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Remembering Doug Coombs: Mountain maverick
Published
7 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersBy Doug Hare EBS Staff
Robert Cocuzzo’s “Tracking the Wild Coomba” is an engrossing biography of legendary skier Doug Coombs. The author travels to the mountains where Coombs honed his craft—Tuckerman Ravine, Bridger Bowl, Jackson Hole, endless descents in Alaska’s Chugach Range, and finally to the last untrammeled frontiers in the Alps—and illuminates just how Coombs became so revered and admired by the mountaineering community.
Coombs was one of the first extreme skiing champions, but he didn’t consider himself an “extreme skier.” He was a man who saw snow-covered peaks, spines, and couloirs as white canvasses that he could paint with a little gravity, a lot of athleticism, and the tracks he left behind. After nearly paralyzing himself at the age of 16, shattering most of the vertebrae near his spinal cord, he could have hung up his ski boots for good. He decided not to fall.
The anecdotes from those who knew and skied with Coombs in this biography reveal the man behind the myth. Sure, he was a local hero in Jackson Hole’s good ol’ days, a pioneer of heli-skiing in Alaska, a consummate ski guide and a star in Warren Miller films. But this biography probes deeper into the allure that drew Coombs to skiing steep terrain in the first place and why his passion for the mountains inspired others wherever he went.
Coombs’s epic meeting with his childhood hero Patrick Vallençant, his rise to become the face of the Jackson Hole Air Force, his controversial banishment from Jackson Hole, the avalanches he survived, his ability to guide to so many amateurs on “the best day of their lives”—as well as his action-packed love affair with his wife, Emily, and the birth of his son, David—all come together to create a portrait of a man who should be remembered for more than his virtuosity on the slopes.
At times, the biography reads more like investigative journalism. The author recounts his own journey attempting to ski some of the same lines Coombs did, but Cocuzzo’s personal monologues don’t detract from the book. In fact, the perspective of literally following in Coombs’s tracks offers anyone who’s ever clicked into skis a glimpse into the psychology of elite freeskiers and the difficulty of, and inherent risk in, their chosen form of recreation.
How did a kid from Bedford, Massachusetts, do so much to evolve the sport of big mountain skiing? What character traits allow one to face high-risk situations with such grace, fluidity, and precision? Why did Doug Coombs seemingly have a positive impact on everyone he came in contact with?
By the end, Cocuzzo’s extensive reporting from the people and places where Coombs’s legacy lives on answers these questions, even if he prefers to circle over them like a blackbird playing in wind currents.
Doug Coombs eventually lost his life in La Grave, France, in a rescue attempt after his protégé Chad VanderHam fell off a cliff. Tragically, it seems almost fitting that a man so selfless, passionate, and humble died trying to save a friend while doing what he loved.
Coombs’ life was cut short, but it was a life fully lived. Somehow, “Tracking the Wild Coomba” blends adventure with love story, betrayal and heartbreak with tragedy into an uplifting tale that leaves the reader to ponder the importance of sacrifice and redemption. Here is a book that will remind you of the precariousness of our existence, the preciousness of our time here, and why we should live life on our own terms.
Doug Hare is the Distribution Coordinator for Outlaw Partners. He studied philosophy and American literature at Princeton and Harvard universities.
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
Upcoming Events
april, 2024
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We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
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We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.
Sundays, April 14, 21 and 28, 2024
Noon until 6PM.
$170.
Time
14 (Sunday) 12:00 pm - 28 (Sunday) 6:00 pm
Event Details
Please join the Arts Council of Big Sky for free music from Jacob Rountree at the Wilson Hotel Lobby Bar from 5-7 p.m.
Event Details
Please join the Arts Council of Big Sky for free music from Jacob Rountree at the Wilson Hotel Lobby Bar from 5-7 p.m. on April 24.
Jacob Rountree is an alternative/indie songwriter living in the stunning alpine of Montana. Contemplative yet playful, his lyric forward style is reflective of his love for philosophy, poetry and quantum physics.
Time
(Wednesday) 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Location
The Wilson Hotel
145 Town Center Ave
Event Details
Trivia from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Waypoint in Town Center. Participation is free, food and beverages available.
Event Details
Trivia from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Waypoint in Town Center. Participation is free, food and beverages available.
Time
(Wednesday) 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location
The Waypoint
50 Ousel Falls Rd