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. There was a palpable outpouring of grief. Soon you have to get a day job because youre not making enough money at night. The first weeks list: skateboarder Andy Macdonald, motocross rider Carey Hart, snowboarder Torah Bright, surfer Kelly Slater and BMX rider Stephen Murray. Listen to this episode from FNRad Snowboarding Podcast on Spotify. The 13-year old meta local kid named Dan Donnelly and the two wentBMXing together, then started riding snowboards in1981 when a local shop bought a couple of boards asa test case. It was a strange, sad anomalyin the story of snowboarding. When it was hoisted onto the H&M; Landing scale Sunday morning it was officially weighed at 310 pounds. 1985: 3 rd Halfpipe, Sierra Snowboarding. Your information has been successfully processed! Yes, Craig was a man apart. Squaw Valley (Nov 1, 1989) near KT22 cat track, Huge powder dump and open on Halloween weekend. 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. The third leg is March 6-9 at Snow Summit. 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). Although Craig was quiet and analytical, he was an amazing athlete and quickly became known as the house snowboarder. During Hell Half Hour (the houses nightly stress-release study break), Craig would crank up The Scorpions or Judas Priest and jump on his bed with his snowboard. THE SNOWBOARDER Movies. Most of Kelly's victories took place prior to the FIS taking over the ISF snowboard world cup. 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. Woodward PC, Big Bear, and Woodward Copper with The Dust Box! Advanced Search Cancel Login / Join. The first leg of the Triple Crown was last month at Breckenridge, Colo. 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. Prize money was steadily increasing but by the mid1990s, when freestyle really began to explode, Kelly decided to changedirection again, dedicating his life to freeriding. Copyright a360media 2023. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. A glistening canvas on which he worked his awe-inspiring magic. Craig, fourteen at the time, was instantly hooked and talked his dad into fronting the money for his own Burton Backhill. Press play for a hell ride through Helsinki. The cross overlooks Baldface Lodge near Nelson, British Columbia. Other . Well get you into some contests later on. Contests were just starting to be organized on the East Coast and in Tahoe, and Washington had yet to host a snowboarding event. Only a few snowboarders were making a living at the time, and six-figure salaries were unheard of. You have to take care of them. We're reprinting one of Craig's favorite columns written by Ken Achenbach from the January 1992issue ofTransWorld SNOWboarding to honor him. Those championships were both in halfpipe and the now-antiquated snowboard slalom racing. Craig had starring, uncredited, roles in Siberia and P-Tex, Lies & Duct Tape, which were both Greg Stump films. Craig eventually became known as the sports first truly professional athlete, but dont mistake that for being a saint, says longtime friend Ken Achenbach. 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. SNOWBOARDERs Newsletter to receive stories like this straight to your inbox. With fresh pow to be found out there, you know what else you need to do to honor his memory. We will never sell your data and you'll only get messages from us and our partners whose products and services we think you'll enjoy. Near Sporthotel Gudari in Caucasus Mtn, near Tblissi, "Soviet" Georgia, ISM magazine trip, 1990. I know Craig would want us to respect the loss of the other victims as much as him. 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. 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. He also won the first snowboard contest held at Hyak, in the 198586 season. Craig Elmer Kelly was only 36-years old whenhe died, but his place in snowboardings folklore wasabsolutely assured. Craig grew up in Mount Vernon, WA, a mid-sized town centrally located for equidistant travel to ski areas such as Mount Baker, Stevens Pass and Snoqualmie. Olivia has been around snowboarding her whole life and has been close with the Carpenter's (Jake, Donna, and their sons) for as long as she can remember. Subscribe to our free newsletter and stay up-to-date with the latest from Tragically he lost his life back in 2003 in an avalanche whilst training to become a certified Canadian Mountain Guide in the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia. Telluride, CO during Burton training camp (Nov 1988). Just as Kelly redefined what it meant to be pro, he redefined how snowboard products were developed. Subscribe to SNOWBOARDERs Newsletter to receive stories like this straight to your inbox. Who should we be thanking for that storm? In his interview, Craig showed the first signs of his upcoming switch from overall racer/freestyle guy to dedicated freestyle champion. 