For the third year in a row, Proa Comunicación helped to organise the National Snow Sports Awards. Presented by Madrid SnowZone and the RFEDI-Spainsnow, the third edition of this event took place last Friday November 15 in Madrid's newly renovated indoor skiing area. Athletes and organizations came together to award the best of the season in one of the most important national events for winter sports. The awards were created three years ago to pay homage to winter sports and their members: athletes of today and always, ski areas, federations, clubs, organizations, brands, specialized press, etc.
During the awards ceremony, the skier Blanca Fernández Ochoa was honoured by a namesake award, the Blanca Fernández Ochoa Award - Women and Snow, that is given to the most distinguished person or organisation promoting the role of women in snow sports. Her siblings, Lola Fernández Ochoa and Juan Manuel Fernández Ochoa, received the award given by May Peus, president of the RFEDI, and Paula Fernández Ochoa, her niece and head of Women and Sports in the Federation.
The magnitude of the Fernández Ochoa family was also remembered after the Paquito Fernández Ochoa prize was awarded to Juan del Campo for being the best male athlete of the 2018/2019 season. His qualification in the Top 30 of the Slalom at Schladming World Cup and in the Top 2 in the World Cup in Are (Sweden) helped the committee decide to grant him the award.
Additionally, the 29 Spanish athletes who have participated in 14 editions of the Winter Olympic Games were honored during the awards ceremony. 14 of them could come to the event that crowned Queralt Castellet as the best female athlete of the 2018/19 season with the María José Rienda prize, delivered personally by the president of the CSD.
After the presentation of the III National Snow Sports Awards, a show divided into four parts took place on the track. The main focus of this demonstration was a tribute to women's participation in the Winter Olympic Games, with special attention to the bronze medal won by Blanca Fernández Ochoa in the 1992 Albertville Slalom.
New Category: SNOWZONE Award 'Snow4all'.
As a new feature, in this edition a tenth award was added, the SNOWZONE Award 'Snow4all'.which will be awarded each year to the person or organisation that has been most distinguished in the promotion of inclusive snow sports. Jon Santacana and Miguel Galindosilver medal in the Supercombined event of the Paralympic Games in PyeongChang 2018, were the first winners of this recognition.
As an exception to the athletes who were honoured, two medals were awarded to Lluís Breitfuss the COE badge in recognition of his work as sports director of the RFEDI during the 2018 Olympic Games in PyeongChang, and Lucía Hoyo was awarded the RFEDI sports merit medal for her 25 years at the federation.
The panel of judges that evaluated the candidatures and decided the winners (in awards not linked to the world ranking) was made up of various representatives of the sector: María José Rienda, President of the National Sports Council; Alejandro Blanco, President of the Spanish Olympic Committee. May Peus, President of RFEDI; Jesús Ibáñez, President of ATUDEM; Javier Villar, Director of Madrid SnowZone; Fernando Ruiz, Director of Eurosport; Lola Fernández Ochoa, Olympic skier; Jordi Font, snowboarder Olympic Diploma and Carolina Ruiz, Olympic skier.
The company FOREO, a Swedish brand of beauty tech that is on sale at El Corte Ingléswas one of the sponsors of the III National Snow Sports Awards for the second consecutive year. Along with RS Roslain Sport who created the official watch of the RFEDI.
Complete List of Award Recipients
- Paquito Fernández Ochoa AwardThe best male athlete of the 2018/2019 season according to the world ranking:
Juan del Campo, due to his great performance in the 2018-19 season; he managed to qualify in the Top 30 of the Schladming World Cup Slalom and in the Top 27 of the Are World Cup (Sweden).
- María José Rienda AwardThe best female athlete of the 2018/19 season according to the world ranking.
Queralt Castelletfor 2nd place for her circuit in the World Cup Half-pipe, 1st place Half-pipe in the Calgary World Cup, 2nd place Half-pipe in the World Cup in Laax (Switzerland), 2nd place Half-pipe in the X-Games in Aspen (USA), 3rd place Half-pipe in the Dew tour in Copper Mountain Resort (USA) and 4th place Half-pipe in the World Championship in Park City (USA).
- Carolina Ruiz Award, the most promising athlete of the 2018/19 season.
Albert Ortegafor his exponential improvement in the world ranking in all categories, being in the Top 20 of his age, among the youngest in the world. Top 25 in all Alpine events in the World Junior 2019.
- Blanca Fernández Ochoa Award - Women and Snowto the most distinguished person or entity in promoting the role of women in snow 2018/19.
Blanca Fernández Ochoa, first woman to win an Olympic medal, bronze in Albertville 92, for Spain and contribute to the development and promotion of Alpine Skiing in our country.
- ATUDEM Award, to the mountain resort with the greatest sporting involvement in the 2018/19 season.
Baqueira Beretfor organising the Snowboard Cross World Cup in March 2019.
- Israel Planas Awardto the best coach of the 2018/19 season.
Josep Gil, Freestyle coach, for helping place his 2 athletes among the best in the international freestyle rankings and their participation in World Cups in the 2018-19 season.
- Snow Sports Communication Awardfor their support of snow sports communication in the 2018/19 season.
Paco Grandefor his Vintage Connection of Paco Fdez-Ochoa and Blanca Fdez-Ochoa and for all his journalistic career.
- SNOW INDUSTRY Award, to the company with the greatest involvement in promoting snow sports in the 2018/2019 season.
AC-Hotelsfor their support of winter sports for more than 5 seasons and especially in 2018-19.
- SPAINSNOW Awardto the club or FFAA with the greatest performance in the 2018/19 season.
Basque Winter Sports Federationfor being the only Autonomous Federation to have athletes in all the Absolute World Championships in 2019, AL, FO and SB.
- SNOWZONE Award 'Snow4all'.to the person or entity that has most distinguished itself in the promotion of inclusive snow sports 2018/19.
Jon Santacana and Miguel Galindofor their promotion in inclusive sport and for their entire professional careers.