In snowboarding, one such great was Craig Kelly. Ill just get this little night job so I can buy gas, you hear yourself saying. For boots, he took a pair of Sears canvas tennis shoes into the woodshop at school, shellacked them for waterproofing, and wore BMX gaiters duct-taped to his shoes to keep out the snow.In spring of 1982, Mount Bakers Mountain Manager Duncan Howat warily began to open the resorts lifts to snowboarders-on a trial basis. Baker Hardcore posse a famous group he ran with on the mountain launch the ridge at Chair 5, and later when Chair 8 came in, the insane spectacle that occurs when Shuksan Arm has the stability to properly send. Kelly was in in the process of becoming the first fully certified snowboarder guide in the Canada Avalanche Association, and at the time of his passing had achieved the highest level of certification of any snowboarder. Craig spent a lot of time at the Pac West ski area (Hyak, WA) in 198586. Through his legacy scholarship fund, his memory now helps other snowboarders pursue a career in backcountry guiding a career he blazed the trail in, not only for myself but hundreds, if not thousands of other snowboarders who now make a living by shredding pow and helping clients discover the power and beauty of freeriding in the wild. You have to take care of them. But more than anything, he was a wanderer, which eventually led him to eschew the competitive world for freeriding in the backcountry, where he had countless first descents to his name from Alaska to Canada and in the U.S. all the while helping Burton develop its first splitboard. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Craig appeared in Warren Miller movies for several consecutive years. Okay, next time put more weight on your rear foot.'. Baja on the Fly has begun a fly-fishing operation there. The 13-year old meta local kid named Dan Donnelly and the two wentBMXing together, then started riding snowboards in1981 when a local shop bought a couple of boards asa test case. Subscribe to Craig was the epitome of core: to be World Freestyle Champion four times and rule the sport the way he did was a huge accomplishment, but to retire from competing and go on to become a backcountry guide says far more about him. Just as Kelly redefined what it meant to be pro, he redefined how snowboard products were developed. SNOWBOARDERs Newsletter to receive stories like this straight to your inbox. One of them was professional snowboarder craig kelly, who perished in an avalanche in british columbia in 2003. If I had to choose between the disciplines, it would be the halfpipe, he said. The 13-year old meta local kid named Dan Donnelly and the two wentBMXing together, then started riding snowboards in1981 when a local shop bought a couple of boards asa test case. The future of progressive snowboard designs is alive and well. But Craig was a dedicated student with auniversity place lined up, and snowboarding thoughgrowing was hardly a career choice. Nitro Snowboards just dropped a new series called Hard Drive. You need a place to change and store your stuff. Hiswife Gail said recently that when Duncan saw whatCraig could do on a snowboard, it changed his wholeoutlook. Mount Baker opened its doors to ridersand became an influential hotbed of experimentalsnowboarding. Craig eventually became known as the sports first truly professional athlete, but dont mistake that for being a saint, says longtime friend Ken Achenbach. Craig Kelly passed away January 20, 2003. SNOWBOARDER has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. . The distinctive fluid manner in which he rode was recognized and acclaimed in the snowboarding community. Therewas no sense to be made from his death. A post shared by Steve Andrews (@whererusteve). Durrand Glacier near Revelstoke, British Columbia in 2003. Iam ready to sort of give back to the kids. In 1988, he set up the CraigKelly World Snowboard Camps, which toured during the summers notably to Norway in 1989, where Kelly met a quiet but incrediblytalented young rider by the name of Terje Haakonsen. Born on the 1st April 1966, Craig's lifetook a left turn when his family moved to Mt Vernonin Washington State in 1979. He wanted to do it all, says photographer and friend Mark Gallup. See how Kelly and Kazu retained their titles. Craig had starring, uncredited, roles in Siberia and P-Tex, Lies & Duct Tape, which were both Greg Stump films. TransWorld SNOWboarding and the entire Burton family deeply mourns his loss and extend our. Downing and his wife, freestyle pro Shannon Dunn, are expecting their first child this spring, but he does not intend to cut back on his backcountry excursions. The cross overlooks Baldface Lodge near