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. When going big in the streets on a snowboard is dubbed a "Brisse Spot", We've compiled a list of helpful travel tips with the goal helping you make TransWorld SNOWboarding's managing editor provides an in-depth, honest, and Terje speaks further on his controversial tweet. Nitro Snowboards just dropped a new series called Hard Drive. Craig was a four-time World Champion, a three-time U.S. Open Champion, three-time Baker Banked Slalom Champion, and the 2002 recipient of TransWorld SNOWboardings Tranny award. If my riding doesnt feel technically perfect, exactly the way it should, I concentrate completely on the problem. The future of progressive snowboard designs is alive and well. Craig Kelly was 36 years old and is survived by his daughter, Olivia and partner, Savina. He was my inspiration before I met him. It was sponsored by Baldface Lodge and Burton Snowboards. Without even knowing it, he led by example and showed several generations what to avoid but even more importantly, where it was possible to go. His dad Pat explained that he could dealwith the loss because Craig had lived as much in 36 years as most ofus do in 80, which was a very fitting obituary. When we were out in the backcountry, he wasnt into taking risks, but taking the path of least resistance and riding the smoothest. Craig appeared in Warren Miller movies for several consecutive years. You cant give her the key to your heart because snowboarding put a combination lock on it and only your snowboard knows the number. Your information has been successfully processed! If I chatter out on a heel turn, I think, Why did that happen? I dont know anybody else that loved mountain riding as much as he did. 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. And it didnt end on the snow. It wont let you snowboard more because you ride every day and a car cant add days to the week. I didnt just go snowboarding anywhere, I spent the day at his stomping grounds of Mt. Craig Kelly passed away January 20, 2003. I dont know anybody else that loved mountain riding as much as he did, said Terje Haakonsen, one of the worlds top riders and, like Kelly, sponsored by Burton Snowboards. Over his 15-year professional career, he won 4 world championships and 3 U.S. championships; he won the Mt. First to go is the key to the door at work. By signing up you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. 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. Get our L.A. Flick, flick, flick. Baker Banked Slalom snowboarding competition in 1988, 1991, and 1993.[1]. SNOWBOARDER has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. Were reprinting one of Craigs favorite columns written by Ken Achenbach from the January 1992 issue of TransWorld SNOWboarding to honor him. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". He won four world championships and three U.S. titles, and during that period, competitive snowboarders didnt necessarily specialize. When he opens the car door, you look into his eyes. Introducing Polo Mens The Sport Shop Collection, K2 Snowboarding Presents | Antti Jussila for World Peace. The next morning, he grilled me about present tense versus past tense, publishers, and literary agents, and then he confirmed that he wanted to tell his story, his whole story-but not yet. Craig is small in the frame and not facing the camera, but if you know ONE FUCKING THING about riding a snowboard you can see how absolutely bad ass this is. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Mt. Kelly, who leaves behind his girlfriend, Savina, and 2-year-old daughter, Olivia Maria, was a free-spirited athlete and an inspiration to thousands, some of whom used that inspiration to propel themselves to stardom. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. He blew out dozens of mattresses and broke boards monthly. 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. Subscribe to our free newsletter and stay up-to-date with the latest from He is the rider who put professionalism into team riding, and then laterdemonstrated his passion by dedicating his life to the sport. He was going to college, and in preparation he loaded up his schedule with six academic classes, taking computer science, advanced chemistry, fifth-year math, German, American government, and physics. This cool kids outdoors club will introduce you to L.A.s best asset, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, Hong Kong will lift its mask mandate Wednesday, its last major COVID restriction, Burbank aborted landing was latest close call for U.S. flights. Madison Blackley, Ozzy Henning, Aspen Weaver, Nate Haust, Joey Leon and more! Burton US Open 2011 Halfpipe - watch the winning runs, Burton US Open 2011 Slopestyle- watch the winning runs. Thats what makes this so ironic, so difficult to fathom.. Nor do I know anybody else who had the style and grace coming down the mountain. Craig Kelly going a million miles an hour from CA$109.00 Look, I understand why this photo never ran. He spent the remainder of his life riding for Burton Snowboardsowned by Jake Burton Carpenter. It spans over 25 years, watching as the snowboarding legend Kelly became one of the biggest names in the industry. Subscribe to SNOWBOARDERs Newsletter to receive stories like this straight to your inbox. Nor do I know anybody who had the style and grace coming down the mountain. He has always been the mentor for my friends and me. Kelly and 13 members of an expedition on the Durrand Glacier were themselves taken in, swept up by an avalanche and buried by up to 15 feet of snow. Conditions and Privacy Policy `` Performance '' he blew out dozens of mattresses and broke boards.... Car door, you know what else you need to do to honor him years. Door, you know what else you need to do to honor him and... 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