Freedom Found: My Life Story, Warren Miller
Warren Miller is known as skiing’s greatest storyteller and as the godfather of action-sports filmmaking. Now, here at last, is the rest of his extraordinary life story―and what happened behind the camera is even more remarkable than what you saw on the big screen. In this soul-searching autobiography, Warren reveals the secrets of his past and the peaks and valleys he navigated in bringing the sport he loves to audiences worldwide. Freedom Found is a must-read for Warren’s legion of fans, ski history enthusiasts, adrenaline junkies and anyone whose interest is piqued by an extraordinary 20th-century success story. This is a heartwarming and at times heart-wrenching account of an American innovator who did it his own way, understood the importance of making people laugh, and never looked back…until now.
Powder: The Greatest Ski Runs on the Planet, Patrick Thorne
This comprehensive and visually stunning feast of snow-bound derring-do showcases the very best and most feared descents in the world. Along with classics like Chamonix, Whistler, and Jackson Hole, this book also covers more off-the-beaten-path and exotic locations like the Himalayas, the Atlas Mountains, and the Olympic destination of Socchi in Russia; places that not only stand out for the fantastic skiing, but for the extraordinary scenery found in such uniquely beautiful destinations.
With stunning photography and all the information you could need to plan the perfect trip, Powder is the ultimate bucket list for any snow sports enthusiast, challenging beginners and experts alike to take on the most breathtaking runs the world has to offer.
50 Places to Ski and Snowboard Before You Die, Chris Santella
Fifty Places to Ski and Snowboard Before You Die―the 10th book in the popular Fifty Places series―takes readers to some of the world’s most inspiring skiing/snowboarding destinations: the Chugach Mountains (Alaska); Aspen, Crested Butte, and Steamboat Springs (Colorado); Tuckerman Ravine (New Hampshire); Rusutsu (Japan); Chamonix (France); Portillo (Chile); and Whistler Blackcomb (British Columbia). Based on interviews with leading experts, the book chronicles the rich history of these sports and the people who have mastered them, including Tommy Moe, Jonny Moseley, Billy Kidd, and Greg Harms. Above all, Santella provides readers with the gorgeous scenery, the glamorous ambiance, and the always thrilling experience of visiting mountains from the Alps to the Rockies, whether it’s après-ski in Cortina or helicopter rides into virgin Alaskan powder.
Ultimate Skiing, Ron LeMaster
A stunning, full-color guide for the modern skier, Ultimate Skiing speaks to the intermediate, advanced and racing readership by including updated techniques for modern-shaped ski designs and tips for fine-tuning boots for specific styles and terrain. Ultimate Skiing features author Ron LeMasters clear, thorough and captivating photo sequences depicting proper form on the slopes. Every chapter includes analyses of World Cup skiers, as well as exercises for developing and practicing technique.
The Winter Army: The World War II Odyssey of the 10th Mountain Division, America's Elite Alpine Warriors, Maurice Isserman
At the start of World War II, the US Army had two cavalry divisions—and no mountain troops. The German Wehrmacht, in contrast, had many well-trained and battle-hardened mountain divisions, some of whom by 1943 blocked the Allied advance in the Italian campaign. Starting from scratch, the US Army developed a unique military fighting force, the 10th Mountain Division, drawn from the ranks of civilian skiers, mountaineers, and others with outdoor experience. The resulting mix of Ivy League students, park rangers, Olympic skiers, and European refugees formed the first specialized alpine fighting force in US history. By the time it deployed to Italy at the beginning of 1945, this ragtag group had coalesced into a tight-knit unit. In the months that followed, at a terrible cost, they spearheaded the Allied drive in Italy to final victory.
Ranging from the ski slopes of Colorado to the towering cliffs of the Italian Alps, The Winter Army is a saga of an unlikely band of soldiers forged in the heat of combat into a brotherhood whose legacy lives on in US mountain fighters to this day.
A History of Cannon Mountain: Trails, Tales and Ski Legends, Meghan McCarthy McPhaul
Cannon Mountain's history is steeped in skiing legend and lore. Rising at the western edge of New Hampshire's magnificently beautiful Franconia Notch State Park, the granite-domed mountain has been the playground of skiers since the 1930s. Here, the country's first down-mountain ski trail was cleared in 1933, the first aerial tramway was built on the mountain and the first professional ski patrol was established. More than a dozen members of the U.S. Ski Hall of Fame--whose contributions to the sport include historic racing feats, the development of ski techniques and designing countless ski areas across the country and around the world--have called Cannon their home hill. Join author and longtime Cannon skier Meghan McCarthy McPhaul on the slopes of this historic mountain.
