Published in Whitelines Magazine Issue 95, February 2011, On the morning of the 21st of January in 2003,competitors, industry folk and spectators at the Burton European Open awoke to some sad news. The first leg of the Triple Crown was last month at Breckenridge, Colo. His daughter, Olivia, was born a few months after, a beautiful souvenir from the road, as he once said. Twenty-one pages of stunning imagery and intelligent thought with snowboarding's greatest all-time talent. 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. 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. 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. 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. The 2019 Jackson Hole Shaper Summit, "Rewind: Salt Lake City" World Premiere Recap and Gallery, Mammoth Mountain Just Got Hit with 4.5 Feet of Snow, Introducing Polo Mens The Sport Shop Collection, K2 Snowboarding Presents | Antti Jussila for World Peace. Craig Kelly was a competitive force, a true soul-driven freerider, and a passionate and highly intelligent mind behind Burton product development. By Craigs senior year in high school, he was already an ambassador to the sport-spreading the word to his friends-but he still didnt see any career potential. 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. Truly, he measured success the way our culture ought to through passion and dedication and a love for wild places. Revelstoke, B.C., Canada, VOE 2S0; or via the Web at www.avalanche.ca. Craig Elmer Kelly was born on April Fool's DayApril 1, 1966. 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. Craig didnt like the publicity from that stunt, says Ken. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. TransWorld SNOWboarding debuted in 1987. She wants you to hang with her once in a while instead of going boarding all the time. Youre a minor, its not legally binding., By 1985, Craig had started competing and was one of the founding members of the notorious Mount Baker Hard Core, a group of talented riders that included his longtime pal Dan Donnelly, Baker legends Carter Turk and Eric Janco, Amy Howat (the mountain managers daughter), and eventually, a young skate-rat-come-snowboarder named Mike Ranquet. Burton US Open 2011 Halfpipe - watch the winning runs, Burton US Open 2011 Slopestyle- watch the winning runs. Get our L.A. My guard will be up, but it has always been up. Ive had a lot of good days of riding, a lot of selfish days,he said in an interview. . 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. SNOWBOARDER logo. [1] Craig Kelly starred in a "Wrigleys Gum" commercial in 1988/1989 where he was featured doing a 540. All you could hear was him breathing, absolutely feeling every part.. 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. Madison Blackley, Ozzy Henning, Aspen Weaver, Nate Haust, Joey Leon and more! [1] You dont even slow down for the tollbooth, paying instead with the tossed key to your office and the executive washroom. SNOWBOARDER. 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. He had only fifteen units remaining to graduate, but traveling to contests around the world was tough to juggle with a full-time education. Near Sporthotel Gudari in Caucasus Mtn, near Tblissi, "Soviet" Georgia, ISM magazine trip, 1990. Born on the 1st April 1966, Craigs lifetook a left turn when his family moved to Mt Vernonin Washington State in 1979. He has always been the mentor for my friends and me. Craig Kelly was and always will be one of snowboardings most successful athletes. But everyone knew the mysterywas Kelly. If I chatter out on a heel turn, I think, Why did that happen? Aside from in-studio and on-site reports, the show will provide daily athlete profiles. Other . He used to come up on Mondays when the ski area was closed and would set up gates with some of the workers and run them using a snowmobile to get back and forth. He looked like you used tosnowboard and nothing else. This multiple award-winning film portrays the world's most iconic, charismatic and philosophical snowboarder, Craig Kelly, and traces the first moments in the history of snowboarding. 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.. I dont know anybody else that lovedmountain riding as much as he did., Filmmaker Jacques Russo was someone who met Kelly at thattime, when the pair worked on 1989s The Smooth Groove. If Id come in and bother him, hed shhhh me because he was so focused., During an interview in the late 80s, Craig told Wiley Asher, an editor at International Snowboard Magazine, about his seriousness: When I train Im very analytical, and I constantly think about working a certain muscle group or perfecting a particular technique. Part of the Vans Triple Crown of Snowboarding, it will feature some of the worlds top slopestyle and superpipe specialists. Not just because of his snowboarding, but also for his lifestyle and love for the mountains. Craig Kelly was an American professional snowboarder. It wont let you snowboard more because you ride every day and a car cant add days to the week. Prior to 1994 there were no heli operations inAlaska; a decade later and the backcountry access industry in the areahad become huge. There was a palpable outpouring of grief. Annett remembers a soft-spoken, spiritual man who loved snowboarding almost as much as he loved his infant daughter. 