Utah Westerners

October Announcement for the Utah Westerners

November 13, 2017 at 11:03 am kenttschanz Leave a comment

Alf Engen – Snapshot of a Sports Icon

by

Alan Engen

Over the course of the 20th Century, many athletes have been honored for the contributions they made to Utah’s sports history.   Names such as Jack Dempsey, Gene Fullmer, Alma Richards, Herman Franks, Merlin Olsen, Missy Marlowe, and Karl Malone are just a few examples of individuals who have demonstrated athletic excellence in various sports.  However, there is only one person who was named the overall Utah “Athlete of the Century” in December 1999. He was ski legend, Alf Engen.

Please join Utah Westerner, Alan Engen, for a presentation on his famous father by looking back on Alf’s life from a very humble beginning in Norway to becoming one of the greatest all-around skiers to ever grace the sport.  Viewing a selection of Alan’s personal historical ski photos, he will present a first hand account of his father’s life, including the many contributions and honors he received up until his passing in July 1997, at age 88.

At the conclusion of Alan’s presentation, he plans to show a fifteen-minute DVD on his father which was presented by Alan at the prestigious MOUNTAINFILM Festival in Telluride, Colorado during May 1997.  According to Jim Petegrew, Telluride Event Coordinator, “The film was given top billing at Telluride’s Sheridan Opera House on the opening night of the MOUNTAINFILM festival, playing to a packed house.  When the film was completed, it left the audience spellbound and resulted in a standing ovation for Alan’s film which he scripted, narrated, and produced.”

This particular dinner presentation, provides a unique opportunity to look behind the scenes of this ski sport icon by a person who participated with Alf in a number of activities highlighted.   It is anticipated that this presentation will be both entertaining and of historical interest…and will be videotaped by members of the Alta Historical Society.

Alan K. Engen has been a member of the Utah Westerners since 1999.  He is a nationally respected ski historian, author, and has played an important role in helping to promote and record Utah’s rich ski history.  Although currently retired, he was Alta’s Director of Skiing up until April 2011 and has been honored in several halls of fame organizations… including the U.S. National Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame, located in Ishpeming, Michigan.  He and his wife, Barbara, have been married 55 years and have two sons and four grand-daughters.

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