The Viva Italia Trophy was created by John Gianotti in 1982 to honor the passion of the Viva Italia!!!! spirit he so inimitably brought and shared with all who raced with him throughout his own stellar career as a masters competitor and champion. The Viva Italia cry honored many victory celebrations, yet its essence is expressed by John's answer to the inevitable race-day question "So how was your run?":
It was the best run on my life!!!
The original Viva Italia trophy was begun in 1982 and presented by John as a special award at the season awards banquet, using an ever-changing selection criteria known only to him and revealed to the expectant audience with great fanfare (and general hilarity). In 1997, John changed the award to a special trophy presented to the fastest man and woman in the annual SL at Heavenly Valley, his racing and skiing home, using an age-handicapping formula similar to the Bernard Cup combined trophy scoring.
We lost John Gianotti in 2020, after a eventful and joyful life, but his passion for masters ski racing lives on as we celebrate gathering on the race hill for the Viva Italia cup.
The 2024 Viva Italia winners are Deb Lewis (W09) and Tim Hill (M08). The winners each year, with the age class they competed in:
| Season | Men | Women | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age-Handicap Scoring | |||||
| 2024 | Tim Hill | M08 | Deb Lewis | W09 | |
| 2023 | Tim Stewart | M10 | Nancy Geiske | W08 | |
| 2022 | Wences Lada Munoz | M08 | Linda Crowell | W09 | |
| 2021 | (not held due to covid pandemic restrictions) | ||||
| 2020 | Ara Papazian | M06 | Liesl Panke | W06 | |
| 2019 | Doug Fulton | M08 | Deb Lewis | W08 | |
| 2018 | Mihai Filimon | M04 | Andrea Levy | W01 | |
| 2017 | Tim Hill | M06 | Carol Levine | W09 | |
| 2016 | Pierre Jeangirard | M08 | Deb Lewis | W08 | |
| 2015 | Kurt Belden | M07 | Deb Lewis | W08 | |
| 2014 | Kurt Belden | M07 | Linda Crowell | W07 | |
| 2013 | Ara Papazian | M04 | Deb Lewis | W07 | |
| 2012 | John Mukavitz | M05 | Carol Levine | W08 | |
| 2011 | Kurt Belden | M06 | Julie Rolfe | W07 | |
| 2010 | Kurt Belden | M06 | Deb Lewis | W07 | |
| (10-year age classes) | |||||
| 2009 | Kurt Belden | M50 | Julie Rolfe | W50 | |
| 2008 | Pavel Bosin | M50 | Julie Rolfe | W50 | |
| 2007 | Brian Bowlds | M50 | Linda Crowell | W50 | |
| 2006 | Bill Skinner | M50 | Deb Lewis | W50 | |
| 2005 | Pierre Jeangirard | M50 | Linda Crowell | W50 | |
| 2004 | Harold Wescott | M70 | Deb Lewis | W40 | |
| 2003 | Stan Beach | M40 | Deb Lewis | W40 | |
| 2002 | (not held) | ||||
| 2001 | Harold Wescott | M60 | Deb Lewis | W40 | |
| 2000 | Stan Beach | M60 | Donna Collignon | W40 | |
| 1999 | Bill Skinner | M40 | Samantha Greene | W20 | |
| 1998 | Randall Sussek | M30 | Heidi Littenberg | W30 | |
| 1997 | Pierre Jeangirard | M40 | Glenn McConkey | W50 | |
| Gianotti Criteria | |||||
| 1996 | Glenn McConkey | ||||
| 1995 | Gaetano De Mattei | ||||
| 1994 | Marshall & Maretta Fogel | ||||
| 1993 | Kelly Palermo | ||||
| 1992 | Al Sangunetti | ||||
| 1991 | Henry Kristaponis | ||||
| 1990 | Terry Greenlee | ||||
| 1989 | Georgene Bihlman and Betty | ||||
| 1988 | Doug Ballanger | ||||
| 1987 | Rees Palermo | ||||
| 1986 | Cookie Cookingham | ||||
| 1985 | S. Pool | ||||
| 1984 | Gary Mouck | ||||
| 1983 | Rosie Moschel | ||||
| 1982 | Bob Bernard | ||||