2025 Alumni Reunion & Samuel Ryan Coffey Memorial Award
Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club held an alumni reunion at the Clubhouse on July 2, 2025 with 114 alumni, board members, coaches, and families in attendance. It was a beautiful evening celebrating AVSC’s storied past and athletes, including special guest Olympian Andy Mill and many other Aspen legends. A highlight of the evening was the awarding of the Samuel Ryan Coffey Memorial Award and Scholarship to senior FIS Alpine racer Luka Smalls, with heartfelt tributes from Sam’s friends and family (Wiley Maple, Sam’s mom Cathy and sister JoJo, Lorna Pedersen-Petersen and Andy Mill). Watch the video presentation below.
From his coaches:
“I never had the opportunity to meet Sam, but I've come to know him from the community and feel the legacy he left behind. Luka Smalls earned this year's Sam Coffey Memorial Award and Scholarship through great skiing, impressive work ethic, and a genuine love for the mountains. Until recently, Luka was a multi-sport athlete competing in both Nordic and Alpine disciplines which is at least in part responsible for his consistently fast first splits. He is almost always the first to training and the last to leave. He is a leader in our program and always ready to help teammates in a pinch. Athletes like Luka and Sam embrace exploration, trying a variety of sports at a young age, and they tend to be better, more robust athletes in the face of competition. In true Sam Coffey fashion, when Luka isn't on the hill, he always finds time to continue to explore.” Jeff Lackie, Alpine Program Director, AVSC
"Luka Smalls earned this year’s Sam Coffey Memorial Award and Scholarship through great skiing, impressive work ethic, and a genuine love for the mountains. He is almost always the first to training and the last to leave, he is a leader in our program and always is ready to help teammates in a pinch. In true Sam Coffey fashion, when he isn’t on the race hill, he always finds time to get adventure in, whether it’s skiing in Greenland or fishing in Alaska. His passion for skiing and life makes him the perfect candidate for this award, and the infectious Sam-esque smile doesn’t hurt either." Jack Kirby, Lead Men’s FIS Coach, AVSC
We look forward to many more alumni events to come (save the date for next July 1, 5-7pm at the Clubhouse). Alumni, sign up hereto make sure you’re notified of future events and news.
See more from the event:
- View and download photos from the evening here.
- View video of the speeches here.
- Learn more about the Samuel Ryan Coffey Memorial Award and Scholarship and donate to this scholarship program here.
- Sign up to receive news and events from AVSC here.
A huge thanks to our Stewardship team (Ash Farrington, Jared Ettlinger, and Dave Stapleton) and the AVSC staff who pitched in to help with the event. Also a big thanks goes to Jetzen O'Connor and Owen Frederick, who stepped in to video the event and capture favorite memories of AVSC from alumni (Look for more on that soon!).
