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Show vmx et DHE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 21 January 1, 2007 SNOWDANCE cont. from page 11 Judges in freestyle, and helped create the judging criteria, competition organization, and safe training — r by competitors. Doug’s other areas of athletic expertise, which made him a 23 = Bob Burns European i n Sun Valley before turning his ditention and oe to the more subjective and aesthetic arena of what was to become the freestyle movement. According to fellow ski legend and maverick Dick Dorworth, Bob’s trips through the moguls of the famed Exhibition run at Sun Valley were improvisational exhibitions of grace, precision and velocity in terrain where the three had not been combined before.” It was said that the winners of early freestyle contests were whoever “looked the most like Bob Burns.’ But his skiing skill and performances were only Bob’s first contribution to the freestyle movement. As a former chief designer of racing skis for K2, Bob had some unique ideas when he started building his own skis, dubbed “The Ski,” in 1974. The distinct, multicolored squares and rectangles stylized a revolutionary combination of soft flex, soft torque, soft side deflection and high camber—a design which proved ideal for ripping through moguls, throwing aerials, gliding through ballet moves, or skiing powder. Practically all serious freestyle competitors in the Bob Burns 70s—or knowledgeable wannabes— were on The Ski. Bob movies. skied in numerous Performing one Warren Miller of the “Burns Turns” he made famous, he was on the cover of the first issue of Powder Magazine. For those who read the accompanying inside, there was a fact that could win some serious trivia cash. What world class skier, pioneer of the freestyle movement and ski design was also a national marbles champion? Bobbie Chambers Bobbie was the only female honoree. Chambers, her father, was honored _ last year as a legendary ski racer and jum rs Bobbie has long been involved in the family — business, Ogden’s Bobbie Chambers Alpine Sports, where she is now a co-owner with her sister Peggy. She grew up in the skiing industry, but that didn’t guarantee results on the mountain; it just gave her the Opportunity toto velop the considerable skills she used t ae successfully. e had four top three finishes on the Budweiser Pro Mogul Tour and placed 2"4 in the overall standings of the American Pro Skiing Grand Prix. In addition to Warren Miller’s Ski People and Ski Time, she skied for the camera in the feature film, Fire and Bobbie’s elegant style exemplified the beauty of skiing when making turns and moving with grace was the hallmark of the sport’s elite athletes. Kenny Wri Kenny bes lived iin the Ogden Valley for several years now. He and his wife Debbie a Kenny Wright own Wright’s Getaway Lodge at Nordic Valley, as well as Grizzly Graphics in Ogden. Kenny was skiing at Snowbasin at age six, and soon after began building jumps off the roof in his back yard. He progressed from the roof to gelande contests, traveling with fel- mountain climbing, cliff jump- oug children in ngeles Park City ea FORD ON SKIS ERs mee ree] roduc! Vermont Kenny Wright low competitor Tom Leavitt, who had the car, and was one of the Snowbasin freestyle aces whom Gary Nate befriended and guided onto the Pro Freestyle Tour. Kenny was among the top freestylers in the world when he walked away from the sport to go on a two year LDS mission. Among other, more serious reasons for his decision, Kenny has always valued contrast and variety. He makes an interesting observation, that “There probably wasn’t then—nor will there ever be—as stark a contrast to the party-all-night, competethe-next-day, world of freestyle skiing, as a Mormon mission.” Kenny insists that at least one of his good friends wasn’t entirely sad to see him leave. “Salerno,” Kenny reminisced, “told me he appreciated me going away and giving oe a better shot at the world champimay not have competed as long as other freestylers, but he definitely left his mark on the sport. He was on the cover of the November 1974 issue of Ski Magazine, and a time exposed image of him in inverted mid-flight filled the official poster of the 1974 World Freetyle Open at Aspen Highlands. Kenny still skis for fun with his wife Debbie and their four children, who share his love of the sport. He’s also got a couple of grandkids, and he can’t wait to get them on that new roof ramp he’s designing. cur- Los and PA Michael Hart Michael Hart Mike was immediately hooked the first time he put on skis at Snowbasin, and says he has skied a minimum