Mikaela Shiffrin signed swag available on eBay auction to support Fast Skier Award

Proceeds from an online eBay auction featuring exclusively autographed ski race items from Mikaela Shiffrin will go toward supporting the Berlack/Astle Fast Skier Award, recognizing young alpine ski athletes who excel on and off the hill. The award is given out twice and has a minimum cash prize of $1,000 — as well as ski race products and swag from World Cup Supply, SYNC and Nordica.

Many of the auction items close out Tuesday afternoon, including a Sports Illustrated magazine cover signed by Shiffrin, who calls the Vail Valley home. The cover from 2014 features an 18-year-old Shiffrin in her Sochi Olympic racing uniform donning gold, with a headline that reads: “The gold standard: America finds a new teen idol: 18-year-old Mikaela Shiffrin.” The opening bid is $100.

Other auction items include a new Atomic race backpack, signed by Shiffrin and tagged with a smiley face. Opening bid: $100.

There’s also a Beaver Creek Birds of Prey panel from the race gates, signed by Shiffrin and a note to “Go fast!” The opening bid is $100 for this item as well.

Shiffrin is already starting strong on the World Cup circuit this year, leading in overall points.

About the award

On Jan. 5, 2015, Ronnie Berlack and Bryce Astle died in an avalanche while free-skiing at the Solden resort in Austria. They were participating at a U.S. Ski Team training camp and were enjoying a rare day off on skis.

The avalanche not only claimed the lives of two extremely talented and promising ski racers, but cut short the lives of two young men.

From inception over 10 years ago, the Fast Skier Award has recognized young alpine ski athletes who show solid character, compassion for others, community involvement along with a passion and commitment to their sport.

For more information, visit http://www.berlackastleaward.com.