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Last Lift

National Safety Poster Winners & Their Artful

Contributions to Snowsports Safety

BY REBECCA W. AYERS, EDITOR

Marshall Kok, representing Alta Ski Area, took the prize for the Best Safety Message. Autumn Owens, from Winter Park Resort, submitted the Most Creative Safety Poster.

THE NATIONAL SAFETY POSTER CONTEST is an enjoyable ritual winners receive a free helmet, courtesy of NSAA.
at the NSAA office in Lakewood, Colo., each year. Stacks Taking the honors for Best Safety Message is 10-year-
and stacks of entries from elementary students across the old Marshall Kok, representing Alta Ski Area, Utah. Kok’s
country are painstakingly sorted and critiqued, with the poster won the title for his illustration of courteous skiers
entire staff casting a vote for their favorite submission in two observing the Responsibility Code tenet: Whenever start-
categories: Best Safety Message and Most Creative Safety ing downhill or merging onto a trail, always look uphill and
Poster. It’s impossible not to smile (and sometimes laugh) at yield to others. For good measure, Kok also included a scene
the originality, talent, and knowledge on display. of a pedestrian wisely applying the etiquette in a parking lot.
The contest—a popular competition among NSAA The winner of the Most Creative Safety Poster desig-
member resorts—provides a prime opportunity to reinforce nation is 10-year-old Autumn Owens, representing Winter
the safety message with young guests who are visiting a ski Park Resort, Colo. Owens submitted a simple but skillful
area or are participating in Safety Month activities at local rendering of a skull in the snow, a felled tree, and broken
schools. The contest targets fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-graders, skis beneath a threatening red sky to convey the impor-
but any elementary-age student may participate. tance of observing signs and warnings, and keeping off of
The hope is that by illustrating their favorite compo- closed trails. To drive home the message Owens juxtaposed
nents of Your Responsibility Code, kids will be more likely the dark side with a safer scene of an upright tree and a clear
to remember the importance of the “rules of the road” not trail under a bluebird sky.
only during Safety Month but throughout the year. The NSAA congratulates Marshall Kok and Autumn Owens
resorts pick their favorites from the entries they receive and for winning the awards, and thanks them for their artful
forward their selections to NSAA for the final vetting. The contributions to snowsports safety.

72 | NSAA JOURNAL | SUMMER 2018