of a couple of days a week for all of the 44 years since. Mike competed on the Midas World Cup Tour in the early 70s with Bob Salerno and Robert Young, and had many top ten finishes—more than a few in the top three. In Mike’s own words, “IT was blessed with the opportunity to ski at Snowbasin and learn to ski and teach from my mentor and hero Earl Miller, director of the Snowbasin Ski School. Earl inspired me, and others, to be the best skier/athlete I could be, and gave me the confidence to succeed iin my competitive skiing career.” Mike was the first skier that Bob Robert Young and World Grand Prix Championships— both of which he won in 1975. But winning the title also took creativity and innovation in the air, and Robert’s performances moved the sport of aerials to the next I. In Robert’s own words, “Finally, | just figured out that jumping as far as you could wasn’t the thing, and maybe getting upside down and _ backward might be a little more exciting. So | started working on the more difficult aerials. The most important thing is developing a kinescetic or air-ground sense, both visually and mentally. You have to know exactly where you are in relationship to the ground the whole time you’re in the air. obert was also a judge for numerous national freestyle competitions, and directed judging clinics for both the Professional Freestyle Association and the International Freestyle Skiers Association. In a sport that was seen by some as too dangerous, Robert was one of the Michael Hart Burns hired to ski on “The Ski,” and Mike says he is “extremely proud of representing Bob and his compa With his close friend Al Johnson, Mike created American Pro Skiing in 1979, and for over half a decade transferred his love for the sport into the production of dozens of top flight ski competitions. They had their own TV program on channel 4. Mike is rightly proud of their goals of “giving skiers a place to exhibit their skills and be recognized for their accomplishments, and celebrating athletic excellence as only He goes on to say, “I was also very lucky to have Gary Nate as a friend. He recorded and documented our passion, and for him I am truly grateful. He is skiing’s biggest fan. Mike still shares his passion for skiing and teaching by working on weekends at Snowbasin as an instructor with the Snow Sports Learning Center. Mike currently lives in Ogden. Robert Young Robert was honored in memoriam, he has, unfortunately, passed away. Doug Coleman Robert was not only one of most accomplished and respected aerialists of all time, but one of the warmest, friendly personalities the ski world has ever known; a favorite of fellow competitors and fans alike. s sorely missed by many, and for many admirable reasons. An award winning gelande jumper, Robert had many years of gymnastic experience, including a divisional championship of the Western States AAU. His skill and experience in the two disciplines laid the perfect foundation for his successful run at the National Aerial as ¥ Robert Young loudest, most persistent voices for the intensely serious, personally paced, constant practice and caution that was necessary in order to make the sport safe. In addition to Warren Miller movies, Robert skied in a number of other films and commercials, including playing one of the three villains who chased James Bond on skis in The Spy Who Loved Me. Next year’s Snowdance will be held in November. It has become the unofficial kickoff to Snowbasin’s and the area’s ski season. It’s a grand, gala event that raises money for very worthwhile causes. Stay tuned for the details, and be sure to order your tickets early. Doug Coleman Doug is the only one of our honorees who still appears regularly in the movies and movie credits. He’s gone from Warren Miller, the king of ski films, to Steven Speilberg, the king of films period. Doug has been a top stunt man, ‘and for the past fifteen years, a stunt coordinator and director as a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures of Arts and Sciences. His films include Speilberg’ Ss The Terminal, tin Scorsese’s The Aviator, and Johathan Demme’s The Manchurian Candidate. Doug’s playground when he was young were on mountains surrounding Ogden Valley. He had a serious background in comnaries, and it showed as he quickly moved to the front of the pack of freestyle aerialists when he started jumping on skis over snow. In addition to competing, he was one of the first American International Some of the honorees at the Annual Snowdance. Pictured from left to right: Bob Burns, Dean Perkins, Jeff Hyde, Carolyn Young (Robert Young's wife), and Gary Nate. |