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. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. This court case gave notice to other pro snowboarders that snowboarding was a viable career option, not just a renegade fad. Craig Kelly was the first true professional snowboarder. For over 15 years, Craig Kelly has left an indelible mark on the sport of snowboarding. In the latest issue of the quarterly magazine frequency -- the Snowboarders Journal, Kelly talked about recently completing a top-level avalanche safety and awareness course, required of professional guides and forecasters. It was caught aboard the Red Rooster III off Puerto Vallarta and estimated at sea, using a tape-measure formula, to weigh 308 pounds. By that time he was Burtons poster boy (after leaving Sims) with a couple pro models under his belt, and more to come. 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. Craig Kelly Photo Restrospective. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". You dont even slow down for the tollbooth, paying instead with the tossed key to your office and the executive washroom. He spent the remainder of his life riding for Burton Snowboards owned by Jake Burton Carpenter. When I finally met him he turned out to be the best possible role model.. 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. SNOWBOARDER. There was money to be made. They were just following me, s first publicized romances. Baker Banked Slalom snowboarding competition in 1988, 1991, and 1993.[1]. 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. It was unveiled on 20 January 2013. How many times has that trip been emulated since? He was incredibly diverse in his abilities and thats just comparing him to what others were doing. Craig, fourteen at the time, was instantly hooked and talked his dad into fronting the money for his own Burton Backhill. 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. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. He had only fifteen units remaining to graduate, but traveling to contests around the world was tough to juggle with a full-time education. Craig spent a lot of time at the Pac West ski area (Hyak, WA) in 198586. Hed be the living legend Id introduce my kids to some day, and theyd know immediately who he was because Id have already told them his story: Craig Elmer Kelly was born on April Fools Day-April 1, 1966. Revelstoke, B.C., Canada, VOE 2S0; or via the Web at www.avalanche.ca. Baker Hardcore posse a famous group he ran with on the mountain launch the ridge at Chair 5, and later when Chair 8 came in, the insane spectacle that occurs when Shuksan Arm has the stability to properly send. Kellys family has asked that donations in his memory be sent to the Canadian Avalanche Assn., P.O. Timing, he said, is everything. As we walked down a marbled staircase to the dining room, he continued musing, The problem with memoirs and biographies is that you have to die before anybody wants to read about you. He paused for effect, lifted his chin, then said, Screw that. And we both laughed. Craig was a Sims Snowboards rider, founded by Tom Sims, from 1983 until 1987. Remaining skiers and guides from Selkirk Mountain Experience -- Kelly was a guest, not working as a guide -- toiled feverishly to dig them out and did so within about 30 minutes, but it was too late for seven of them, including the 36-year-old Kelly. Get our L.A. When I finally met him he turned out to be the best possible rolemodel. On page 21 were the results of his second competition, the Sierra Snowboarding Championships, where Craig placed third in the halfpipe event behind Terry Kidwell and Tom Sims. It did not appear to have been triggered by the actions of any of the skiers or snowboarders; rather, the wall of snow released naturally and without notice as the victims were traversing a slope. The film made it onto TV the firstsnowboard film on the Discovery Channel. It does not store any personal data. The morbidity of that statement didnt occur to me at the time, because the thought of snowboardings superhero dying was incomprehensible. This backcountry was Kellys heaven, his reason for becoming a guide rather than a competitor. 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. The four-time World Champion was literally the best of the best, and brought serious freestyle credibility to Burton. Wise, poignant words from a man who lived, and eventually died, staying true to a passion for the mountains that was only matched by his talent as a snowboarder. Kelly was one of those rare breed . We arrived at this super rad yurt in the Eastern Cascades to stay for 10 days. 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. 1991 craig kelly, jean higgins. When I expressed interest in it, he tore the book in half-right down the spine-and said, Here, Ive already read this, Ill give you the rest before the end of the trip., After dinner that night, Craig asked if I thought the world was ready for a book about a snowboarder, and I replied, You want to write a memoir?. Allah? Craig commandeered the foot of our rooms narrow beds for yoga. Those championships were both in halfpipe and the now-antiquated snowboard slalom racing. According to fraternity brother Mark Thomas, It wasnt just Mount Bakers insane terrain that kept him going back, it was his affection for a girl named Kelly Jo Legaz who worked on the mountain. Craig and Kelly Jo would become one of snowboardings first publicized romances. His memory held strong last Friday as we rode straight onto the lift after the Canyon opened, giving us access to 14 inches of light, dry midweek powder. He always made me feel like I was figuring things out on my own, but really I was following Craigs lead., Craig appeared in Absolutely Radical, the worlds first snowboarding magazine, which came out in winter of 1985. It was done in conjunction with another founder of the sport, Bob Barci. During that era, he won four World Championships (1988-91) and three U.S. Open Championships (1987-89). Jacob grew up with two siblings, philip a. Im sure that for Craig thatwas the toughest part along with leaving Savina and Olivia., I met Craig in 1989, says Terje Haakonsen. It starts out simply and seductively. Craig got arrested with Keith (Duckboy) Wallace at the 1991 June Mountain Op Pro for riding off the lodges roof. News of Kelly's death sent shockwaves throughout the snowboarding community. Your information has been successfully processed! I had no idea all those times that hed talked my mom into letting me go. Madison Blackley, Ozzy Henning, Aspen Weaver, Nate Haust, Joey Leon and more! I couldnt believe that I was riding with my hero, and he was so nice and down-to-earth. Subscribe to Craig Kelly starred in a "Wrigleys Gum" commercial in 1988/1989 where he was featured doing a 