Behind Utah’s acclaimed ski and snowboard attractions, two low profile entities that have quietly gone about their duties keeping that image in tact will step on to center stage Oct. 30 when they are honored by the University of Utah J. Willard Marriott Library at its annual Ski Affair gala. The honorees are:

• The History Maker Award will go to The Utah Avalanche Center, a collaborative between the U.S. Forest Service and a nonprofit organization. They work statewide to provide vital education, resources and avalanche safety information for backcountry skiers, hikers and snowboarders.
• The S.J. Quinney Award will go to Howard Peterson, who was a driving force behind the establishment and nurturing of Soldier Hollow cross-country and biathlon venue near Heber City, UT, a venue that today is a thriving legacy of Utah’s staging the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. He also is former president of the U.S. Ski Team and a member of the group that formed the Cross Country Ski Areas Association in 1977.

They will be honored at the 28^th annual Ski Affair, a fundraising auction and dinner that benefits the library’s Ski Archives, which house one of the nation’s largest collections of skiing history. A reception and silent auction will begin at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and the awards ceremony.

According to Barbara Yamada, chair of the 30-member volunteer board that stages the Ski Affair, some 500 ski/snowboard enthusiasts are expected to usher in the new winter season at the festive gala.