La Malbaie, Quebec – Women's skiing pioneer Jeannie Thoren's lifetime devotion to making skiing easier and more fun was recognized by North American Snowsports Journalists (NASJA) at their annual meeting in Quebec.

Thoren, of Duluth, Minn., received the Carson White Golden Quill Award for 2003, presented by NASJA at its annual meeting here. The Golden Quill recognizes individuals who have made outstanding individual contributions to the advancement of snow sports in North America. The award is named for Carson White, first president of the U.S. Ski Writers Association (now named NASJA) and was first presented in 1969.

Thoren's legacy can be found in today's women-specific ski equipment and in the many women-only ski clinics and workshops that prosper at resorts throughout North America.

Thoren has a mission, and for the past 20 years she has pursued it with all the gentility and reserve of a pit bull. Her goal: to help women ski better by making their equipment better.

Thoren, 54, made the Junior National Team as a high school junior and was the only woman on the Northern Michigan University men's team. During her years of skiing in Switzerland and Sun Valley, she came to realize that certain aspects of the female anatomy — particularly a woman's wider pelvis and a lower center of gravity — limit most women's ability to improve, particularly if they use ski gear designed for men.

After fighting for years to get the industry to listen, Thoren struck out on her own, traveling to ski resorts with a van full of equipment, helping thousands of women ski better by modifying their equipment for the way women ski. Eventually the manufacturers took note and today — thanks to Throne's pioneering efforts — women enjoy an array of ski products specifically geared to their anatomy and the way they ski.

Using herself as a guinea pig, Thoren developed a system of equipment modification (placing heel lifts in boots, mounting bindings ahead of the manufacturer-recommended positions) to move a woman's center of mass forward and over her skis, thus easing turn initiation. Her doggedness and determination led to an eventual industry standard for women's skis.

More importantly, Thoren has done more than any individual to keep women from losing interest in skiing and dropping out of the sport. Thoren is a pioneer in women's skiing programs and conducts more than 25 on-snow events annually nationwide, customizing ski equipment for hundreds of women every year.

Ski Magazine ranks her among the 100 most influential skiers of all time (1999), she is among the top 100 ski instructors in the U.S., according to Skiing Magazine (1999), and she was one of the first inductees into the Women's Ski Hall of Fame (1994). Thoren and her efforts have also been the subject of articles in more than 15 national and regional publications.

Today, Thoren's mission remains the same as it has always been: to help women ski better by making their equipment better.

The North American Snowsports Journalists Association is the only professional organization for snow sports writers, photographers, broadcasters and electronic media representatives from throughout the United States and Canada. For more information, visit www.nasja.org.