A lifetime of service and safety recognized

SEELEY LAKE – For Seeley Lake couple Steve and Cheri Thompson, it was a normal day at Big Sky Resort with their Stanford Ski Group. When their friend Dave Utzinger had a bad crash that broke his neck, the Thompsons immediately started CPR and saved their friend's life.

After being nominated by the SnowBowl Volunteer Ski Patrol Director Joe Lustik, the Thompsons both received a Purple Merit Star for their life-saving actions Sept. 21. With 113 years of combined service volunteering with the National Ski Patrol, this is one of the highest honors awarded to patrollers.

In addition to receiving the Purple Merit Star, Steve's 60 years of leadership and dedication to the NSP was also recognized. He was inducted into the Class of 2019 National Ski Patrol Hall of Fame, an honor afforded to less than 60 individuals and only the second in the Northern Division.

A Lifetime of Patrolling

Steve joined NSP Jan. 1, 1960. While he had always enjoyed skiing, it was his interest in first aid that led him to take the advanced American Red Cross course and join the patrol. He was a junior in high school.

Steve started patrolling at Snow Park, on the other side of TV Mountain and where SnowBowl is currently expanding. When Missoula Ski Patrol Director Tom Thomas decided anyone that could patrol at SnowBowl met the qualifications to be a senior patroller, Steve became one of, if not the youngest, senior patroller in NSP history at age 17.

"I was a junior, senior," said Steve and laughed.

Steve married Cheri in June, 1966. She joined NSP in 1967.

"If I was going to ski with my new husband then I needed to join," said Cheri and smiled.

"We are known as the weekend warriors," said Steve. "They have paid guys that do it during the week."

For the first six years, Steve patrolled in Missoula. After he was commissioned into the Air Force in May 1966, the Thompsons moved to New York and patrolled for three years at Hunter Mountain.

This was a big change from the small Missoula patrol. There were 125 patrollers. They were provided breakfast, lunch, dinner and a bed. The patrol room had an ER doctor, nurse, seven beds, x-ray room and more.

The Thompsons moved to Italy in 1969. While stationed at the Clampino Airforce Base, a major in the Army noticed the NSP decal on the Thompson's Volkswagen bug.

"He'd been walking through the parking lot going back to his office when he saw the NSP decal," said Steve. "He copied down my license plate, ran it through the base motor pool and found out where my office was and got the message to me."

As it turned out, the major was part of a group trying to organize ski patrols in Italy.

The Thompsons worked through the National Ski Patrol Office in Colorado to start the Aremogna patrol in Roccaraso, Italy. They found candidates, registered them, taught American Red Cross first aid, acquired equipment and worked with the Italian patrol to handle the Americans, all with no patrol room or resources. Steve also served as the regional director for southern Europe from fall 1970 - spring 1972.

In the three years the Thompsons were stationed in Italy, they started the Aremogna, Livorno and Vinenza patrols. The Vinenza patrol is still operating.

The Thompsons returned to Montana and resumed patrolling at SnowBowl in 1972. They have been patrolling there ever since.

Steve has held many positions in the Northern Division (Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and half of Wyoming) including: Section Chief; Mountaineering Advisor; Regional Director; Avalanche Supervisor and Co-editor for the Northern Division's newsletter, "The Polaris." From 2012-2017 Steve also worked with the National Avalanche Committee to re-write the Avalanche Level II course materials.

To remain active patrollers, the Thompsons complete the rigorous two-day first aid and CPR refresher annually and are required to complete 12 duty days patrolling at SnowBowl. The Thompsons are outdoor emergency care trainers and are on modified patrol since they are considered non-transporting.

"It's not that we can't transport," said Steve. "But we figure it makes more sense for a 35-year-old than a 75-year-old to grab a sled and run into the bowls."

Steve is the current Northern Division historian where he is working on documenting the history of each patrol within the division. He is also an instructor for the Instructor Development course and the Avalanche course. Thompson said he will complete the fourth edition of the Northern Division Avalanche Level II Home Study workbook this winter. Mark Behan originally penned the home study in 1999. Steve wrote the second edition in 2004 and the third edition in 2010.

The Thompsons love the camaraderie and teamwork within the NSP. They see it as one big family and every gathering is a family reunion.

"When we join a group it is intentional and long term because we believe in the group, the mission and the organization. We join them as a member of a family," said Cheri.

