Legends in the Mist

You have to love powder days in Nelson, BC, especially after a long drought. The whole town seems to make the trek up to the hill, whether for a few turns or the whole day. I was somewhere in between, and after a great morning lapping it up with friends, I duck into the lodge for a quick snack. As I walk back out to click back in, with Peak popping through the clouds, I happen to run into one of the ski world's most legendary characters, John Falkiner. If you were a reader of Powder Magazine back in the 70s and 80s, Falkiner was a regular feature, along with legendary photographers Mark Shapiro and Ace Kvale. Known as the Clambin Kids of Verbier, these guys were the industry's first pro ski models, and their exploits led them down an amazing road of adventure and ski travel.

I met John at The Gathering at Red Resort four years ago, and was immediately taken aback by his zest for adventure and his wealth of ski stories. He's been living in Switzerland since the 70s, skiing, climbing, mountaineering, working as a professional skier, stuntman, competitor, and an UIAGM International Mountain Guide. He's skied in countries like Lebanon, Iran, Japan, Kashmir, Russia and Norway and of course, he loves skiing here.