Alice McKennis Duran fell in love with skiing the same way many in the Roaring Fork Valley did.

She first hit the slopes at Sunlight Mountain Resort at age 2. That spark launched a career that took her around the world, competing among the best alpine skiers in the sport.

A two-time Olympian and a longtime World Cup speed racer, McKennis Duran will add another accolade to her decorated résumé this fall. She was announced Tuesday as a member of the 2025 Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame class.

The girl who grew up on a ranch outside New Castle now joins a class of inductees that includes not only Colorado greats, but global legends — a reality that, she admitted, is still settling in.

“It’s such an amazing honor,” McKennis Duran said. “It’s still slightly bizarre. To think about my name being alongside some of the greatest names, not only in Colorado ski history, but in skiing history in general. To share this recognition and honor is amazing, but still feels a little bit strange.”

McKennis Duran competed in Super-G and downhill over 12 years on the World Cup circuit — a premier international series hosted at elite resorts across the globe. For nearly two decades, she chased what skiers call the “endless winter.”

She spent the colder months in the Northern Hemisphere training and racing across the European Alps. When the seasons changed, she migrated south to ski in Chile, Argentina and New Zealand.

“It was a lifestyle of competing, racing and training,” she said. “Skiing, as we think about it normally, is from November to April. But it was really a full-year, year-round pursuit.”

Like many high-performance careers, hers had its peaks and valleys. She said she doesn’t miss the “always on the go” mentality but remains deeply grateful for the journey.

“That’s where some of my closest relationships and closest friendships came from. It was a blast,” she said. “Having this sisterhood of women traveling together and pushing each other to all be great was really cool and unique. But there were definitely a lot of times when you think, ‘Man, I just want to go home and sleep in my own bed. I’m sick of living out of a suitcase.'”

McKennis Duran was introduced to skiing by her father, Greg, an avid skier originally from Vermont. She and her sister were on skis as toddlers, and winter never meant anything other than ski season.

“We didn’t know any other way. In the wintertime we ski — that’s what we do,” she said. “I think the passion and the excitement of the sport and the appreciation for being outdoors are just all things that really kept me motivated and inspired to keep doing it, through the good times and the hard times.”

Though her skiing career brought her to mountain towns around the globe, she credits her small-town upbringing for her grit and drive.

“From a young age, it was, get up, do your chores and work hard — that was the way it was done,” she said. “I think that really helped me generate a ‘you control your own destiny’ type mindset, and having that responsibility from a young age. It sort of felt like we were going at it as a team when you grow up in that sort of lifestyle.”

She retired from competition in December 2021 following a crash during a training session for the 2022 Beijing Olympics. After stepping away from racing, she found purpose in sharing her knowledge with the next generation.

She spent two years coaching with Ski Club Vail before transitioning to work with speed-focused high school girls on the U.S. Ski Team.

“(Teaching) was a really great transition out of the sport, because you know so much and you want to share your experience with people,” she said. “To be able to help kids have that ‘aha’ moment that I remember feeling has been really, really cool.”

Now living in Minturn with her husband and 18-month-old son, McKennis Duran is looking forward to celebrating the next chapter of her ski legacy at the Hall of Fame induction this September — even if the spotlight makes her a little uneasy.

“I haven’t been thinking about it too much, but then I remembered today that I’m supposed to give a speech,” she joked. “It’s gonna be a blast. I’m excited for it. I know a lot of people in the Ski Hall of Fame, and anytime you can get the ski community together to celebrate, it’s always a good time.”

For more information about the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame or to reserve tickets for the September induction ceremony, visit snowsportsmuseum.org.