Because they treat these organizations as their extended family, burnout is not an option and feel each member has something to contribute according to their ability.

"Part of staying for the long haul is to like what you are doing and do what you like," said Cheri. "Joining a family and not contributing just doesn't work for us."

Throughout their career patrolling, the Thompsons have been recognized as outstanding instructors, outstanding patrollers and are lifetime members. They both received their national appointment through NSP, a peer group recognition for their service. Steve is #4668 and Cheri is #5191. Steve also received a Distinguished Service Award in 2000.

Class of 2019 National Ski Patrol Hall of Fame

Since its inception in 1938, the NSP has become one of the largest volunteer organizations. It has grown from 4,000 members in 1950 to an organization with nearly 40,000 members. Among the NSP Hall of Fame inaugural Class of 2012 was the Northern Division's Dr. Warren Bowman who Steve said single handedly developed their first aid program, wrote the book and the two subsequent editions.

Because of Steve's dedicated service and leadership, NSP Northern Division Director Karl Uhlig nominated Steve for the NSP Hall of Fame.

"Steve has been a mentor for me and other patrollers," wrote Uhlig in Steve's nomination letter. "I first met Steve in the late 70s or early 80s and he has helped me grow as both a person and as a patroller. From my first meeting he has maintained a great attitude and is always available to help no matter the type or complexity of the project."

"It is my pleasure to work alongside [Steve and Cheri] and to learn from their vast years of experience. I consider myself fortunate to be on a team with them," said Lustik who has worked with the Thompsons for the past seven years. "It is quite a feather in [SnowBowl's] cap to have a hall of famer still actively patrolling on our patrol."

"I think it is self-evident Steve's commitment to ski patrol at the national and local level," said Josh Jones who has known the Thompsons since 1997 and patrolled with them since 2001. "He has been investing in paying it forward. Out of 60 years of patrolling he has spent 58 years training other patrollers and teaching others how to do the job and do it well. Steve has put himself forward in leadership positions and has led well. He exemplifies what a lifetime, hall of fame, national ski patroller would exemplify."

Steve was deeply honored and humbled by the recognition.

"I think of all the people I have encountered over the 60 years and there is a part of me that says, do you really think you deserve to be there?" said Steve. "I can think of other guys that should have been there before me but somebody decided I should be there. I'm absolutely humbled beyond belief."

Purple Merit Star

The Purple Merit Star is awarded to ski patrollers who are credited with saving a life through emergency care and use of ski patrol skills whether they are on or off duty. It is one of the highest commendations that patrollers can receive.

"It's not every day that a ski patroller has the opportunity to save someone's life," said Lustik. "Because of their actions, [Dave] survived to the hospital. Had they not been there, he would have died on scene."

Cheri was the first to reach Dave after he hit a little dip that flung him off balance and threw him on his side. When she realized he wasn't breathing, she rolled him over, removed his helmet and started CPR. Steve joined her after calling 9-1-1.

The Thompsons continued CPR as needed for around 20 minutes until the ambulance arrived. After being air lifted to the hospital in Bozeman, Dave was hooked up to a respirator where he survived until his daughter arrived and made the decision to take him off.

Jones made Lustik aware of the Thompsons' life-saving actions on the hill in February, 2018.

"This is someone they have known for years and years - he was their friend. Most people if they were found in that situation would literally panic," said Jones. "Steve and Cheri kept their heads about them. They gave him the best chance of survival and got him to definitive care."

Lustik started the nomination process for both Steve and Cheri to receive the Purple Merit Star.

It took 18 months to collect everything for the nomination including witness statements and a letter from the physician in Bozeman crediting the Thompsons with life saving measures.

"Performing life-saving measures on anyone is a dramatic occasion but to do that to a close friend that you have known for years takes such a degree of poise and competence to part those feelings and to just do the work at hand," said Lustik. "You couldn't pick a more deserving pair of people. The degree of unselfishness and generosity just knows no bounds."

"Receiving the Purple Merit Star felt really good," Cheri and Steve agreed. "It is all peer group recognition so it means a lot."

The Thompsons are looking forward to another year on the mountain and continuing their commitment to the NSP motto "service and safety."

"They have been married and committed for 60 years, they are a pretty unique couple in many, many ways. You just don't find people like Steve and Cheri," said Jones. "They have always dedicated their time to people and to programs and organizations that are about helping people, holistically, not just on the ski hill."