Class of 2022
Innovator and Leader in West Virginia Snow Sports
Special Olympics - snow sports contenders, sponsors, guides, equipment, coaches
Instruction - directors, instructors, coaches
Area Operations and/or Management or Development Competition
William (Bill) Freyman
William (Bill) Freyman has led a life of serving others, especially the skiing community. His first action of serving was completing a First Aid course at the University of Maryland in 1967. He joined the Wisp Ski Patrol in 1973. As a patroller, he trained in outdoor First Aid as well as ski skills needed to rescue injured skiers. In 1989 he joined Canaan Valley Ski Patrol, where he excelled in teaching other patrollers Outdoor Emergency Care and Ski and Toboggan handling, which are needed to become a patroller.
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Bill increased his ski-related skills by becoming a Senior level patroller and finally rose to the Certified level in 1985. He spent most of his ski patrol days teaching other patrollers First Aid and ski skills so they could earn Basic, Senior or Certified levels in the Nation Ski Patrol system. Bill has achieved many
awards for helping skiers, ski racers, and ski patrollers. These include OEC, S & T instructor, examiner, and advisor. He was the first patroller from the Southern Appalachian Region to achieve the Certified Patroller award. He has earned four Yellow Merit Star Awards, a Distinguished Service Award, a level I and II PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America) Instructor, and a Level I Alpine Ski Race Coach. Since 2016, he has been a first responder for Whitewater sports in Maryland and West Virginia.
Bill served as the Patrol Director at Canaan Valley Resort from 1994 to 2003. During his tenure, many patrollers increased their skills and knowledge so that they could rescue injured skiers. Mr. Freyman always set high goals and expectations for his ski patrol students. He never gave up on struggling patrollers and helped them advance in their training to become proficient first responders. Under Bill's leadership, the patrollers at Canaan Valley Resort were recognized as being among the best in the Appalachian Region of the National Ski Patrol.
The highest honor Bill earned was to be a race official at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Snow Basin, Utah.