2023 - 2024 Far West Skier's Guide - 62

Genia Fuller-Crews has spent a lifetime
dedicated to snowsports, making an indelible
positive impact, not only as a pioneer leading
to the development of new and exciting disciplines
on the Olympic stage, but also as a
pioneer in fighting for equal financial benefits
and recognition for women in snowsports.
Considered one of the Legends of Freestyle
Skiing with eight years of competition,
Genia Fuller was an ambassador to the early
years of " Hot Dog " freestyle skiing due to her
smile, laugh and genuine love for the sport.
Combining precision, versatility and a go-forbroke
style, Genia Fuller dominated in all the
events and served as a charismatic ambassador
in freestyle's formative years.
Genia Fuller-Crews,
World Freestyle
Champion and
Honored Member
of the U.S. Ski and
Snowboard Hall of
Fame, was presented
with the Snowsports
Builder Award by
Jane Wyckoff,
FWSA Past
President.
photo by Steve Strickland /
Strictly Photography
It all began on the ice, where at age 2 a
precocious Genia was escorted around the
rink of the Skating Club of Boston by Olympic
Champion Tenley Albright. The mandatory
school figures bored her, which led Genia at
age 13 to the rope tows at the 200-vertical-foot
Jericho Hill in Marlboro, Massachusetts. Her
ascension as a skier was swift, finishing second
in her first national junior freestyle
contest when she was 16 years old.
Named Skiing Magazine's Skier of the
Year three times between 1973-1978, Fuller's
career earned her numerous World Freestyle
Championships and titles. Her first title was
earned in 1973 with her winning the Women's
National Aerial Title and 3rd overall at Sun
Valley, Idaho.
Willy Bogner in the ski film " W. "
competition of the 1974 season was at Waterville
Valley, New Hampshire, and Genia won
all three disciplines, as well as the overall title.
This has never been repeated by any competitor,
male or female.
In 1975, she won the overall Women's
Grand Prix freestyle title along with winning
four of the six overall events. In 1976, she finished
fifth overall, despite an injury-shortened
half season and in 1977, despite only competing
in three competitions, it was enough to
move her overall ranking to fourth. In 1978,
she was again on her form, winning the overall
World Freestyle Championship title along
with three out of five individual titles. Fuller
became an innovator in pole-free ballet, touring
Europe and Japan, sharing skills and
knowledge with many upcoming young freestyler
skiers. She performed in over 500 days
of dryland ski shows.
All freestyle competition events today,
whether on skis or snowboards, are rooted in
" Freestyle Pioneer and Advocate for More
Inclusive Recognition in Snowsports "
Genia Fuller - Crews
by Jane Wyckoff
Past President, FWSA
That same year she skied for
The first
what the pioneers of freestyle - the Hot
Doggers - created in the 1960s and 1970s. The
freestyle skiing competitions in the recent
2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeong Chang,
South Korea, all evolved from earlier versions
of the various disciplines considered freestyle
events. Today's Olympic skiing and snowboarding
freestyle events include aerials, moguls,
ski cross, slopestyle, and half pipe, but it
wasn't until the 1988 Olympics in Calgary
that any freestyle event had ever even appeared
in the Olympics. Genia Fuller was one
of the pioneers and early notables of the grand
era of true " Free " Style skiing.
Fearless both on and off the hill, she also
led the effort to bring equal prize money to the
women's tour. She parlayed her skiing fame
into high-visibility roles on television, with the
Women's Superstars, in the Battle of the Sexes,
and in the ABC special, " The Lady is a Champ, "
which featured Genia alongside Billie Jean
King and Chris Evert. At the height of her career
in 1976 she signed new contracts with
Colgate, ABC television, which earned recognition
for freestyle skiing through media exposure.
Today,
Genia Fuller-Crews is still involved
in promoting and serving the snowsports industry.
She was inducted into the U.S. Ski and
Snowboard Hall of Fame in 2016 and cur62
Far West Skier's Guide 2O23 - 2O24
rently serves on its Board of Directors. In
2019 she authored the " The Women in Snowsports
Industry Award " for the U.S. Ski and
Snowboard Hall of Fame and serves as chairman
of the program. She stated, " I know there
are so many incredible women who have made
huge contributions, yet never had their time in the
spotlight! " The recipient of this award is a pioneer
of the industry who has made an extraordinary
impact through innovation,
product design & functionality, fashion, marketing
or any area within the industry.
Outside skiing, Genia is an Emergency
Medical Technician (EMT) and a CPR, First
Aid, and EMT Instructor. She is well immersed
in disaster teams and disaster / emergency
preparedness activities for Ventura
County, and lives in Simi Valley, California.
For those of us that had the pleasure of
meeting Genia at our 2019 FWSA Annual
Convention, when her friend Barbara Alley
Simon received the Snowsports Builder
Award, we noticed that she still has that same
youthful smile, laughter and genuine love of
snowsports. We were honored to have Genia
Fuller-Crews join us for another FWSA Convention,
and to present her with the Snowsports
Builder Award. ss
2023 - 2024 Far West Skier's Guide

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