Lifetime Achievement & Industry Impact Awards

Recipients of NSAA's Industry Impact and Lifetime Achievement awards are visionaries, leaders, and trailblazers whose work has made our industry better.

2025 Recipients 2024 Recipients 2023 Recipients

Past Lifetime Winners Past Impact Winners

2025 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

chip perfect headshot

Chip Perfect

King of the Side Hustle

King of the side hustle, Perfect’s career so far has been one of startups, serial entrepreneurship, catalyzing change, having fun, and improving everything and everyone he touches.

NSAA’s Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes those individuals who have demonstrated an extraordinary lifetime commitment to NSAA and the ski industry and whose contribution will benefit the industry for decades to come.

2025 Industry Impact Award Recipient

chris cushing headshot

Chris Cushing

Artful Engineer

In his career, Cushing’s magic has touched resorts on five continents. Widely recognized in this industry, he's been the man behind the curtain for design awards that Deer Valley, Steamboat and other world-renowned resorts have won.

NSAA’s Industry Impact Award recognizes those individuals or organizations whose contributions have had a significant and valuable impact to the ski industry.

2024 Award Recipients

Lifetime Achievement: Russ Coloton

Master of Change

russ coloton headshot
If the ability to navigate change with grace and agility is the mark of an adept leader, then everyone in the industry can agree that Hunter Mountain’s Russ Coloton is one of the greats.

A Small Ski Area Big Thinker

Kenny Hess Headshot
Massanutten’s Kenny Hess played an integral role in developing new skiers and riders, and bringing lodging and recreation amenities to life at a 6,000-acre property that is far more than meets the eye.

Lifetime Achievement: Rusty Gregory

Ski Industry Architect

Premium Partner in Protection

Industry Impact: The Frontline Workers

Heroes of the Season

Whether they knew what they were in for or not, ski industry staff on the frontlines during the 2020–21 season signed up to do two jobs: the one on their nametag as well as officer of public safety. A combination of COVID in the air and cabin fever all around made for some unusual operating circumstances this season, exposing staff to everything from grateful guests to elevated levels of disrespect.