Nelson, British Columbia. Most of Kelly's victories took place prior to the FIS taking over the ISF snowboard world cup. SNOWBOARDER. Craig was the first in his school to ride ramps on his skateboard, to race BMX bikes, to surf, and eventually, to snowboard. If Craig got into it, says Fulton, all the kids would get into it., Jeff took them up to Mount Baker, and they rode powder off the side of the road because Mount Baker Ski Area didnt allow snowboarding in 1981. Kelly is known as the 'Godfather of Freeriding'; Terje Hkonsen called Kelly the best snowboarder of all time. Tragically,Craig Kelly and six others did not survive.. "Craig Kelly (1 April 1966 - 20 January 2003) was a professional snowboarder. He was myinspiration before I met him. said Haakonsen in an interview yearslater. The Gatekeeper: Craig Kelly (April 1, 1966-January 20, 2003)By Eric Blehm, February 12, 2000: Powder, sunshine, and six-dollar lift tickets, said Craig Kelly as we slogged upstairs to our hotel room at the end of a perfect day of riding in Iran. Not long after, legendary board makerTom Sims made a detour to Baker to see Craig ride.When I left, said Sims in a recent interview, I gaveCraig my personal board, a 1500 FE, and shook hishand. He was on the Sims snowboard team. We arrived at this super rad yurt in the Eastern Cascades to stay for 10 days. The third leg is March 6-9 at Snow Summit. News of Kellys death sent shockwaves throughout the snowboarding community. When I finally met him he turned out to be the best possible role model.. He also won the first snowboard contest held at Hyak, in the 198586 season. I just go out and ride powder all the time. Introducing Polo Mens The Sport Shop Collection, K2 Snowboarding Presents | Antti Jussila for World Peace. Back at school during the week, Craig would set bamboo gates and train two or three nights under the lights at Ski Acres, outside of Seattle. Socially Awkward: Terje Haakonsen addresses the tweet heard round the action sports w Gretchen Bleiler with Conan O'Brian Tonight Show, Socially Awkward: Terje Haakonsen addresses the tweet heard round the action sports world, R.I.P. Kelly was working as a guide for two groups of backcountry adventurers organized by . Your information has been successfully processed! You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. If this boats a rockin : Boaters are healthier and happier -- and have sex more often -- than non-boaters, according to a recent survey conducted by Impulse Research Corp. Without even knowing it, he led by example and showed several generations what to avoid but even more importantly, where it was possible to go. The slide was enormous, measuring about 150 feet wide and 300 feet long. The memorial is a 10-ft welded steel sword (often mistaken for a cross), with coloured glass set within and a prayer wheel made from local yew wood beneath. Craig eventually became known as the sports first truly professional athlete, but dont mistake that for being a saint, says longtime friend Ken Achenbach. Hes still there. Craig Kelly was a competitive force, a true soul-driven freerider, and a passionate and highly intelligent mind behind Burton product development. How many times has that trip been emulated since? Hood with Mark McMorris and The Burton Crew, Nitro Hard Drive | Dominik Wagner - The Bad Seeds, Phenoms in Finland: Jesse Augustinus & Max de Vries, R.I.P. Burtons AK line and high end products increased,and snowboardings popularity didnt just increase amongst kids, itwidened its whole demographic. Back at school during the week, Craig would set bamboo gates and train two or three nights under the lights at Ski Acres, outside of Seattle. Box 2759. Your information has been successfully processed! It was unveiled on 20 January 2013. Kelly made it clear that the backcountry was where he was heading. Woodward PC, Big Bear, and Woodward Copper with The Dust Box! Jason J2 Rasmus, 1972-2019Gone Tooz Soon. On weekends, Craig would go home to Mount Vernon, raid the refrigerator on Friday night, then hang out at Mount Baker until Sunday, when hed drive back to Mount Vernon, raid the refrigerator again, and return to the university. He shocked the snowboard industry by walking away from multimillion-dollar deals[citation needed], at the height of the snowboard craze, to pursue his passion for freeriding. When I started listening to Craig, said JakeBurton Carpenter, was when my company became successful andreally took off., Kelly was making OK money from winning competitions, buthe was clearly looking to branch out and make his career as profitableas possible. Craig was responsible for the design and development of the following Burton signature models: The Mystery Air, The