Ski NH recognizes three locals for contributions to industry

 

Irving’s posthumous award was presented by Greg Goddard to Irving’s life partner Debbie Irwin. “Doug had been with the resort for over 44 years, and lived, breathed and bled Gunstock that whole time. Doug had a hand in all the improvements to lifts, trails, buildings, snowmaking, and base lands since the early 1980s. He was a tireless advocate for the resort and its guests and had an unmatched passion for his work. He was an outstanding role model, mentor, and coach for countless managers who worked for him,” said Goddard, general manager of Gunstock Mountain Resort. Irving was especially committed to being a good land steward, working closely with the Belknap County Conservation District, the Belknap Range Trail Tenders, and other naturalists and environmentalists to protect the landscapes, vistas, streams, woodlands, and wetlands which make Gunstock special. He was highly regarded by officials at the state and local authorities he dealt with daily.

 

Dan Carbonneau’s award was presented by Patrick McGonagle, Gunstock Mountain Resort’s acting operations director. Carbonneau joined the Gunstock team in 2012 as mountain maintenance supervisor. He was promoted to mountain maintenance manager after being recognized early as an effective leader. His handling of day-to-day operations is impressive, but what makes him stand out is his vision for the mountain. Without prompting, he developed a 10-year plan for continuous snowmaking improvements and is a tireless advocate for its implementation. Each year Gunstock has more trails open earlier, the entire mountain covered faster, and over $100,000 trimmed annually in operating costs following his plan. 

 

“Dan’s leadership and maturity are well beyond his years. His road to becoming a future industry leader is off to a flying start,” said Goddard.  

The Al Merrill award, established in memory of Merrill, recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to cross country skiing in the state. This year’s recipient was Steve Olafsen, whose award was presented by Rob Nadeau, the 2015 Merrill Award recipient. Over the course of more than 20 years of coaching, Olafsen coached the eastern teams, J2/U-16 teams, and the Inter-Lakes High School Nordic skiing team. He has coordinated opportunities for middle school Nordic skiers through the New Hampshire Nordic Coaches Association, creating and hosting the New Hampshire Middle School Championship. In 2016, he was awarded the NHNCA Coach of the Year award. Olafsen is the trail builder, coordinator and groomer at the Fairground Trails for both the Inter-Lakes ski teams and the residents of Sandwich.