Sverre S. Engen was a Norwegian-American skier, ski coach, ski area manager, and film-maker.
Background
Engen was born in the town of Mjøndalen, in Buskerud county, Norway, the second son of Trond Sorli Engen and Martha Maranda Oen Engen. He had two brothers, Alf Engen (1909–1997) and Corey Engen (1916–2006), both of whom helped expand the sport of skiing in the intermountain United States. Being the second son of a famous skiing father, Engen was naturally reared to ski. After his father died of the Spanish flu in 1918, his mother and brothers moved the short distance to small town Steinberg.
Career
His exploits include serving as Alta ski school director and as the first manager of the then-new Rustler Lodge at Alta, after being the first snow ranger at the resort in 1940. He helped build ski jumps named Ecker Hill, Parleys Canyon. Becker Hill, Ogden Canyon.
And Landes Hill at Alberta
Alta"s Rustler Lodge was built by Sverre Engen and Howard Stillwell. Opened in 1947, it was constructed on the site where the Alta General Store once stood.
He also produced a series of skiing related films. The Engen brothers helped to popularize skiing in the West, primarily in Utah and Idaho.
All three are enshrined in multiple halls of fame, such as the National Ski Hall of Fame in Ishpeming.
Sverre Engen died in 2001 at the age of 90.