giant slalom, the RMISA MVP, and picked up his fourth and fifth All-America honors in 2021. He finished 10 of 12 races, all in the top 10 with seven top five finishes, five podium appearances and three race wins. He won the NCAA Championship in the giant slalom, giving him three wins on the season and four in his career.

Forejtek returns for a fifth season in 2023 having started 47 races with 34 top 20, 30 top 10, and 25 top five finishes including 18 podium appearances and four race wins. He is at or close to the top of the CU record book in many categories related to top five finishes and podium appearances in CU history.

Dakin worked in the CU Sports Information office and served as the Ski SID in the late 1970s, and has remained close to the program over the years. He has also worked for the U.S. Ski Team, the Vail Valley Foundation, and for the Snowsports Museum. He has served as Chief of Media for all World Cup races at Vail and Beaver Creek since 1987.

LeMaster, an alum of the CU Ski Team who remained a close friend of the program for more than four decades, was also included into the class. LeMaster skied on the CU B Team under coach Bill Marolt and then coached the B-Team in the 1970s. After graduation, he embarked on a career in ski education, writing guide books and using his photography skills to further the sport like few others had. Aside from working with the Buffs, he worked with the US Ski Team and ski schools in Aspen and Vail.

Dakin and LeMaster are the 18th and 19th connections to CU in the Snowsports Hall of Fame and the first since Brad Ghent was inducted in 2018. The Buffs connection to the Museum goes back to its inception as former Buff Buddy Werner was part of the first class inducted in 1977.

Colorado University Athletics

Two Buffs Inducted Into Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame; Forejtek Honored

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Magnus Boee

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