Craig Kelly Air, The CK Slopestyle, The Cascade, and The Omen. Ranquet remembers how Craig nurtured his riding: Craig would call me up and say, Mikey, wanna go to Baker this weekend? And Id say, I dont know, man, I gotta ask my mom. My mom told me years later that Craig had always called her first and asked permission before he got my hopes up. And on Monday afternoon, in the Selkirk Range of the Canadian Rockies northeast of Vancouver, it finally caught up to and overwhelmed him. This court case gave notice to other pro snowboarders that snowboarding was a viable career option, not just a renegade fad. As you pull into the parking lot at work, you cant get the hitchhiker out of your head. Craig asked Tom, What do I do now that Im on the team? Tom replied, Keep doing what youre doing. In 2012 the owner of Baldface lodge, Jeff Pensiero, asked Keith Berens of Live Metal Studio to design the memorial sculpture. Kellys family has asked that donations in his memory be sent to the Canadian Avalanche Assn., P.O. How to find the best blooms without the drama, Nature-curious? News of Kelly's death sent shockwaves throughout the snowboarding community. He was the first child born to Pat Kelly and Janet Hansen; they considered him their practice kid. Soon enough, Craig confirmed that his parents were doing something right. It was sponsored by Baldface Lodge and Burton Snowboards. I had no idea all those times that hed talked my mom into letting me go. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Over the weekend, Craig Kelly was guidinga group of skiers and riders in the Revelstoke area ofBritish Columbia, explained an email from Burton.The group was caught in an avalanche. Hedging his bets, Craigjuggled schoolwork with a diary full of contests and astrict training regime. During that era, he won four World Championships (1988-91) and three U.S. Open Championships (1987-89). Craig was the leader of a generation that essentially established snowboarding as a house-hold sport, inspiring both young and old to take up a pursuit that bucked the elitist image of skiing. Tragically, Craig Kelly and six others did not survive. Says Gail Howat about her husbands early reaction to snowboarders and snowboarding, Duncan and Mount Baker did not embrace snowboarding in the beginning. Craig Kelly was the first snowboarder to appear in an IMAX movie. . He was my inspiration before I met him. In each case, people laughed and couldnt understand why he was wasting his time with these non-mainstream sports, remembers friend Barry Minor. 1991 craig kelly, jean higgins. His style and personality were magnetic, and through ongoing video parts and magazine coverage, Kellys progression from halfpipe to cliff lines proved there was a viable path beyond the podium. Again, Kelly was at the vanguard. We get alot of requests for reprints of this column, Craig knew there was a message worth following in here. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. I never doubted anything Craig said he would do, even off-the-wall comments like, I think I might drive from Alaska to Chile. He told me that years before he actually did it.. Theres another key. Jason "J2" Rasmus, 1972-2019Gone Tooz Soon, Three Decades of TransWorld SNOWboarding: Part 1, 1987-1996, Bottom Turn : How Snow Surfing is Growing Around the Globe, How to Set Up Your Snowboard Bindings with Danny Kass, Mountain GOAT: Dan Brisse, The Gap of Death, How to Plan Your Dream Trip to Niseko Japan on a Budget, Burton Step On: A Critical Review of a New Step-In Snowboard Binding System. On page 21 were the results of his second competition, the Sierra Snowboarding Championships, where Craig placed third in the halfpipe event behind Terry Kidwell and Tom Sims. Its kind of funny how you can go from walking around with nothing but lint in you pocket and being totally stoked, to walking around with a pocket full of keys and being totally bummed. Learn more about Craig, and find out how you can support the Craig Kelly scholarship fund that helps snowboarders pursuing guide training as a career path through Avalanche Canada. Craig is small in the frame and not facing the camera, but if you know ONE FUCKING THING about riding a snowboard you can see how absolutely bad ass this is. Last Friday was the 20th anniversary of his death. SNOWBOARDER has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. One of the most influential snowboarder to ever live. Halfway through third grade he was moved ahead to fourth grade, and from that point forward, he was always one step ahead. He was a great example of not being a sheep in life., Craigs father Pat recalls, Craig was popular in all circles. His daughter, Olivia, was born a few months after, a