Cult personality and legendary freeride skier Glenn Plake is an event in his own right, and will no doubt make this year's Days a memorable experience. His recognizable profile, brightly painted punk crest - his personal trademark, and exceptional skills in the sport have long earned him a well-deserved place in the Ski Hall of Fame (literally - Glenn's accomplishments earned him a spot in the 2011 US National Ski Hall of Fame).
Growing up near Lake Tahoe in California, Glenn picked up skiing alongside his third-grade teacher, who used a trick from the movie Ski the Outer Limits (1969) as an example in a mathematics lesson. Suddenly everything falls into place - Glen sees the connection between skiing and the world around him, and realises that there are much deeper forces at work in skating on snow than he could have guessed. And that once he gives into them, his life will never be the same.
He proved it in the next 30 years of his career. Glenn Blake established himself as one of the most gifted skiers - a pioneer with outstanding achievements in extreme skiing and appearances in some of the most cult films. Among them are Maltese Flamingo (1986) and The Blizzard of Aahhhs (1988), License to Thrill(1989), the works of Warren Miller Journey (2003), Impact (2004) и Higher Ground (2005), as well as the memorable Steep from 2007.
Glenn developed his skills in the Sierra Nevada mountains on the steep slopes above Chamonix, where he has spent much of his time since the 1980s, and where he learned the intricacies of extreme downhill skiing. He has made numerous first descents in Europe, Japan, Peru, the Himalayas, and North America, and one of his greatest successes has nothing to do with skiing achievement - Glenn Plake was among the survivors of the deadly avalanche that marred Camp 3 at the base of the Himalayan peak of Manaslu in 2012 and claimed the lives of 11 climbers. Among them were part of Glenn's group, whose goal was to ski down the eight-thousanders without the use of oxygen.
"Skiing is the only thing I really have. I mean, I've got my wife Kimberly, I've got some stuff, I've got my health, I've got all these goods; but the only thing I really have is skis. Even if I didn't have my health, my wife, I'd still have my skis."
From the very beginning of his professional career until today, Glenn Plake has been committed not only to his own development as an extreme skier, but also to the development of the sport as a whole. He has been involved in the development and testing of products to improve safety and performance levels, has given lectures and training to increase interest and knowledge of winter sports, and has never stopped traveling and riding. We sincerely hope winter surprises us earlier this year so we have a chance to see him in action on the Bulgarian mountains, but even just chatting and hearing his stunning story live and experiencing his extraordinary expertise will be enough!