Hilary Lindh Season Pass Scholarship winners

Ella Goldstein & Hilary Lindh. Photo by Dave Audet.
Four Juneau youth are the winners of the Hilary Lindh Season Pass Scholarship at Eaglecrest. And this year, the Olympic ski racer was hand to award it.

Since 1992, the ski area board of directors has given four passes each season to Juneau students in recognition of Lindh’s silver medal in the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics as well her dedication to ski racing.

This year second grader Ella Goldstein, third grader Isaak Avenson, eighth grader Briana Sievenpiper, and freshman Preston Perfors won the pass out of a field of 29 applicants. Each receives a lift ticket and equipment rental on the days they are skiing or snowboarding. Their applications are judged on their academic achievement, competitive spirit and financial need.

Two of the winners were at Eaglecrest on Saturday to receive their pass. This is the first time Lindh has been in Juneau to make the award. She recently moved back to Juneau and can be seen most weekends skiing with her five-year-old daughter at Eaglecrest, where Lindh got her start in ski racing.

Ella Goldstein has been skiing since she was four-years old. She told Lindh she likes jumps and going fast.

“I like the jumps because it’s like you’re flying when you go down,” she said, and “because the wind blows.”

After a long career as a ski racer, Lindh knows exactly the feeling.

“The wind blows in your face,” Lindh said. “It’s a good feeling isn’t it?”

She had some advice for the young skier. “What I’ve been working on with my daughter is getting forward on her skis, so she’s not sitting on her tails, because you have a lot more control of your skis when you’re forward on them.”

Preston Perfors & Hilary Lindh. Photo by Dave Audet.
Preston Perfors recently moved to Juneau from Oklahoma. He’s never been on skis or a snowboard before, but says skateboarding will probably help.

“I can ride like four different types of skate boards so I figured I might have an advantage to it. And I thought it’d just be fun,” he said.

Lindh also had some advice for the snowboard winners.

“I’d just say take advantage of having the pass for the year and get out here. It doesn’t make any difference if it’s raining or frozen or anything else,” she said. “Just get out here and have fun.”

All the winners say they plan to do just that. Ella Goldstein wants to join the Mighty Mite ski racing program. Preston Perfors plans to ski and snowboard at least once a week during the season. Isaak Avenson says he want to improve his snowboarding skills as well as learn to ski. He hopes to bring his whole family to Eaglecrest. Briana Sievenpiper says she just “loves skiing.”

Sign up for The Signal

Top Alaska stories delivered to your inbox every week

Site notifications
Update notification options
Subscribe to notifications