Howard Peterson

In 1986 he moved the headquarters of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association to Utah, putting athletes closer to major training and competitive venues. He also heightened the profile of Park City’s America’s Opening World Cup during the 1980s proving that Utah was highly capable of staging world-class competitions, an important criterion in Salt Lake City being selected to stage the Olympic/Paralympic Winter Games of 2002.

His penchant for encouraging the development of sustainable sites led to Soldier Hollow being selected as the biathlon and cross-country venue for the games. Today, Soldier Hollow stands as a showpiece of the Olympic Games legacy, serving as a world-class training facility. The venue’s sustainability was assured when Howard established the Soldier Hollow Foundation and Soldier Hollow Charter School and raised one million dollars for a skiers’ day lodge to further solidify the venue’s long-term use.     

Peterson kept working for the benefit of athletes, serving in a leadership role with the International Ski Federation (FIS) and helping the organization nurture the then-fledgling Olympic sport of competitive snowboarding. Howard Peterson’s legacy lives on in the venues and winter athletes that he helped develop.