A few days before Monday’s official announcement, Anchorage’s Kikkan Randall found out that she was going to be the third Alaska sports legend to be named to a sports hall of fame in the course of a month, joining the likes of hockey and hoops stars Scott Gomez and Carlos Boozer.
The trailblazing cross country skier received an email from the executive director of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame, Justin Koski, who wrote: “Hey, can you give me a call?” While she wasn’t sure what he wanted to discuss with her at first, once he informed her that she’d be one of this year’s eight inductees in the 2025 class, Randall was elated.
“It feels amazing,” she said Tuesday. “I’m just honored to be a part of such amazing history.”
Her family members were the first she told, and they were just as excited — but sworn to secrecy since the official announcement hadn’t been made yet. In the hours since the news became public, Randall has been in touch with close friends and former coaches.
Over the course of her competitive career, which spanned nearly two decades, she helped put U.S. cross country skiing on the world map. Randall earned 29 trips to World Cup podiums, including 11 top finishes and three straight season sprint titles. She won a silver medal at the 2009 World Championship and gold in 2013. Her crowning jewel came in the 2018 Olympics, where she joined forces with Jessie Diggins in the team sprint to win Team USA’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in women’s cross country skiing.
As far as where this stacks up on his long list of career accolades, Randall couldn’t place it but is grateful that she’ll be enshrined in the hall of fame alongside elite competitors who she’s long admired.
“So many of those people were heroes, idols and people I really looked up to growing up,” she said. “A lot of those names are from some of the bigger and more well-recognized (skiing) sports like Alpine and freestyle. To be amongst people whose posters I had on my wall at one point is pretty exciting, and then to be able to have cross country skiing recognized at that level is pretty exciting.”
Randall is the sixth inductee who was either born and raised in the state or has strong ties to Alaska. The other five include Sven Johanson (1975), Tommy Moe (2003), Hilary Lindh (2005), Doug Coombs (2009) and Alison Owen (2020).
“What’s really cool about the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame is that it is recognizing the history of U.S. accolades in snow sports,” she said. “It’s great to know that we’ve done so many great things here in Alaska, and I’ve been part of an amazing community, and we’re having an impact on a national stage as well.”
Randall grew up in Anchorage and attended East High, reaching her first Olympics in 2002, at age 19.
Even given all she has accomplished, Randall was somewhat surprised by the timing of her induction. Some inductees have had to wait decades while some haven’t had to wait at all.
“My career ended not too long ago and I’m still very involved in skiing in other ways, but it’s a cool chance to stop and reflect on what my career has meant to me so far and where we still have to go,” said Randall, who has been the executive director of the Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage since 2021. “One of the things that I’m most excited about is how some of my success was able to open the door and infuse some confidence into U.S. skiing, and now we see more athletes racing better than ever before.”
Joining her as members of the Class of 2025 are Chris Cushing of New Hampshire, Doug Pringle of California, Hugh Harley of Vermont, Lindsey Van and Raelene Davis of Utah and Nancy Gustafson and Todd Richards of Massachusetts. The formal ceremony for their induction will take place on April 11, 2026, in Park City, Utah.