by Chad Abraham, Aspen Daily News Staff Writer
It’s been quite the month for Klug, 38, whose wife Missy gave birth two weeks ago to the couple’s first child, a girl named Bali.
On Friday, not knowing he had been nominated for induction, Klug received a call from a museum official telling him he will go into the hall during a ceremony in November.
“I was blown away,” he said. “I’m so proud to join such a great group of riders and skiers who have contributed so much to Colorado.”
The nomination was written by Bill Tomcich, president of Stay Aspen Snowmass, and seconded by Aspen Skiing Co. President Mike Kaplan and David Perry, SkiCo senior vice president.
“Chris is an inspiring ambassador to the sport of snowboarding, our resort community and the state of Colorado, and we believe a most deserving candidate for the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame,” their letter read.
The son of Kathy Klug, a college counselor at Aspen High School, and Warren Klug, general manager at the Aspen Square hotel, Klug is the only organ transplant recipient to compete in the Winter Olympics. He won the bronze medal in parallel giant slalom at the Salt Lake City Games in 2002 and also competed at the Olympics in Nagano, Japan in 1998 and Vancouver in 2010.
His long career, which included 20 years on the World Cup tour and finishing his professional career by winning the U.S. title for snowboard parallel slalom in 2010, almost never was.
In the 1990s, Klug contracted a liver disease and underwent transplant surgery in 2000. In the years since, he has devoted time to his namesake foundation that he started in 2003, which spreads awareness about organ donations.
“Perhaps most impressive of all is Chris’ dedication toward spreading the life-saving message of organ- and tissue-donor awareness since becoming the fortunate recipient of an organ transplant himself,” Tomcich wrote. “His story has literally touched hundreds of thousands since.”
This winter, Klug said he spent a lot of time freeriding in the backcountry around town and participating in ski mountaineering events like the Grand Traverse and Power of Four. He is also focusing on his real estate career.
Klug will join 30 or so other Aspenites, including Walter Paepcke, Fred Iselin and Klaus Obermeyer, that make up the nearly 200 inductees in the hall of fame.
“When I got on a snowboard, what, 30 years ago, I never envisioned where it would take me,” he said. “What a ride it’s been.”
CONGRATULATIONS CHRIS, FROM YOUR FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS FROM THE DONATE LIFE ORGAN & TISSUE DONATION BLOG!
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