History’s most influential steep skiers Part 2 – The Contemporaries

Last week we profiled some of the world’s first purveyors of extreme skiing in History’s most influential steep skiers Part 1 – The Pioneers. As the sport evolved in both equipment and skill, a new wave of steep skiers brought the sport into the mainstream spotlight through innovation, exploration and showmanship. This week we bring you five of the most influential steep skiers of the modern era.

Doug Coombs (1957-2006)

The slopes of New England where Doug Coombs first learned how to ski would not be able to contain the talent and drive of this Boston native. Moving out west to attend the University of Montana, Coombs found himself in the ski hub of Jackson Hole, Wyoming by 1986. In 1991 he won the first World Extreme Skiing Championships in Valdez, Alaska and found his true calling – exploring and skiing the Chugach Range via helicopter. Three years later he founded Valdez Heli-Ski Guides with his wife, Emily, and accrued hundreds of first ski descents not only in Alaska but all over the world. He died in 2006 after attempting to assist a friend in exposed terrain near La Grave, France.

Glen Plake

Known for his trademark dyed Mohawk and brutally-honest opinions of the ski industry, Glen Plake is credited with popularizing extreme skiing – and arguably action sports – in North America. After years of shredding the slopes of Heavenly Mountain Resort at Lake Tahoe, his breakout moment came in the 1988 Greg Stump film Blizzard of Aahhh’s, in which he traveled to Chamonix to ski and film with fellow athletes Scott Schmidt and Mike Hattrup. That film inspired a whole new generation of freeskiers, including some on this list. Plake is also a national champion waterskier and has won multiple titles in off-road rally car racing.

Shane McConkey (1969-2009)

Revered as one of freeskiing’s most lovable characters, Shane McConkey not only shattered the perceptions of what was possible on skis but did it all with humour and irreverence. The new style of fat and rockered skis were a product of his experiments, as was the rise in popularity of ski base jumping in the mid 2000s. McConkey was not just one of the best skiers on the planet, he did it all while making all those around him laugh. He died while attempting a ski-wingsuit-BASE jump in Italy’s Dolomite Alps in 2009.

Seth Morrison

For more than 20 years Seth Morrison has remained at the forefront of the freeskiing. He has proven himself in the terrain park, the backcountry, as well as in ski mountaineering and remains one of the most respected big mountain skiers in the industry at 41 years of age. Morrison has appeared in over 40 ski films over the years and has survived avalanches, helicopter crashes and a slew of injuries. He has also been referred to as skiing’s Jedi Master.

Ingrid Backstrom

Growing up skiing in the mountains near Seattle, Washington, Ingrid Backstrom came into her own after moving to Squaw Valley, California and taking up residence as a ski bum. She quickly became one of the top performers on the freeskiing competition circuit, securing a podium at 13 of the 16 contests she entered and is credited with blurring the line between what women and men could do on skis. Her breakout film appearance in 2004’s Yearbook by Matchstick Productions and she has since skied first descents in Baffin Island and the 20,000ft Reddomaine Peak in China.