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This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.
We’re down to just three months until the world will turn its attention to Salt Lake City to watch the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Without question, it will be an enormous celebration of competition, unity and the completion of an event that was years in the making. But for one man—Stein Eriksen—it will be even more.
Yes, Stein Eriksen will celebrate the 50th anniversary since he received his first medals for skiing. It was back in 1952 during the Oslo Olympics that Stein won a gold in the giant slalom and a silver in the slalom. From that moment, the world got to know the Norwegian skier who would go on to become a legend in alpine skiing and an icon of style and elegance on the slopes.
“Skiing is one of the greatest joys in my life,” he has said. “Winning the Olympic Gold Medal is without question the pinnacle of my skiing experience.”
Stein received other gold medals. In 1954, he became the only alpine skier in the world to win triple gold, topping others in the slalom, giant slalom and combined races at the World Championships in Sweden.
For years, Stein pursued his passion, serving as director of skiing at several major resorts around the country. Then in the mid-1980s, he took his winning style and elegance and focused on developing a hotel. He traveled the world, borrowing aspects from the finest and adding his own remarkable touches. Today, that hotel is known as Stein Eriksen Lodge, a four-star, four-diamond luxury property located at Deer Valley Resort in Park City.
Like Stein, the lodge, with its Scandinavian charm, has earned acclaim. It ranks among the top ski resorts in North America, and food critics have called its restaurants—the Glitretind and Valhalla—the best.
This past summer, Stein Eriksen Lodge added a $42 million conference center, 44 new rooms and an outdoor deck of the lodge. And in January, just in time for the Games, he will unveil the build-out of a new ski locker room, room renovations and an elegant new spa that will surely be one of the finest in Deer Valley.
With his elegant style and his winning ways, Stein Eriksen has helped make Utah a world-class ski destination. This February, we’ll cheer for you, Stein, and thank you for what you’ve given us.
For Zions Bank, I’m Fred Ball. I’m speaking on business.
