Elkins resident Raymond LaMora Jr. is the recipient of the 2015 Anita and Bob Barton Award. LaMora is congratulated by, front, from left, Ray LaMora III, LaMora, Jennifer LaMora Morgan; back, Sue LaMora and Jonathan Morgan.
DAVIS – An Elkins resident with decades of experience with skiing in Tucker County was honored Sunday at Timberline Resort. Raymond LaMora Jr. received the Anita and Bob Barton Award in recognition of his dedication and promotion of the skiing industry in West Virginia.
Bob and Anita Barton promoted skiing and the whole area of Tucker County. They both passed away since them, and the Anita and Bob Barton Award is given annually by the Tucker County Alpine Festival. This year, the award was presented by Alpine Festival Committee Board Member and Canaan Valley resident Will Postlethwait.
“The winner of this award is someone I have had the opportunity to work with since I started my career back in 1996,” Postlethwait said. “He started skiing when he was 10-years-old, and he came to West Virginia in 1968, attended Davis & Elkins College and began skiing across the state with classmates and enjoyed the sport.”
Postlethwait said LaMora began his career at Canaan Valley Resort in 1990, and became an instructor with Canaan Valley Ski School.
“He has held PSIA Certification for ski instructing for most of his teaching career and has enjoyed working with other ski instructors within the region and bringing that knowledge back to his home resort at Canaan,” Postlethwait said. “He has spent the majority of the last decade training new instructors.
Postlethwait said LaMora has spent time assisting with the NASTAR program at Canaan and he always takes pride in giving the first lesson and the last lesson of the year.
“Since 1990, he has been a staple in the Canaan Valley Ski School line-ups, looking forward to his next lesson,” Postlethwait said. “He looks forward to teaching his three grandchildren, Grant, Emma and Logan, to ski in the upcoming ski seasons. It is the pleasure of the Tucker County Alpine Festival Committee, as well as my pleasure, to present this award to Ray LaMora Jr.”
LaMora said he could not believe he received the award.
“What an honor,” LaMora said. “I feel truly blessed to be around such great people all of the time. Winter is certainly my favorite time of the year and it’s because of all of you folks here. I do appreciate this. I just can’t believe you pulled another one off on me.”
“I am just still in shock,” LaMora said. “My family put me together to get me here by telling me I needed to come today to support someone else who would receive this award.”
LaMora said with being so involved in the ski industry, he knows many people in the valley.
“A lot of the people I first started instructing with at Canaan are now at Timberline,” LaMora said. “We interact on a regular basis. They are a great group of people. Winter is truly my favorite season and I love to be outside. To be honored in such a way is just phenomenal. It is a great surprise.”
LaMora was nominated by Postlethwait and Daryll Hensley, of Canaan Valley.
“Ray is very dedicated to the industry,” Postlethwait said. “He has been with Canaan Valley for 25 years and he has never missed a season. He is just a genuinely good, warm-hearted individual.”
Postlethwait said LaMora also helps the Boy Scouts with skiing.
“He is the instructor for the Scouts at Canaan,” Postlethwait said. “He is just very dedicated. I took a step away from the ski industry for a while, and he is one of the reasons I came back.”
Hensley said LaMora has been the stand in guy for everything.
“We have been without ski school directors and he has always stepped forward to fill the gap,” Hensley said. “He is the ultimate ski instructor warrior.”