Announcing Our 2025 King Winter Nominees

Jan 27
5 min read

Updated: May 6

Read all about our 2025 nominees below. All of our nominees are outstanding examples of individuals who have a passion for all things winter, give back to the mountain community through acts of service, and actively work on growing the Mt Hood community by inspiring new people with their passion and commitment.

Have a last-minute nomination? Submit it by January 31st using the form on the website (link in Maidenforum) for the membership preview OR bring your info to the February 4th meeting to share with the group for last-minute consideration.

Voting for King Winter

This year, we will be voting at our February 4th meeting at Smitty's Taphouse in Sellwood (see events page for address). Social begins at 6:30pm and meeting starts at 7pm. Smitty's does not serve food, but we are able to bring food in - more info on that coming later this week. I'm working with the owner to coordinate.

Voting will look like this:

Members who nominated will share about the individual they're supporting
Once all nominee info has been shared, we will open the floor for additional, last-minute nominees - anyone who has a nomination will be asked to share about the individual and how they uphold the values of Passion, Service, and Community that we are seeking in our King Winter.
After all nominees have been presented, we will take a vote by written submission
Votes will be tallied and King Winter will be announced

Can't be at the meeting that evening?

If you're unable to be there in person due to location or health, but you're an ACTIVE voting member of Skiyente (this means your $60 dues have been paid and you're on the current roster), you can participate in the vote by joining the meeting via Zoom. Voting will be done using the chat feature, where you'll message our Skiyente account directly with your vote.

Zoom Meeting to start at 6:45pm on Tuesday, February 4th.

Link to Zoom meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89968763379?pwd=9srpe8DKAhMtDnp3jLhrUVlJ8g3Jud.1

Meeting ID: 899 6876 3379

Passcode: 123456

**Per the Skiyente by-laws, voting by proxy is not allowed. A Zoom vote is recognized as an online/in-person-ish vote, which is allowed in our by-laws. If you disagree, I'm happy to send you the section of the by-laws where this is stated.

Ulla Brunette

Ulla is a lifetime Govy Girl. She has raced on Mt. Hood and beyond since1971. Besides being an avid skier, she enjoys hiking. She is an active member of all the communities she is part of. She helped with the Government Camp revitalization project and was one of the first proprietors to participate. She volunteers and actively participates in leadership roles in both civic and social organizations - GC Sanitary District, GC Road District, MHSP, MHCCM, PACRAT, Skiyente, NWSCC.

Ulla has been nominated by Sandi Shaub

Barb Pressentin

A lifetime of skiing, community service, and resilience defines my journey. Growing up between Mount Hood and Lake Oswego, I was introduced to skiing at the age of three, carving early memories on Summit and The Glade Trail. By high school, I was excelling in competitive skiing, proudly earning All-State honors and leading my Lakeridge High team as captain. My deep connection to Mount Hood blossomed through friendships, racing, and family traditions tied to The Huckleberry Inn, built by my grandparents. At the University of Oregon, my passion for skiing and teamwork grew as I revitalized the ski team, creating competitive opportunities for both men and women. Earning recognition like Ski Meister at Willamette Pass highlighted my love for the sport, while my journalism studies allowed me to promote skiing through writing and photography. Skiing became a cornerstone of my adult life, whether coaching, organizing fundraisers, or leading clubs like Skiyente. I balanced the demands of family, career, and volunteerism, even through personal losses and injuries. My commitment to fostering connections and building community on and off the slopes remains unwavering. Today, I look forward to rebuilding my racing team and enjoying Mount Hood traditions with the next generation of skiers.

Barb has been nominated by Sally Niedermeyer

Jesse Scroggins

In 1970 at the age of 12 Jesse started skiing because he was too small to play football and was cut from the team. At that time, he had a paper route and used the money he had earned to buy ski equipment from garage sales and purchased lessons from Timberline. He arranged with the Cascadens to get to the mountain for lessons. It was an adventure he started entirely on his own.

After one weekend on the snow with the Cascaden Boys, they thought he was learning to ski so quickly that he should consider joining the race team. Eventually, Jesse became one of our top PNSA racers.

In 1983, Jesse wanted to give back to the sport he loved and started coaching. He first started coaching at Mt. Hood Academy and then went to the Meadows Alpine Ski Racing Association (now MRT) in 1984. He stayed there until 1995 when he ultimately became the head coach for the Cooper Spur Race Team. In 2004, he became the head coach for the Multnomah Athletic Club.

For years, he has been a volunteer coach for the Hood River High School Ski Team. Jesse has had the opportunity to coach young athletes from the Mighty Mites to Jr. Racers.

The time spent on the snow with these athletes is pure dedication. The hours not only on the weekends but the extra hours during the week helping these athletes to fulfill their dream of becoming tomorrow's U.S. Ski Team members.

He has set many race courses for the Master and Jr. Races over the years. He has also been a course ref and is working on becoming a technical delegate. He has volunteered his coaching to Skiyente ladies in the past, and has volunteered in many fundraisers for the U.S. Ski Team.

Years of coaching and the love of skiing has given him the ability to pass the passion on to young athletes as a lifetime coach.

Jesse has been nominated by Marina Nimmo

Ryan Rooper

Ryan's love for skiing and racing began when he was a young kid. At his first PNSA slalom race on Yellow, he was classified as 'Novice' and given bib 132. He finished in 6th that day and instantly qualified as a Junior Expert.

His passion and skill carried him on to collegiate racing and then into adult racing, helping his own daughters learn to race, and then once they were out of the house, dedicating his 'free time' to coaching.

Ryan represents the values embodied by the honor of King Winter. He selflessly devotes time to helping young ski racers through OISRA racing and helping with Schnee Vogeli. He is commonly seen in Govey and at the ski areas smiling and making people happy, no matter the weather. He famously wears multiple layers of waterproofing and long underwear, and then won't let anyone stop skiing until his underwear is wet...which is never.

Ryan is a long-time friend to Skiyente. He has also been a coach and volunteer with OISRA, PNSA, PACRAT, NWSCC, Schnee Vogeli, and many other organizations. He is known for his infectious passion and enthusiasm for the sport. After 14 years of building the St Mary's Ski Team into the prosperous program it is today, Ryan is honored by the Rooper Award, which is a perpetual award given to the athlete on the team who shows exemplary dedication to and passion for the sport of alpine skiing.

Ryan's involvement in the Mt Hood community includes: