Bill Berry has reported winter sport news since the winter of 1916. He reported on more ski tourneys, both Alpine and Nordic, than any other reporter in the nation. Bill’s career in the Sierras saw him on the slopes of Truckee and Lake Tahoe in 1926, covering events of the old National Ski Association.

Bill reported skiing for such papers as the Reno Journal, The Sacramento Bee, The Sacramento Union, The New York Daily News, and all the major wire services. He reported the skiing events for the 1960 Olympics and the FIS Championships in 1950 through 1964. In his last year of reporting, he covered over 100 Far West high school and intercollegiate races on the spot, a record that may never be equaled by any ski writer.

Bill was the Historian for Auburn Ski Club’s Western America SkiSport Museum at Boreal Ridge, and was Historian Emeritus for the National Ski Hall of Fame in Ispeming, Michigan. In 1969, he was the recipient of the Blegen Award, the highest award given by USSA. He was inducted into the National Ski Hall of Fame in the Bicentennial year, 1976. He passed away in January 1999, active to the end.

The Bill Berry Award is for Print Coverage of Skiing. This award is given for outstanding service to skiing and is presented to writers for either a featured article or hard news.

William Banks Berry
Apr. 7, 1903 - Jan. 1999

Walter Roessing 2005, Richard Kun 2005
receives the Bill Berry Award from Mike Sanford

Leigh Gieringer 2004
receives the Bill Berry Award for Featured Article from Joe Loader

Walter Roessing 2000
receives the Bill Berry Award for Hard News from Steve Coxen