Everything the Instructors Never Told You About Mogul Skiing, Dan DiPiro
The real mogul skiing instruction you're looking for. Whether you want to ski gentle moguls with comfort and confidence, turn heads on your local mogul run, or compete in mogul contests, this book will give you the specialized techniques you need to reach your goal. In this first-of-its-kind book, mogul skiing competitor Dan DiPiro reveals techniques that have remained largely unknown or misunderstood outside of competitive mogul skiing circles. Most skiers try to ski moguls using only groomed-trail techniques, says DiPiro. But the bumps require a special set of techniques that have nothing to do with groomed-trail skiing. With an understanding of these special techniques, most fit, expert skiers can become good mogul skiers, and some can become excellent mogul skiers and even mogul competitors. For the aspiring mogul skier, this book is full of invaluable instruction. For the seasoned bumper, it's an ideal tune-up guide and a long awaited affirmation. For all skiers interested in broadening their understanding of downhill skiing excellence, it's an original, eye opening read.
Bode: Go Fast, Be Good, Have Fun, Bode Miller
“I don’t master the mountain, I master speed.” Coming from Bode Miller, this isn’t boasting, it’s just the way he lives: fast, honest, and wide open. In this candid book, the two-time Olympic medalist and champion skier shares his story, the secret of his success, and his philosophy of life.
Born and raised “off the grid”–without electricity or indoor plumbing–in the cabin built by his father in the woods near Franconia, New Hampshire (pop. 850), Bode is unconventional to the core. The strong values of his simple upbringing, where he and his family had to “invent, grow, or carry in” all the essentials have made Bode unique among today’s top sports stars.
Bode’s approach to life is straightforward: “Get a plan, stick to it, and trust your instincts . . . and almost anything is possible.”
And practically since birth, the iconoclastic Bode has been achieving the impossible and laying down tracks for others to follow. He revolutionized his sport by adopting new and crossover technologies, such as “shape” skis. He drives his tradition-bound European rivals to distraction, skiing and winning by instinct. His outsider status, killer smile, and outspoken yet laid-back persona have earned him a reputation as the Michael Jordan of skiing. Men’s Journal named Bode the second greatest athlete in the world. And in the 2005 season, Bode may have moved up a notch by becoming the first American to win the Overall World Cup Alpine championship in twenty-two years.
In short, he is the kind of person everybody wants to know and hang out with. In a book loaded with insight, good humor, and eye-opening stories about the world of competitive skiing, Bode, as always, holds nothing back.
Over the Headwall: The Ski History of Tuckerman Ravine, Jeffery Leich
The expanded 2nd edition of Jeff Leich wonderful illustrated history of skiing in New Hampshire's infamous Tuckerman Ravine. Includes dozens of outstanding vintage images from the early to mid 20th century and the heyday of skiing in Tuck's.
Ski Inc., Chris Diamond
“You can't make this stuff up." Chris Diamond heard that refrain regularly during his 44-year career in the ski-resort industry, when he guided major ski resorts from Vermont to Colorado and was intimately involved in the most significant issues shaping the sport. So when he finally retired from his position as the president and COO of the Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. in 2015, he decided to write it all down. Since the book's launch in December, Ski Inc. sold out its initial press run, earned rave reviews, won a 2016 Ullr Award from the International Skiing History Association, and became available on Amazon as an E-Book. Ski Inc. is unlike any book ever published on skiing, providing a candid and colorful behind-the-scenes view of what it takes to manage a successful resort in a constantly changing resort industry. "That landscape is a minefield of unchecked egos, conflicting politics, mega corporations, dreamers, tight-knit communities, hedge funds and, of course, many players with a passion for flying down snow fields strapped to metal-edged boards," writes Jason Blevins of the Denver Post. "Chris Diamond stirred that volatile brew, concocting a fun-filled ski experience for millions of visitors; a well-tended mirage that reveals none of the sweat, ugly business battles or drama. No, he saved all that stuff for his book. Few have richer insights." Armed with English degrees from Middlebury College and the University of Massachusetts, and fresh off a tour as a lieutenant in the Vietnam War, the author did not set out to build a career in the ski business. But in 1972, he wound up at Killington Ski Area, where he came under the wing of resort founder and visionary Preston Leete Smith and legendary marketer Foster T. Chandler. Killington at the time was setting the pace in everything from snowmaking to recruiting new skiers, and Diamond was a quick learner. What followed was his total immersion in the resort industry, a business that evolved from simply getting skiers up the mountain into a vertically integrated service industry. He witnessed the seminal moments in resort ownership as it evolved from single-area entrepreneurs to conglomerates, including the dramatic implosion of Les Otten's American Skiing Company and the downsizing of Intrawest during the 2008 Great Recession. Diamond isn't shy in pointing out mistakes made along the way, including his own, or in sharing his insights on competing against Vail Resorts for almost two decades. Ski Inc. is required reading and an entertaining ride for anyone who works in skiing, wants to work in the industry, or is just passionate about the sport.
Note: The descriptions of each book are from Amazon.