Founder of Mammoth Mountain to be honored by ski association

The Far West Ski Association annually names persons from the snowsports community whom have made an indelible positive impact on skiing. The association will honor three pioneers of snowsports at its annual meeting and awards banquet June 11 at the Pacific Palms Hotel in Industry Hills.

The Snowsports Builder honorees for 2011 include:

• Dave McCoy, the man who, from 1942, made Mammoth Mountain from scratch. Hundreds of thousands of skiers from the metro areas of Southern California learned to ski on Mammoth and it was and is a center for snowsports competition and training,

• Norbert Olberz, a German immigrant who started with a small ski shop in La Canada and built Sports Chalet into a multi-state, multi-sports retailing business with travel services as well, and

• Martha Perez, a travel professional who was hired initially in 1968 from volunteer status to manage the European charter flight programs and then the domestic travel programs of Far West Ski Association, position she held for 10 years. She continues to serve a 43-year loyal customer base with Ski.com. Her career has spanned a number of travel agencies, including Sportours, and a 16-year partnership with Norbert Olberz, founder of Sports Chalet.

The 79th Annual Far West Ski Association Convention is scheduled for June 9-12.