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We take great pleasure in nominating Bob Ellis, the current Far West Racing Association President, for the prestigious J. Stanley Mullin Award.

Bob has been a leader on all levels of organized skiing, including ski club, council, the Far West Ski Association and the National Ski Council Federation. Bob, a long time member of the Bota Bagger Ski Club, resurrected a dying club and established a branch in Truckee, California. He has served as President for two years. He also belongs to Cabernet Ski/Race Club and the Tahoe Donner Senior Alpine Ski Club, where he serves as the Race Chair. Bob initiated the first ever Tahoe Donner Senior Ski Club Races in the spring of 2008. He served as Singles League Race Chairman for many years and has been a pacesetter since 1983. He attends Sierra Council / League meetings as a representative of his clubs and drives regularly to the Bay Area to attend Singles League Race and Bay Area Council meetings.

Bob has served as President of Far West Racing Association with the responsibility of working with the race league chairs in the Far Western region; he encourages and supports recreational racing in Far West Race Leagues which include Pakrats of Oregon and Washington; Sierra, Singles, and Open Leagues of Northern California and Nevada; and Inland, Ullr, Schusski, Rokka, and San Diego of Southern California. Bob is responsible for putting on the FWRA Championships each year in April – everything from securing bids from ski resorts to organizing the event to ensuring that they are financially solvent. Bob developed the first ever FWRA Silent Auction in 2004; it’s been held every year since. Part of the proceeds help fund the Athletic Scholarship Program. He also completed the FWRA Constitution and By-laws, giving the organization its first ever working document. Bob has worked to secure partnerships with industry such as Charles Schwab, ski.com, and George Koster, owner of Century 21 Tahoe Sierra Real Estate. During his presidency he established a Post Review Committee for FWRA to monitor leagues’ racing results with the goal that all leagues would standardize their method of handicapping. Under his leadership racers over the age of 70 start first in their races and woman follow them. He has also expanded the number of awards given to each class of racers.

Bob has been on the FWSA Board of Directors for six years as VP of Racing. He is passionate about supporting junior racers and serves on the selection committee to choose Athletic Scholarship recipients each year. He is on the FWSA Travel Staff; although his primary responsibility lies with organizing and putting on the races for participants at ski week, he is a tireless worker, setting up for parties/events, manning registration tables, and assembling participant packets. From 2006-2008, Bob served on the FWSA Bylaws Committee.

One of his biggest accomplishments has been as founder, organizer, and racer of the Keystone Nationals, held at Keystone, CO. As President of the Board of Directors for the nationals, he has built an organization that promotes a national recreational ski race each year from its inception in 2004.

Another of his important accomplishments was to be recognized as the FWSA Councils Man of the Year in 2007. On the national level, Bob has been the Racing Committee Chair of the National Ski Council Federation from 2006-2009, traveling to Utah and Colorado to attend meetings. He promotes racing nation-wide and works with member councils to encourage racing and participation in the Keystone Nationals.

Bob is extremely dedicated to promoting the sport of skiing. He writes articles in the FWSA Councilman about racing opportunities and acknowledging accomplishments of racers in various clubs/leagues. He maintains the FWRA website with racing information; he includes photos of racers of all ability levels. He promotes a positive attitude for racing by distributing awards to as many racers as possible (e.g. he’s expanded awards for the TDSSC racers to include age group awards so that more adults are recognized for their accomplishments; at the Keystone Nationals, Bob gives out as many medals/plaques as possible to racers who finish. Finally, he never hesitates to give complimentary ski and race lessons to adults to help them improve their ski/race skills. Who is better qualified since he has his Level 1 license?

All in all, Bob Ellis is truly an ambassador for recreational skiing and racing. You couldn’t ask for a person with more enthusiasm for the sport. It’s appropriate that the Far West Ski Association present Bob Ellis with the J. Stanley Mullin Award.