Anchorage Daily News

Erik Flora, head coach at Alaska Pacific University's Nordic Ski Center, has been honored as the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association's Cross Country Domestic Coach of the Year and Development Coach of the Year.

Flora and 13 others will be honored tonight at the USSA awards dinner in Park City, Utah, though Flora will not attend. He will instead be in Anchorage performing the wedding ceremony for Kikkan Randall, his most famous pupil, and Jeff Ellis, a Canadian cross-country skier.

Randall and Ellis will be exchange vows today in an outdoor ceremony under an arch built out of cross-country skis.

Flora is being recognized for his commitment to training athletes as well as his dedication to providing opportunities to nordic skiers everywhere, the association said in a press release

Flora has been a key factor in the success of several top U.S. nordic skiers, including Randall, the first woman to win a cross country World Cup.

"It's a huge honor to receive this award," Flora said in the release. "We're very pleased. We've been a development program here for about 10 years and the program has really been growing in strength.

"We've had a fantastic season, so to receive the award at the end of the year is terrific."

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