Catching up with Nic Fiore Award Winner Steve Evenson

Last Fall, PSIA-AASI West presented the Nic Fiore Award to Steve Evenson. The Fiore Award honors a hard working member who has served the Division and the membership at a grassroots level. The award is named in honor of Nic Fiore, who passed away in 2009, and for over five decades dedicated himself to help Western Division become the organization it is today.

We caught up with Steve again to find out what it takes to become worthy of this award. Here are the tips he gave us, and we hope you can all take something away.

Steve started teaching in 76 at Kirkwood in a drought year. He almost almost didn’t start, as he did not get his pass until January 13 of 1977. He said he is very glad he hung in there through the lack of snow.

Steve’s father was the person who  instilled his passion to ski. He would take Steve out of school on Pow days so he would have a ski partner. Steve’s father also put him on the Blue Angel Race Team as a young man.

The biggest influences in Steve’s passion to teach were Leroy Hill, Stu Cambell, and Jimmy Ackerson. He says those guys believed in him and were pivotal Mentors in his development. 40 years later, he says he is still developing as an educator and skier. Steve believes that, “Old dogs CAN learn new tricks if you’re open to feedback and coaching.” He feels he is skiing better at 63 than at 25, except for the endurance aspect.  

Steve decided to get certified and try out for the Ed staff because he was determined to make ski instructing a lifelong commitment. He decided to run for the board to,  “make some changes and be proactive instead of complaining under his breath.” After 9 years he is still amazed by the Board’s commitment to members’ needs.

Here are his 5 tips for new instructors:

“1.Train and get certified (it’s hard to be a teacher if you’re not a student of the sport)

2. Find a mentor and hold on to them. Be open to feedback and change

3. Don’t give up. I failed my first Ed Staff Tryout and 4 National team tryouts but it just motivated me more.

4. Build a clientele from every lesson. Take personal ownership of your own success

5. Most importantly ski every spare moment you have, get out there, and git er done! As most of you know my personal love of skiing is my main motivator.”

“Ski ya later”

–Weavin Steven

Any member is free to nominate an “unsung hero” for the Award. Submit a nomination letter to the PSIA/AASI West office, kjereb@psia-w.org. (1,000 words or less please). The Heritage/Senior committee will review all submissions and announce the recipient of the Nic Fiore Award in the spring, in time for Convention.