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. SNOWBOARDER has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. It's time to rejoice, for Ullr has answered Mammoth Mountain's prayers. 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. 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. Telluride, CO during Burton training camp (Nov 1988). You need a place to change and store your stuff. Years later, Craig served as a guest editor for the short-lived freeriding magazine, Snowboard Life. The BEO was postponed while the newssunk in, an unprecedented event and a multi-millionEuro decision, but the right one in the circumstances.It seemed inconceivable to run a snowboardcompetition after such a body blow to the sport. He was a great example of not being a sheep in life., Craigs father Pat recalls, Craig was popular in all circles. And you need stuff to wear to work. Craig was a Sims Snowboards rider, founded by Tom Sims, from 1983 until 1987. We tracked out Gunners Bowl until we moved onto the Arm, and we hiked to some of the most incredible alpine terrain that one can find by foot. If my riding doesnt feel technically perfect, exactly the way it should, I concentrate completely on the problem. But its hard to concentrate on riding halfpipes because they arent at every ski area. Craig was a Sims Snowboardsrider, founded by Tom Sims, from 1983 until 1987. 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. As the 1990s progressed, Kelly was regarded as the most bankablename in the sport. His video segments became a staple in snowboard shops throughout the 1990s, but despite his status at the top of his class, his true legacy was in turning his back on the industry and carving out his own path in the wild. He wanted to do it all, says photographer and friend Mark Gallup. Now you have a bunch of keys in your pocket. Then you backhand your girlfriends apartment key out the passenger window. While Terry Kidwell was undoubtedly the father of modernfreestyle, adapting many skate and surf tricks, Kelly took those moves,added his own style and, crucially, trained. VANCOUVER (CP) - In the snowboarding world Craig Kelly was considered an icon, a builder of the sport and a man who loved escaping the confines of resorts to ride in the pristine backcountry. Last Friday was the 20th anniversary of his death. Okay, next time put more weight on your rear foot.'. 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. Anything that lets you snowboard more is a scam. I didnt just go snowboarding anywhere, I spent the day at his stomping grounds of Mt. 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. Jake Burton is quoted as saying, When I started listening to Craig that was when my company became successful and really took off. He added, when the rest of the industry listened to Craig, that was when the sport really took off.. Subscribe to our free newsletter and stay up-to-date with the latest from And it didnt end on the snow. He had only fifteen units remaining to graduate, but traveling to contests around the world was tough to juggle with a full-time education. Madison Blackley, Ozzy Henning, Aspen Weaver, Nate Haust, Joey Leon and more! 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. Most of Kelly's victories took place prior to the FIS taking over the ISF snowboard world cup. In snowboarding, one such great was Craig Kelly. Craig was the first in his school to ride ramps on his skateboard, to race BMX bikes, to surf, and eventually, to snowboard. Kelly is known as the 'Godfather of Freeriding'; Terje Hkonsen called Kelly the best snowboarder of all time. As Jake Burton puts it: When the rest of the industry listened to Craig, that was when thesport really took off.. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Details: www.scma.com. He won virtually everycompetition there was, including four world championship titles ina row, and along the way, helped shape, research and design manyof Burtons products. Snowboarding is slowly slipping away, and you dont even notice. 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. 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. Thank you for signing up. I just go out and ride powder all the time. The Built Ford Tough Championships of Snowboarding is in progress through Sunday at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. [1] 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. TransWorld SNOWboarding debuted in 1987. 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. By signing up you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. Listen to this episode from FNRad Snowboarding Podcast on Spotify. There was money to be made. 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. When he pivoted away from the contest spotlight and cash prizes, it was a shock at the time. Press play for a hell ride through Helsinki. Your information has been successfully processed! He was no slacker, telling onemagazine I constantly think about working a certainmuscle group or perfecting a particular techniqueif my riding doesnt feel technically perfect. It paidoff: in 1986, he won the slalom event at the WorldChampionships in Breckenridge, Colorado, and asthe 1980s came to an end and his star was rising, heswitched teams from Sims to Burton in the sportsfirst acrimonious court case, and claimed Burtonsfirst pro model. His parents supported his decision wholeheartedly, and he went on to earn world titles in every aspect of the sport (racing, moguls, and freestyle). Instead of writing a tribute that day, I went snowboarding. Flick, flick, flick. 1991 craig kelly, jean higgins. Soon you have to get a day job because youre not making enough money at night. In the world of snowboarding today, where most tricks look more like video games than real life, a long, slow, kicked-out method beats any triple-cork in the style department. When youre ready, I told him, Id be honored to help out in any way youd like. He said hed dream about it. Jacob grew up with two siblings, philip a. In a Snowboard Life magazine article a few years ago, Kelly referred to snowboards as little more than toys and pointed out that snowboarders good times in the hills are merely an evolution of the fun touring skiers have been onto longer than anyone can remember. On page eleven were the results of his first contest, which was also the first Mount Baker Banked Slalom, where Craig took fourth place behind Tom Sims, Terry Kidwell, and Ken Achenbach. I dont know anybody else that lovedmountain riding as much as he did., Filmmaker Jacques Russo was someone who met Kelly at thattime, when the pair worked on 1989s The Smooth Groove. Films were giving himmore exposure and revenue than he thought so he was like, Lets makeanother.. He wasno fool, said Russo recently. Its also where my own snowboarding career began nearly 30 years ago when Craigs legendary status was already cemented. While speeding by you start thinking about the guy you just passed. For over 15 years, Craig Kelly has left an indelible mark on the sport of snowboarding. You feel better each time a key flies out the window and goes bouncing down the pavement at 100 mph. At age seventeen, Craig was accepted into the University of Washington as a chemical engineering major. Snowboardings older ridersstarted to shun the parks and resorts and embark upon adventures, helitrips and powder hunts. He said he wasnt sure if there would be enough interest in the life of a snowboarder to warrant a book. Or find your own lines. Thank you for signing up. Now that you have a job, girls know youre not a total loss and you end up with a girlfriend. He was a four-time world champion and three-time U.S. Open champion, a fierce competitor whose talent was matched only by his passion for a sport he helped pioneer. Allah? Craig commandeered the foot of our rooms narrow beds for yoga. The Bike Factory Owner Bob Barci told Sims Founder Tom Sims that he should check out Mount Baker for all its natural gullies (which would be perfect for a natural halfpipe, or perhaps a banked slalom) and a talented local snowboarder named Craig Kelly. The film made it onto TV the firstsnowboard film on the Discovery Channel. Subscribe to I almost feel bad telling others how idyllic Mt. He was my inspiration before I met him. Please enter your email so we can keep you updated with news, features and the latest offers. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. His input and collaboration on refining and creating new product, including Burtons [ak] line of top-tier backcountry gear, solidified Burtons rider-driven ethos.Towards the end of his life, Kelly had found a place of peace and contentment deep in the mountains. 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. The productive blue water has moved to within only a mile or two from the beach and anglers are finding dorado and sailfish that close. Wrong. Vernon, Washington. 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