The Alaska Sports Hall of Fame honors Alaskan athletes, coaches, contributors, recurring events, and historic moments that have significantly impacted the sporting landscape of Alaska. The Hall was established in 2006 and the first class was inducted in 2007, with new inductees announced in December and added in February. The museum is currently on display at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.
 Alaska Sports Hall of Fame display at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in August 2012. | |
 | |
| Established | 2006 |
|---|---|
| Location | Anchorage, AK |
| Coordinates | 61°10′26″N 149°59′46″W / 61.174°N 149.996°W |
| Type | Hall of fame |
| Director | Harlow Robinson |
| Public transit access | People Mover routes 40, 65 |
| Website | www.alaskasportshall.org/index.html |
History and organization
editThe Alaska Sports Hall of Fame inducted its first class of five people, two moments, and one event in 2007, a group including dog mushers Susan Butcher and George Attla, Olympic medalists Tommy Moe and Kristen Thorsness, and National Hockey League Calder Memorial Trophy winner Scott Gomez.
New members, events, and moments are nominated and voted upon by the public each fall, with the results determining which nominees reach the selection panel ballot. The inductees are chosen by a voting panel of 8 members of the media and longtime Alaskan sport contributors with the public voting results equivalent to one member of the panel. The inductees are honored with a ceremony each February in the ConocoPhillips Building atrium.[1] Plaques for each inductee are displayed on level 0 of the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.[2]
Inductees
editThe 2012 nominees for induction will be determined by a public vote in Fall 2011.[3]
The Class of 2020 inductees, two people (Marcie Trent and Matt Carle), one event (Yukon 800), and one moment (University of Alaska Anchorage Upset of Boston College in the 1991 NCAA Hockey Tournament), had their induction ceremony postponed until April 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4]
The current members, events, and moments of the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame are listed below.[5][6]
| Hall of Fame Event | Description | Induction Year |
|---|---|---|
| Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race | Annual dog mushing race covering 1,161 miles (1,868 km) from Willow, AK to Nome, AK. | 2007 |
| Great Alaska Shootout | Collegiate basketball tournament hosted annually by the University of Alaska Anchorage. | 2008 |
| World Eskimo Indian Olympics | Annual event featuring traditional Eskimo and Indian games based on ancestral hunting and survival techniques. | 2009 |
| Midnight Sun Baseball Classic | Annual baseball game played in Fairbanks, Alaska on the night of the summer solstice using no artificial lighting. | 2010 |
| Mount Marathon | Annual footrace in Seward, AK dating back to 1915. | 2011 |
| Yukon 800 | Annual speedboat race from Fairbanks to Galena and back. | 2020[4] |
| Hall of Fame Moment | Description | Induction Year |
|---|---|---|
| First Ascent of Mount McKinley | Walter Harper, Hudson Stuck, Harry Karstens and Robert Tatum became the first to reach the highest peak in North America on June 7, 1913. | 2007 |
| 1985 Iditarod Victory by Libby Riddles | Riddles recorded the first victory by a woman in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. | 2007 |
| Tommy Moe's 1994 Olympic Gold Medal in the Downhill | Moe's surprise victory led to the cover of Sports Illustrated and guest appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman. | 2008 |
| First Winter Ascent of Mt. McKinley in 1967 | Art Davidson, Ray Genet and Dave Johnston, over a 42-day period, reached the peak of Mt. McKinley in the winter of 1967. | 2009 |
| Doug Herron's Track Performance in 1985 | Herron, an Anchorage high school student, shattered the Alaska State High School 800-meter run record with a 1985 national best time of 1 minute, 49.2 seconds. | 2009 |
| Iditarod Photo Finish in 1978 | Dick Mackey defeated Rick Swenson by one second in a sprint finish at the end of the 1978 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. | 2010 |
| Elliot Sampson's Upset Victory in 1981 | Sampson, an Eskimo high school student from Noorvik, AK, claimed the 1981 Alaska State High School Cross Country Running championship. | 2010 |
| Scott Gomez Brings the Stanley Cup to Alaska | Ice hockey player Scott Gomez brought the Stanley Cup to Anchorage, AK in the Summer of 2000 after winning the National Hockey League championship with the New Jersey Devils. | 2011 |
| University of Alaska Anchorage Upset of Boston College in the 1991 NCAA Hockey Tournament | The University of Alaska Anchorage Ice Hockey team upset Boston College by winning the first round series 2-0 in the 1991 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament. | 2020[4] |
References
edit- ^ "February 2010 Media Release" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 24, 2011. Retrieved September 23, 2010.
- ^ "Airport Gallery". Archived from the original on November 15, 2009. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
- ^ "Public Voting Will Begin this Fall 2011". Archived from the original on July 24, 2011. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e Williams, Van (March 21, 2021) "Class of 2020 Hall of Fame ceremony postponed to April 2022". Alaska Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
- ^ "October 11, 2010 Press Release". Archived from the original on December 5, 2010. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
- ^ "Alaska Sports Hall of Fame - The List". Alaska Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved June 7, 2021.