Two Boulder men who have been influential in the molding of snowsports for the past four decades in Colorado and throughout the world, Trent Bush and Chris Pappas, will be honored in October as part of the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame class of 2026.
Considered “sport builders” — those who made a name for themselves in competition as well as through the promotion of events and groundbreaking engineering and technological concepts — Bush and Pappas have had their fingerprints on many aspects in the evolution of the industry.
The Hall of Fame will recognize the pair, along with four others, in a ceremony Oct. 10 at the Vilar Performing Arts Center at Beaver Creek.
Bush has worked for and through a number of companies in both event promotion and product design, and his work extends past snowboarding to include backcountry and alpine skiing. The Colorado Sports Hall of Fame described in a news release that Bush has “embraced, legitimized, and accelerated the growth of snowboarding, including advocating for women athletes. He has been instrumental in ensuring an accurate and meaningful representation for snowboarding through leadership and unwavering dedication to advancing and protecting snowboarding within the broader snow sports community.”
As for Pappas, his journey to Hall induction began in competition, and he graduated into coaching where he has mentored several Olympians. He also “was an evangelist of early Colorado snowboarding, working with ski areas to open their minds and lifts to snowboarding,” the Hall described.
Tickets for general admission to the induction ceremony start at $75, with all proceeds going to support the Colorado Snowsports Museum, a nonprofit organization, and the Colorado Snowsports Museum. More information can be found at .