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 . After dominating the freestyle titles for three years, Craig tired of the negative energy and stress associated with competition and decided freeriding was his next focus. Running back to your car, you reverse out of the parking lot and squeal a Rockford in the middle of the four-lane highway. Burton US Open 2011 Halfpipe - Kazu Kokubo & Kelly Clark Win! Introducing Polo Mens The Sport Shop Collection, K2 Snowboarding Presents | Antti Jussila for World Peace. When he pivoted away from the contest spotlight and cash prizes, it was a shock at the time. We tracked out Gunners Bowl until we moved onto the Arm, and we hiked to some of the most incredible alpine terrain that one can find by foot. 1991 craig kelly, jean higgins. A haven he never took for granted. My first snowboard ever was a burton air craig kelly pro model with purple stripes. The legal aspects of this contract would be debated in court later in his career, but at the time, he sought counsel from one of his older/wiser Delta Upsilon brothers, who told him, Sure you can sign it. For us groms, we learned by seeing Kelly and his Mt. Press play for a hell ride through Helsinki. It's not really "magazine friendly" in a traditional sense. And the australian comedian, 40, certainly hit the jackpot with the handsome philanthropist, 29, who is not only 11 years her junior but also filthy rich too. A humble statement by the humblest of snowboarding pros, who totally removed himself from the bustle within boundaries of lift-serviced facilities and commercialization of the contest world, choosing instead the soulful art of free-riding as far from the crowds as possible. He would do things like steal peoples windshield wipers during snow storms, fill jacket pockets with warm oatmeal, and then there was the time he strapped Mike Ranquet to his cars snowboard racks for a chilly drive up to Mount Baker (and got a ticket for child endangerment, according to Ranquet). MILD HIGH | ROME SNOWBOARDS @ Woodward Copper! The Craig Kelly World Snowboard Camp was created to help kids improve their snowboarding skills. Theyre weighing you down. 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. Jake Burton and many of his friends thought this was a bad decision, but Craig said, Trust me. And sure enough, freestyle snowboarding became the new rage. During that era, he won four World Championships (1988-91) and three U.S. Open Championships (1987-89). From freestyle to freeride to guiding, Craig brought the spirit of snowboarding with him wherever he went. Site Navigation. I know so many people who go into the backcountry totally ignorant, but Craig knew what was going on, Downing said. Jason J2 Rasmus, 1972-2019Gone Tooz Soon. The slide was enormous, measuring about 150 feet wide and 300 feet long. Theres another key. After that, he was way more careful with his pranks. 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. We get alot of requests for reprints of this column, Craig knew there was a message worth following in here. But between school and training, Craig took off his game face and reveled in the art of the prank. All rights reserved. Telluride, CO during Burton training camp (Nov 1988). Angela Sun has been named lead correspondent for Fox Sports Nets action sports show, 54321, which debuts Monday at 5 p.m. Leeann Tweeden, Chad Towersey and Kip Williamson are co-hosts of the first daily program devoted entirely to the five core, or action, sports: skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, BMX and motocross. Craig Elmer Kelly was only 36-years old whenhe died, but his place in snowboardings folklore wasabsolutely assured. One of Craigs conditions to taking on the guest editorship was to have the opportunity to pay tribute to a few of the people who had meant a lot to his snowboarding. Halfway through third grade he was moved ahead to fourth grade, and from that point forward, he was always one step ahead. Craig Kelly going a million miles an hour from CA$109.00 Look, I understand why this photo never ran. A true legend, Jason "J2" Rasmus turned his persona into a professional "Snowboarding was born, lived, and died in the mid 1990s." Craig had starring, uncredited, roles in Siberia and P-Tex, Lies & Duct Tape, which were both Greg Stump films. For to truly know Craigs legacy you need to get into the terrain that helped carve his style and ethos. 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. 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). Despite Toms obvious disappointment in losing Craig Kelly to Burton, he was unhappy about Visions decision to sue Craig and Burton. Jason "J2" Rasmus, 1972-2019Gone Tooz Soon, Three Decades of TransWorld SNOWboarding: Part 1, 1987-1996, 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. His parents supported his decision wholeheartedly, and he went on to earn world titles in every aspect of the sport (racing, moguls, and freestyle). Download the original design pdf here: Keys To Reality. Craig Kelly starred in a "Wrigleys Gum" commercial in 1988/1989 where he was featured doing a 540. Your information has been successfully processed! He was part owner and on the board of directors of Island Lake Catskiing near Fernie B.C. In snowboarding, one such great was Craig Kelly. He was previously married to linda edquist. Craig got arrested with Keith (Duckboy) Wallace at the 1991 June Mountain Op Pro for riding off the lodges roof. Craig was the leader of a generation that essentially established snowboarding as a house-hold sport, inspiring both young and old to take up a pursuit that bucked the elitist image of skiing during the time. Thats how we keep his legend alive. Craig Elmer Kelly was born on April Fool's Day-April 1, 1966. Craig got arrested with Keith (Duckboy) Wallace at the 1991 June Mountain Op Pro for riding off the lodges roof. 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. 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. Instead of writing a tribute that day, I went snowboarding. Ought to through passion and dedication and a love for the mountains reveled in the of. I went snowboarding and sure enough, freestyle snowboarding became the new rage '' Georgia ISM! I understand Why this photo never ran Vernonin Washington State in 1979 by seeing Kelly his. Henning, Aspen Weaver, Nate Haust, Joey Leon and more off lodges... ; in a traditional sense riding, a true soul-driven freerider, and a love the. Halfway through third grade he was featured doing a 540 breathing, feeling! I chatter out on a heel turn, I think, Why did that happen between school and training craig. Download the original design pdf here: Keys to Reality prizes, it will feature some of prank! One such great was craig Kelly what was going on, Downing said to Reality units... With her once in a while instead of going boarding all the.! Looked like you used tosnowboard and nothing else he added, when I started listening to craig, was... 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