As this ski season winds down, the Maine Ski Hall of Fame is already planning the kickoff for next season.

The hall will induct its sixth class on Oct. 24 at Lost Valley in Auburn. It’s an impressive group of Maine skiers. The list includes four Olympians, a top ski jumper, a ski resort builder, two top coaches and one of the state’s most influential ski instructors. They come from around the state – Auburn, Sugarloaf, Bridgton, Mexico, Winthrop, Livermore and South Paris. The Class of 2008 will bring the total members in the Ski Hall to 58 since the inaugural class in 2003.

The annual banquet has turned into a reunion of skiers, who gather to celebrate and congratulate the new members. Details of this year’s banquet will be announced in late summer. The Maine Ski Hall of Fame is a division of the Ski Museum of Maine. Information about the museum and the hall can be found at www.skimuseumofmaine.org.

The Class of 2008 follows:

Bill Cummings

Olympic jumper Norm Cummings always credits his brother, Bill, as the one who inspired and taught him to be a world class ski jumper. Bill was a successful skier at Edward Little and New Hampton Academy. As a jumper and alpine skier, he led the University of Maine to a rating among the top collegiate teams in the Eastern U.S. and Canada. Ted Curtis, who coached the Maine ski team for 30 years, called Cummings one of the top five skiers during his tenure.

King Cummings

Some get a lot done while avoiding the spotlight. King Cummings was one of those. He was one of the founders of Sugarloaf and was recognized by other board members as the key strategy guy. He played a significant role in the Dick Bell Chapel and was the founder of CVA, but his most critical role was in the 1970s and 80s, when he lead the expansion of the area into resort status. When hard times came, he stepped in with both financing and leadership to guide the company back to health.

Hans Jenni

A champion skier from Davos, Switzerland, Hans Jenni came to the U.S. in 1956. After two years at Cannon Mountain, he moved to Maine to direct the ski school at Pleasant Mountain. He led the ski school until 1968. His polished reverse shoulder technique along with wedeln style had a great influence on a generation of skiers.

Tim LaVallee

Tim LaVallee raced at Winthrop High School, serving as captain his senior year, and went on ski at Plymouth State College. He then entered coaching, where he has enjoyed success at every level from high school to college to the U.S. Ski Team. From 1984 to 1987, LaVallee was a development coach, technical director and executive director of USSCA for the U.S. Ski Team. He recently retired from Gould Academy, where he served as athletic director and director of the Gould Academy/Sunday River competition program.

Pat Miller

Pat Miller came out of the Chisolm Ski Club to compete successfully in high school and Eastern cross country racing. He earned All-America honors in Nordic combined at Fort Lewis College. He was a member of the U.S. Nordic Ski Team from 1968 to 1974 and was an alternate for the 1972 Olympics. Following his retirement, Miller achieved his greatest accomplishments as a coach. His Utah teams won eight NCAA titles.

Dan Simoneau

Dan Simoneau was a member of the U.S. Nordic Ski Team from 1976 to 1988. He was on the FIS team in 1982, ’85 and ’87, and competed in three Olympics – 1980, ’84 and ’88. He won the US Championships 30K from 1987-88,and finished seventh overall in his initial World Cup season. He placed second behind Bill Koch for the only 1-2 finish ever recorded by U.S. cross country skiers and was on a winning relay team.

Julie Parisien

After an outstanding junior racing career, Julie Parisien had a breakthrough year in 1991 when she won FIS, NorAm and Europa Cup races. The Auburn racer capped the season with the first World Cup victory by an American women in four years, taking the gold in the giant slalom at the World Cup finals at Waterville Valley. She went on to win three times on the World Cup circuit, win a World Championship silver medal, and represent her country three times in the Olympics.

Bob Kendall

Bob Kendall was the highest achiever of a family of high achieving skiers. After leading Edward Little High School to two state championships, he skied four years at the University of Colorado. This led to three years on the U.S. ski team, during which he participated in the 1972 Olympics in Nordic combined. Following his competitive career, he coached Colorado’s Nordic skiers when they won two NCAA championships.

Leslie Bancroft

Leslie Bancroft won skimeister honors two consecutive years at Oxford Hills High School. She finished eighth in her inaugural World Cup cross country race in 1978. Bancroft spent five years on the U.S. team and an competed in the 1980 Olympics. She retired in 1983 to attend the University of Vermont, but returned to competition after graduating and earned another Olympic berth in 1988. Bancroft won a pair of U.S. championships – 10K in 1987 and 30K in 1986.

Dave Irons is a freelance writer who lives in Westbrook.