The Southern Alpine Race Association (SARA) recently established the Kober Award, to be awarded annually to the J1/2 (15-19 year old) SARA racer best demonstrating the character traits of leadership, sportsmanship, teamwork, respect, ambassadorship, and expertise over the course of their career as an alpine ski racer with SARA. This season’s winner will be announced at the SARA Championships held February 26-28, 2011 at Timberline Resort in West Virginia.

The Kober Award is named in honor of the late Sepp Kober, who was recently inducted into the United States Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame as the “Father of Southern Skiing.”

“Sepp Kober was instrumental in establishing most of the resorts our children race at in Virgina, West Virginia, and North Carolina,” said Tom LaHaye, SARA representative for the Wintergreen Race Team.

“As the first ski instructor in the south, he taught some of our coaches how to ski. In being named to the Ski Hall of Fame, Sepp brought honor to our region as well as himself, and now we honor him by established this award, presented as the capstone to a junior racing career that demonstrates character traits Mr. Kober believed were important,” LaHaye added.

The winner of the award will receive a certificate of achievement and have their name added to a permanent plaque displayed at Freestyle in Charlottesville, Virginina. SARA is also establishing a scholarship fund to assist those winners going on to post-secondary education. Tax deductible contributions to this fund can be directed to:

Southern Alpine Race Assocation
P.O. Box 6043
Kingsport, TN 37663
Attention John Patrick, Treasurer

If making a donation, please specify “Kober Award Fund.”