BY DANA DUGAN
Some day, Sun Valley’s women Olympians will be represented by bronze sculptures in Warm Springs at the base of Bald Mountain in what will be known as Champion Row. On Thursday, March 24, a clay model of Gretchen Fraser, the first of six Olympians to be memorialized in bronze, was unveiled at the U.S. Alpine National Championships ceremony.
The clay model of Fraser will be recast in bronze and in July will be installed temporarily at Ketchum Town Square in conjunction with the Ketchum Arts Commission’s summer sculpture installations. In October, it will be moved to Warm Springs.
The sculpture is by Benjamin Victor, sculptor and artist-in-residence and professor of the practice at Boise State University. From Bakersfield, Calif., and now based in Boise, Victor has worked on commissioned large-scale statuary all over the U.S., including at the National Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
“This will be the only women’s Olympic monument in the whole country,” Victor said. “I work with the athletes from life and photos. The statues are all larger than life, about seven feet. When you think about how remarkable it is to have this many standout Olympic athletes all being from this area, a project like this is long overdue. I’m honored to be able to work on it.”
Ketchum resident Brian Barsotti spearheaded fundraising for the statues after conversations with Rob Clayton, executive director of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation.
“We should celebrate our town’s alpine ski heritage,” Barsotti said. “No other resort can claim six medalists.”
Tax-deductible donations can be made through the Bald Mountain Rescue Fund.
As the first American of either gender to win a gold medal in alpine skiing, the first statue is of Fraser, a longtime resident of Sun Valley. A top skier of her day, Fraser competed in the 1948 Winter Olympics.
The sculpture of Fraser is based on photos showing her smiling while holding her skis in her trademark braids.
Other skiers who’ll be honored will be Susie Corrock, Christin Cooper, Picabo Street, Kaitlyn Farrington and Muffy Davis.
“Gretchen is, of course, the place to start,” Christin Cooper said. “She was a great friend and mentor in my early years. I know the statue will shine with her warmth and integrity. All the coaches that have helped winter sports athletes were all skiers first. She invested a lot in those that followed.”