540. All rights reserved. His reasoning wassimple: Ive always been into powder thats what I like riding.Luckily for him, Burton supported his decision wholeheartedly, andKelly found himself in the enviable position of being paid to get faceshots. Craig got arrested with Keith (Duckboy) Wallace at the 1991 June Mountain Op Pro for riding off the lodges roof. Anything that lets you snowboard more is a scam. Press play for a hell ride through Helsinki. If this boats a rockin : Boaters are healthier and happier -- and have sex more often -- than non-boaters, according to a recent survey conducted by Impulse Research Corp. Burton US Open 2011 Halfpipe - Kazu Kokubo & Kelly Clark Win! Through his legacy scholarship fund, his memory now helps other snowboarders pursue a career in backcountry guiding a career he blazed the trail in, not only for myself but hundreds, if not thousands of other snowboarders who now make a living by shredding pow and helping clients discover the power and beauty of freeriding in the wild. The group was caught in an avalanche. In one of the most famous tales of his adventures, in 2000 he took a 14-month trip with his girlfriend, from Alaska to Chile, surfing and snowboarding his way through the Americas. Craig Kelly should undoubtedly be considered as one of the forefathers of modern snowboarding. Not long after, legendary board makerTom Sims made a detour to Baker to see Craig ride.When I left, said Sims in a recent interview, I gaveCraig my personal board, a 1500 FE, and shook hishand. He was on the Sims snowboard team. Having co-founded Island Lake Lodge and the legendary Baldface Lodge, he found his purpose in bringing people into the environment that he loved so deeply. Craigs career recently evolved into backcountry guiding where he was based primarily in British Columbia. We miss you immensely, Elmer. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window). Ill just get this little night job so I can buy gas, you hear yourself saying. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Craig Kelly interview in frequency: The Snowboarder's Journal, http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0304/story.html#story_2, http://www.livemetalstudio.com/?project=craig-kelly-memorial, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Craig_Kelly_(snowboarder)&oldid=1141260358, Cleanup tagged articles without a reason field from July 2011, Wikipedia pages needing cleanup from July 2011, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 04:45. 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. Jason "J2" Rasmus, 1972-2019Gone Tooz Soon, Three Decades of TransWorld SNOWboarding: Part 1, 1987-1996, Bottom Turn : How Snow Surfing is Growing Around the Globe, How to Set Up Your Snowboard Bindings with Danny Kass, Mountain GOAT: Dan Brisse, The Gap of Death, How to Plan Your Dream Trip to Niseko Japan on a Budget, Burton Step On: A Critical Review of a New Step-In Snowboard Binding System. In kindergarten, coloring and the ABCs were boring to Craig because he could already read. Its hard to imagine professional backcountry snowboarding as a thing without him. The keys start adding up. He attended the University of Washington where he was a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity and studied Chemical Engineering. He was notorious for his practical jokes and sense of humor. Last Friday was the 20th anniversary of his death. Jeff figured Craig and Dan would be a good gauge of the toys potential. Now you have a bunch of keys in your pocket. . Vernon, Washington. Im pretty sure its what he would have wanted all of us to do, especially since he couldnt physically enjoy it with the rest of us. Craig would be really bummed if I stoped riding powder because of what happened to him. Craig Elmer Kelly was only 36-years old whenhe died, but his place in snowboardings folklore wasabsolutely assured. By signing up you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. 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.. Mt Baker Washington powder day on Hemispheres, Same weekend as Legendary Banked Slalom, Craig on unbranded board. The four-time World Champion was literally the best of the best, and brought serious freestyle credibility to Burton. Goes Out newsletter, with the week's best events, to help you explore and experience our city. Craig Kelly, known by many as the godfather of freeriding. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Showtime: This years Safari Club International hunters convention, Jan. 29-Feb. 1 at the Reno convention center, is supposed to be one of the largest yet, with more than 1,000 companies showing their trips and equipment to more than 15,000 hunters. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. All you could hear was him breathing, absolutely feeling every part.. But everyone knew the mysterywas Kelly. Subscribe to How fortunate we are to be able to honor them by following in their footsteps. . It was in freeriding where Craig felt the happiest. MILD HIGH | ROME SNOWBOARDS @ Woodward Copper! On the day of his death, Kelly was making the transition froman ambassadorial rider for Burton into a full time mountain guide.It was while out on a training exercise that the avalanche struck, in aravine near Nelson, British Columbia, where Kelly had made his homewith wife Savina and their two-year-old daughter Olivia. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. 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. 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. Flick, there goes the key to the storage unit, then the key to her car. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Craig Kelly is not only my friend, but a hero and a mentor of mine in snowboarding. And you need stuff to wear to work. Advanced Search Cancel Login / Join. There was a palpable outpouring of grief. 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. A bit farther offshore, giant yellowfin tuna are crashing the surface after baitfish. SNOWBOARDERs Newsletter to receive stories like this straight to your inbox. Host Lynn Neary talks with Jake Burton, owner of the Burton Snowboard Company about Craig Kelly, a champion snowboarder who was among those killed in an avalanche in British Columbia this . 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. The Southern California Boat Show, billed as the Wests largest indoor boat show, is scheduled Feb. 15-23 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. While the outcome of the court caseremained unsettled, Burton had to market the boardas the Mystery Air. 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. Box 2759, Revelstoke, B.C., Canada, V0E 2S0 or via the web at http://www.avalanche.ca in the sales and products section. 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