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
Alta or ALTA may refer to:
Acronyms
* Alt-A, short for Alternative A-paper, is a type of U.S. mortgage
* American Land Title Association, a national trade association representing the land title industry
* American Literary Translators Associatio ...
in
Utah and as the pioneer of powder skiing.
Background
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 Sverre, Sverrir or Sverri is a Nordic name from the Old Norse ''Sverrir'', meaning "wild, swinging, spinning". It is a common name in Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands; it is less common in Denmark and Sweden. It can also be a surname. Sverre ma ...
(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 nine, Engen's mother moved the family the short distance to the small town of
Steinberg. In 1929 at age twenty, Alf and his brother
Sverre Sverre, Sverrir or Sverri is a Nordic name from the Old Norse ''Sverrir'', meaning "wild, swinging, spinning". It is a common name in Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands; it is less common in Denmark and Sweden. It can also be a surname. Sverre ma ...
(age 18) emigrated to the United States, first settling in
Chicago, then relocating west to Utah in 1931 at
Salt Lake City. Their widowed mother Martha and younger brother Corey (age 17) joined them in 1933.
Career
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
Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, unlike other types of skiing ( cross-country, Telemark, or ski jumping), which use skis with free-heel bindings. Whether for ...
and is credited for developing the technique of powder skiing, honed at the
Alta Ski Area. The following years he won numerous
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
and international titles. In 1940, Engen finished first in the National Four-way, held east of
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.
He helped establish the ski school at
Alta
Alta or ALTA may refer to:
Acronyms
* Alt-A, short for Alternative A-paper, is a type of U.S. mortgage
* American Land Title Association, a national trade association representing the land title industry
* American Literary Translators Associatio ...
, and assisted in the creation of thirty other ski resorts in the western United States. The three Engen brothers helped to popularize skiing in the West, primarily in
Utah and
Idaho. Alf's son Alan carries on the family tradition at Alta. Alf Engen died in Salt Lake City in 1997, at the age of 88; his two younger brothers both lived to the age of 90.
[
]
Alf Engen Ski Museum
The Alf Engen Ski Museum is located in the Joe Quinney Winter Sports Center at Utah Olympic Park, north of Park City. It contains more than 300 trophies, medals, uniforms, scrapbooks, skis, boots, photos, films, and other collectables that span some 70 years in the career of the Engen family. The museum's educational component gives school children a skiing-based foundation to study subjects such as the water cycle, physics, and Utah's colorful history.
The Museum recently added a fully functional virtual ski experience designed and built by Utah-based company Unrivaled. The ride takes you through an amazing downhill ski experience and even gives the authentic feeling of skiing by adding wind and even snow to the overall downhill experience.
Invalid ski jumping world record
Not recognized! He stood at WR, but this record never made it to WR official books.
Not recognized! He stood at WR, but Utah SC wasn't member of Western American Winter Sport Ass..
Not recognized! He stood at world record distance, but set at unofficial competition.
Not recognized! He stood at world record distance, but at practice session.
Video
Vimeo.com
– Alf Engen - The Old Man Of The Mountain - Powder segment
References
External links
Alf Engen Ski Museum
U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame
– Alf Engen
KUED.org
– Alf Engen: Utah's athlete of the century
Alf Engen Scrapbooks
– University of Utah's Marriott Library: Special Collections
Alf Engen Paper
a
University of Utah Digital LibraryMarriott Library Special Collections
Alan K Engen Papers
a
University of Utah Digital LibraryMarriott Library Special Collections
Alta Historical Society
– Early history of Alta
*
Alf Engen papers, 1915-1972
– Archives West
Alf Engen Ski Museum records, 1993-2007
– Archives West
{{DEFAULTSORT:Engen, Alf
1909 births
1997 deaths
Norwegian male alpine skiers
American male alpine skiers
Norwegian emigrants to the United States