Grew up as a ski racer in New England and then went to race for University of Colorado. Quickly realized in college that there was much more to the world of skiing than racing, so retired from racing and began pursuing a life in the big mountains.
Biggest Success:
2X World Extreme Skiing Champion
First person to ski all 54 of Colorado’s 14,000 foot peaks in less than one year, and also figuring out how to have three kids at the same time.
The spirit of skiing:
It is all about sharing adventurous experiences with friends in beautiful mountain environments.
The most risky experience:
Skiing a first descent down the East Face of Capitol Peak in Colorado in April, 2006. Long, steep 60-degree face with a massive cliff at the bottom.
The most painful experience:
Winning the 1998 24 Hours of Aspen was as deep as I have ever gone physically and mentally, total suffering and pain to win that one.
The ultimate day on the mountain:
An early morning start in the dark, skinning silently through the forest to catch the sunrise above tree-line. Then a steep and challenging climb up to the summit with a few friends, followed by an epic, long descent back to the valley below.
What goes through your head before dropping a big face?
I try and focus my energies at being calm and relaxed and enjoying every moment. I’m also always thinking about the snow… will it move? Or is it stable? You have to be on your toes at all times in the mountains.
Reminiscence about KÄSTLE:
Although I never raced or skied on Kästle myself, so many of my friends had Kästle skis, and they always seemed fast. The tradition of Kästle in the USA is deep and everyone has a story to tell about Kästle.
Three reasons why KÄSTLE:
1. They take race ski technology and apply it to all-mountain skis… so the performance is awesome.
2. They are built by true craftsmen and skiers in Austria. These guys know what they are doing when it comes to building skis.
3. Kästle is a small company with a focus on quality and performance, not mass-production of cheap skis. I like the best of everything, including skis, so Kästle is an obvious choice.
What do you do in the summer?
In the summer I am a fanatic about bikes. I ride my road bike, mountain bike, and single speed bike almost every day. I also love rock climbing and occasionally fly my paraglider of off Aspen Mountain to go soar among the peaks. I also love hiking and camping with my family.
Music:
I am a big live music fan, and love seeing many jam bands like Widespread Panic, Government Mule, and reggae music as much as possible. I am listening to the Black Keys a bunch lately.
Role models/Idols that inspire you?
The people that inspire me are those who set high goals for themselves and then figure out how to make those goals a reality. Many legendary alpinists are role models for me, from Gaston Rebuffat to Reinhold Messner to Kurt Diemberger.
Passions:
Always giving 100 percent at whatever I do. Really my passions lie in two areas: the mountains and my family. When I can combine those two and have a great climbing or camping trip in the mountains with my wife and three kids I am the most happy.
