Alf Engen
| Alf Engen | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Alf Marinius Engen May 15, 1909 Mjøndalen, Nedre Eiker, Buskerud county, Norway |
| Died | July 20, 1997 (aged 88) Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Resting place | Centerville City Cemetery, Centerville, Utah |
| Monuments | Alf Engen Ski Museum |
| Nationality | Norwegian, American |
| Occupation | Skier and ski school teacher/owner |
| Known for | skiing pioneer in U.S. |
| Spouse(s) | Evelyn Pack Engen (1917–2010) (m. 1937–1997, his death) |
| Children | 2 |
Alf Marinius Engen (May 15, 1909–July 20, 1997) was a Norwegian-American skier. He set several ski jumping world records during the 1930s and helped establish numerous ski areas in the Western United States. Engen is best known for his ski school at Alta in Utah and as the pioneer of powder skiing.
Born in Norway in the town of Mjøndalen, in Nedre Eiker municipality in Buskerud county, Engen was the first son of Trond and Martha Oen Engen. His two younger brothers, Sverre (1911–2001) and Corey (1916–2006), were also accomplished skiers. As the first-born son of a famous skiing father, Engen was naturally reared to ski. After his father died of the Spanish flu in 1918 when he was 9, Engen's mother moved the family the short distance to the small town of Steinberg. In 1929 at age 20, Alf and his brother Sverre (age 18) emigrated to the United States, first settling in Chicago, then relocating to Salt Lake City, Utah in 1931. Their widowed mother Martha and younger brother Corey (age 17) joined them in 1933.
Engen quickly gained a reputation for his world class skiing skills. Although primarily a ski jumper when he arrived in the U.S., he quickly mastered alpine skiing and is credited for developing the technique of powder skiing, honed at the Alta Ski Area. The following years he won numerous American and international titles. In 1940, Engen finished first in the National Four-way in Seattle, Washington. Engen was also the recipient of numerous awards including the All-American Ski Trophy, 1937, Americanism Award in 1940, Helm's Hall of Fame Award in 1954; and Skier's Hall of Fame Award in 1956.
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