Stein Eriksen Day Celebration December 11
Stein Eriksen Lodge, in conjunction with Deer Valley Resort, will honor its namesake, the late Stein Eriksen, with an inaugural Stein Eriksen Day celebration. The celebration will take place on Eriksen’s birthday, December 11, proclaimed Stein Eriksen Day by Governor Mike Leavitt in 2001.
Park City’s City Council will unveil and dedicate a plaque in Eriksen’s honor, placed near the three iconic deer statues and Olympic torch just off the Glitretind Restaurant and Troll Hallen Lounge deck. The plaque will memorialize December 11 as Stein Eriksen Day, to honor Stein’s enduring memory and his outstanding contribution to the community of Park City and the sport of skiing.
“Stein Eriksen not only won gold in the 1952 Winter Olympics and revolutionized the world of alpine skiing, he became world-renowned as skiing’s first ‘superstar,’” said Russ Olsen, CEO of Stein Eriksen Lodge. “He was an integral part of the Stein Eriksen Lodge and Deer Valley families since their inception. His influence at both will forever inspire us and his legacy will always live on here.”
Stein Eriksen Day celebration festivities will begin at 3 p.m. on December 11, 2016, with remarks from Eriksen’s son, Bjorn Eriksen; Stein Eriksen Lodge CEO, Russ Olsen, President of Royal Street Corporation and Deer Valley Resort President and General Manager, Bob Wheaton.
The Lodge will be offering Eriksen’s favorite Marzipan cake, along with coffee and hot chocolate all complimentary, as well as a selection of additional food and beverage menu items available at Troll Hallen Lounge. Deer Valley Resort will be featuring Farikal, the national dish of Norway, grilled Lamb burger with Jarlsberg cheese, pickled herring and Norwegian gravlax, house made venison meatballs, Norwegian Goro, open-faced grilled venison, savory Dutch baby smoked salmon, pepperkaker, Norwegian ski king apple tart, smoked salmon filet, lamb, cabbage and sausage stew, Stein’s favorite Marzipan cake, Vaffler, fresh strawberry apple crepes and savory Dutch baby in their restaurants.
Entertainment will include live music and guests are encouraged to wear Stein-inspired Norwegian attire while skiing on December 11 and during the plaque dedication.
“Stein was part of the Deer Valley family since the inception of the Resort and his presence on the mountain is profoundly missed,” said Bob Wheaton, president and general manager of Deer Valley Resort. “His influence in the ski industry and at this Resort was infinite and his legacy will live on here where he served as our Director of Skiing for more than 35 years.”
The name Stein Eriksen has been synonymous with skiing style and elegance for more than half a century. He was the first alpine skier to win triple gold at a world championship, was an Olympic Gold Medalist and an ambassador and father of freestyle skiing. Eriksen parlayed all that he knew and loved about the sport into an incredible career that spanned almost six decades and changed the face of alpine skiing worldwide.
Eriksen’s inimitable style and captivating personality garnered him the attention of the news media and friendships of the Hollywood elite. His status was enhanced by his spectacular forward somersault, an aerial maneuver credited as the forerunner of the inverted aerials performed by freestyle skiers today. It is this legacy that will be celebrated annually at Stein Eriksen Day.
The Official Blog of Deer Valley Resort
Skiing behind Stein was so special. I feel blessed to have known him and his family, and think of him whenever we are in the Lodge!
Stein Eriksen was a great inspiration to modern skiing and skiers! I was born in early March 1952 in Seattle while he was winning his Olympic medals at the 1952 winter Olympics in oslo, Norway. In a country like Norway that was Valhalla for Nordic x-country skiing and jumping, he broke out of the mold and excelled in alpine ski racing……what most people call downhill skiing. In a small country like norway, still recovering from the ravages of occupation and world war 2, he was like a shining star shot from the heavens! He was one of the greatest Norwegians of the last 100 years! And like nansen and amundsen who came before him, he was a skier who did things his way…..in his own style! I found out today Feb. 9, 2017 that he passed on about a year ago, and I felt the need to pay tribute to him. Long before I became interested in my own Norwegian heritage, I respected Stein for what he had done for modern skiing…..in America and the world. God bless Stein Eriksen and his extended family everywhere! Cheers! Skol!