All rights reserved. The distinctive fluid manner in which he rode was recognized and acclaimed in the snowboarding community. This latest tragedy -- its not the first and wont be the last -- is painful proof of that. Craig asked Tom, What do I do now that Im on the team? Tom replied, Keep doing what youre doing. No way, he said. 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. 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. This backcountry was Kellys heaven, his reason for becoming a guide rather than a competitor. In 1988, the magazine devoted an entire issue to The Performers, riders who were considered leaders of the sport. A place where he found inner peace. He had no enemies. These circles included baseball, football, and soccer-early foreshadowing to the well-rounded life Craig would lead.When Craig first moved to Mount Vernon, Washington in 1979, a local kid named Dan Donnelly rode his bicycle past Craigs house to check out the new kid., Dan and Craig lifelong friendship was subsequently forged over BMX races (they were both sponsored by Fultons Schwinn, a shop in Mount Vernon) and jumps, and then, one day during the winter of 1981, their friend Jeff Fulton, whose father owned the Schwinn shop, invited them to try snowboarding. Mt. Now that you have a job, girls know youre not a total loss and you end up with a girlfriend. If my riding doesnt feel technically perfect, exactly the way it should, I concentrate completely on the problem. A post shared by Freeride Boardshop (@freerideboardshop). He attended the University of Washington where he was a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity and studied Chemical Engineering. The keys start adding up. Press play for a hell ride through Helsinki. Your information has been successfully processed! 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. One of Craigs conditions to taking on the guest editorship was to have the opportunity to pay tribute to a few of the people who had meant a lot to his snowboarding. It was caught aboard the Red Rooster III off Puerto Vallarta and estimated at sea, using a tape-measure formula, to weigh 308 pounds. Baker Banked Slalom snowboarding competition in 1988, 1991, and 1993. THE SNOWBOARDER Movies. Craig Kelly (April 1, 1966 - January 20, 2003) was an American professional snowboarder. 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. And you need stuff to wear to work. When I saw Craig snowboard, I knew he was special. He was a great example of not being a sheep in life., Craigs father Pat recalls, Craig was popular in all circles. 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. But between school and training, Craig took off his game face and reveled in the art of the prank. 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 Kelly, 36, who retired from one of the most successful competitive careers in snowboarding history to follow his heart into the backcountry, was killed in an avalanche Monday near Revelstoke in the Canadian Rockies. Not Done the information below is content from Wikipedia. The group was caught in an avalanche. Craig Kelly was the first snowboarder to appear in an IMAX movie. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Subscribe to SNOWBOARDERs Newsletter to receive stories like this straight to your inbox. The legal aspects of this contract would be debated in court later in his career, but at the time, he sought counsel from one of his older/wiser Delta Upsilon brothers, who told him, Sure you can sign it. When it was hoisted onto the H&M; Landing scale Sunday morning it was officially weighed at 310 pounds. Tragically,Craig Kelly and six others did not survive.. Mt. This upward trajectory was sadly cut short on the 20th of Januaryin 2003. Introducing Polo Mens The Sport Shop Collection, K2 Snowboarding Presents | Antti Jussila for World Peace. Maybe, he said, Ive been journaling, keeping track of my dreams, and Ive been thinking maybe its time to tell some of my stories. I lay there in the darkness nodding my head in silence. Born on the 1st April 1966, Craig's lifetook a left turn when his family moved to Mt Vernonin Washington State in 1979. Not just because of his snowboarding, but also for his lifestyleand love for the mountains. Among those scheduled to compete -- in Mammoths new Super Duper Pipe, 600 feet long with 22-foot walls -- are Olympic medalists Ross Powers, Danny Kass, JJ Thomas and Kelly Clark. Box 2759. When I left, I gave Craig my personal board, a 1500 FE, and shook his hand. When I finally met him he turned out to be the best possible rolemodel. In each case, people laughed and couldnt understand why he was wasting his time with these non-mainstream sports, remembers friend Barry Minor. A true legend, Jason "J2" Rasmus turned his persona into a professional "Snowboarding was born, lived, and died in the mid 1990s." Craig eventually became known as the sports first truly