beautiful souvenir from the road, as he once said. Bob Marleys Three Little Birds played quietly from a mini disc player on the nightstand, and I buried my nose in the first half of James Clavells epic novel, Whirlwind. By the end of that winter, Craig was sponsored by another local bike shop, The Bike Factory, which also carried snowboards made by Burton and the other top brand at the time, Sims. The soft-spoken 36-year-old, often described as the Michael Jordan or Wayne Gretzky of snowboarding, was one of seven. From freestyle to freeride to guiding, Craig brought the spirit of snowboarding with him wherever he went. Everybody Everybody (2019) Beta (2018) Pepper (2017) Beacon (2017) Resolution (2016) Reckless Abandon (2016) SFD (2015) Foreward (2014) He said he wasnt sure if there would be enough interest in the life of a snowboarder to warrant a book. You slam on the brakes. This multiple award-winning film portrays the world's most iconic, charismatic and philosophical snowboarder, Craig Kelly, and traces the first moments in the history of snowboarding. There was a palpable outpouring of grief. When he opens the car door, you look into his eyes. Having Craig leaving us, he will still be my greatest mentor., Dave Downing also had this to say about Craig. Having tasted victory, Craig fell into a focused regimen of school and snowboard training, an almost Zen-like technique that his mother Janet likened to the BMX days when hed take his entire bike apart and put it back together the night before a race. Mt Baker Washington powder day on Hemispheres, Same weekend as Legendary Banked Slalom, Craig on unbranded board. The group was caught in an avalanche. Annett remembers a soft-spoken, spiritual man who loved snowboarding almost as much as he loved his infant daughter. Donations in memory of . Despite Toms obvious disappointment in losing Craig Kelly to Burton, he was unhappy about Visions decision to sue Craig and Burton. Socially Awkward: Terje Haakonsen addresses the tweet heard round the action sports w Gretchen Bleiler with Conan O'Brian Tonight Show, Socially Awkward: Terje Haakonsen addresses the tweet heard round the action sports world, R.I.P. The first weeks list: skateboarder Andy Macdonald, motocross rider Carey Hart, snowboarder Torah Bright, surfer Kelly Slater and BMX rider Stephen Murray. When it was hoisted onto the H&M; Landing scale Sunday morning it was officially weighed at 310 pounds. Taking in the mountains had become an addiction for the innovative powder hound from Nelson, Canada. By signing up you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. Vision (a corporation that had a licensing agreement to distribute Sims snowboards) eventually sent Craig a contract to sign on as an official team member. Downing, 34, who spends most of his winters filming and testing equipment in the backcountry slopes near his home in Lake Tahoe, said he has seen several avalanches, including one in which an entire upper-slope bowl released and shook the earth as it rumbled down the mountain -- but he has never been buried by one. Baker Banked Slalom snowboarding competition in 1988, 1991, and 1993. Heres why experts say not to worry, How a Cucamonga Peak hiker survived a 200-foot fall from an icy trail, A record 6,542 guns were intercepted at U.S. airports in 2022. Craig Kelly, known by many as the godfather of freeriding. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. But lately, what Kelly was really good at, and most passionate about, was, as he said, taking in the mountains, the pristine and powdery mountains. Craig was a Sims Snowboards rider, founded by Tom Sims, from 1983 until 1987. He has always been the mentor for my friends and me. Read on after Olivas letter to hear about Craigs foundational influence on shaping Burtons rider-driven product ethos and creating the pathway to modern-day professional snowboarding. There was money to be made. He returned from his journey with his new baby Olivia, as a "souvenir" he said, from his trip. You simply didnt walk away from competing and expect to continue being paid to snowboard back then. He spent the remainder of his life riding for Burton Snowboards owned by Jake Burton Carpenter. Years later, Craig served as a guest editor for the short-lived freeriding magazine, Snowboard Life. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Our ability to see through the snowpack, and see what is happening everywhere with the snow in a given month is not possible.. Well get you into some contests later on. Contests were just starting to be organized on the East Coast and in Tahoe, and Washington had yet to host a snowboarding event.
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