Summit Daily file
Editor’s note: Readers are invited to nominate their all-time favorite Summit County athletes for Peak Performers: The Mount Rushmore of Summit County athletes. The Summit Daily News is accepting nominations through Saturday. To make a nomination, visit SummitDaily.com/peakperformers. Voting begins Feb. 23.
Nominee: Jake Fiala
Sport: Alpine skiing
Jake Fiala graduated from Summit High School and skied with Team Breck under the guidance of John Leffler before going on to win the 1999 Super-G National Championship and overall North American Cup title in 2000.
That 2000 championship launched Fiala’s International Ski Federation Word Cup career, which led to him representing Team USA at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.
Along with his Olympic experience, Fiala was the top American finisher in 12th at the 2003 World Championships downhill at St. Moritz, Switzerland, one of three world championships in which he raced. In total, Fiala posted 18 point-scoring (top 30) results in his World Cup career.
After his Alpine career as a speed skier concluded, Fiala made the transition to skicross in 2008. On the skicross World Cup circuit in 2009, Fiala finished in the top 10 twice and registered several more top-30 finishes.
Fiala still lives and works in Summit County, and even has a namesake “Jake’s Pilsner” at Angry James Brewing Co. in Silverthorne.