Hello, my name is Brian Howard.

 

My exposure to telemark skiing began in 1991 when I moved to Colorado to "take a year off before grad school." I began working at a ski shop in Frisco, Colorado and one of the managers skied with telemark gear. His skis were used alpine skis, the bindings had a cable to keep the boot attached, and the boots were made of leather and he had attached a plastic cuff to the top. I had never seen anything like it and more importantly he could ski any terrain with a style and flow that was beautiful to watch. 

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It wan't until the next year when working in Breckenridge during a meager snow year that I eventually tried telemark with a friend as my guide. Overnight it had snowed two or three inches and as I skied that day I could feel the snow collapse under the ski and was immediately hooked. Within two weeks, I had sold all of my alpine gear and began trying to figure out this wild and wonderful type of snow sliding. Near the end of that year Breckenridge hosted the Telemark Nationals and I was able to see first hand how people were able to ski on "hard" snow. It was not the splayed out backcountry stance my friend was trying to teach me but rather a compact stance that allowed one to put tremendous weight on the rear ski.

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My telemark skiing progressed to the point I would rather stand on top of any mountain in telemark gear than alpine gear with locked heel. I know crazy, but that is just me, it may not work for you but it sure works for me. I have taught friends, strangers, and nordic downhill instructors to ski moguls and the steeps. I have filmed some of the best telemark skiers on the planet in various mountains that have been some of the best days of my life. I have lost friends to the mountains that been some of the worst days of my life and yet I have memories of great days with those friends.

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During my thirty years in Colorado I have continued to learn. I first moved here for the winters and learned that summers are even better. Ski and bike tuning was my first area of learning followed by furniture and cabinetry woodworking. Creating a carousel horse at Horsin' Around in Chattanooga, TN taught me to carve wood. Going to a workshop at the Anderson Ranch in Snowmass Village, CO gave me an understanding of bronze casting and my bronze sculpture of Hasty, one of the first avalanche dogs for Copper Mountain, is in Dillon, CO.

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Working with Nat Ross and Tough Guy Productions taught me to film and produce events. I learned to handle art with the proper conservator mindset and techniques by working for the Aspen Art Museum, and was their fabricator of the Hope Hippo by Allora and Calzadilla for the Restless Empathy show. I continue handling art with Alpine Art Logistics. Slacklining and guitar playing are the result of attempting to set time aside each day. I'm now learning about building off the grid and keeping an old backhoe up and running.

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I look forward to sharing more of this adventure known as life with you. Thank you and please have a great day.

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