professional athlete, but dont mistake that for being a saint, says longtime friend Ken Achenbach. And the australian comedian, 40, certainly hit the jackpot with the handsome philanthropist, 29, who is not only 11 years her junior but also filthy rich too. Born on the 1st April 1966, Craigs lifetook a left turn when his family moved to Mt Vernonin Washington State in 1979. Our ability to see through the snowpack, and see what is happening everywhere with the snow in a given month is not possible.. By 1985 it wasdecision time: with the launch of a new magazine,and a burgeoning competition scene, there was thepotential to follow a dream. Thats two more. Jake Burton and many of his friends thought this was a bad decision, but Craig said, Trust me. And sure enough, freestyle snowboarding became the new rage. It spans over 25 years, watching as the snowboarding legend Kelly became one of the biggest names in the industry. My guard will be up, but it has always been up. Copyright a360media 2023. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Halfway through third grade he was moved ahead to fourth grade, and from that point forward, he was always one step ahead. Craig Elmer Kelly was born on April Fool's DayApril 1, 1966. We arrived at this super rad yurt in the Eastern Cascades to stay for 10 days. And it didnt end on the snow. Your information has been successfully processed! Advanced Search Cancel Login / Join. The Craig Kelly World Snowboard Camp was created to help kids improve their snowboarding skills. 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. Then you backhand your girlfriends apartment key out the passenger window. Craig kelly is survived by his daughter, olivia, and partner, savina. By that time he was Burtons poster boy (after leaving Sims) with a couple pro models under his belt, and more to come. 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. With that in mind, Craig talked to his parents about quitting school and committing himself to professional snowboarding. Maybe there wasa market for people who enjoyed exploring the backcountry, as brandslike The North Face and Patagonia had pioneered in climbing? "Craig Kelly (1 April 1966 - 20 January 2003) was a professional snowboarder. If I had to choose between the disciplines, it would be the halfpipe, he said. Youve got to get away from your keys. TransWorld SNOWboarding and the entire Burton family deeply mourns his loss and extend our sympathies to all the families and friends touched by this tragedy. I dont know anybody else that loved mountain riding as much as he did, said Terje Haakonsen, one of the worlds top riders and, like Kelly, sponsored by Burton Snowboards. He wasno fool, said Russo recently. 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. 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. Over his 15-year professional career, he won 4 world championships and 3 U.S. championships; he won the Mt. Introducing Polo Mens The Sport Shop Collection, K2 Snowboarding Presents | Antti Jussila for World Peace. 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. The Built Ford Tough Championships of Snowboarding is in progress through Sunday at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. In the last few years of his life, Craig embarked on a 14-month journey starting up in Alaska and going down to Chile with his partner (girlfriend) Savina and two friends for adventure, surfing and living. ForBurton, the main sponsor and organiser of the event,it was an untimely end to one of their best ever riders,a legendary presence in the scene, and lets befrank one of the companys best assets. News of Kellys death sent shockwaves throughout the snowboarding community. Over his 15-year professional career, he won 4 world championships and 3 U.S. championships; he won the Mt. Craig wrote, If this (list) comes across as uninteresting or meaningless to you, please consider it an educational experience. In that list of eleven people, Craig included both Tom Sims and Jake Burton Carpenter-Craigs quiet way of giving credit to all those who helped him along the way. He set a standard that many emulate today. [1] Taking in the mountains had become an addiction for the innovative powder hound from Nelson, Canada. In his interview, Craig showed the first signs of his upcoming switch from overall racer/freestyle guy to dedicated freestyle champion. Prior to 1994 there were no heli operations inAlaska; a decade later and the backcountry access industry in the areahad become huge. Last year (1987) the only training I got in the halfpipe was when I went to a contest two or three days early.That winter, Craig became frustrated with Vision and switched over from Sims to Burton snowboards, a decision that led to a lengthy, groundbreaking legal battle, which also was the impetus that made Tom Sims rethink his relationship with Vision.

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