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Here is a selection of books that I have enjoyed that have something to do with skiing. Their order does not signify any particular ranking. I like them all. Click on the cover illustrations to order them from amazon.com.
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I'll start with a movie on DVD that has nothing to do with skiing and everything to do with all that draws us to the mountains. Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke is an animated epic set in 13th century Japan about the conflict between society and nature. Miyazaki's characters are complex and believable, his plot suitably ambiguous, and his animation spectacular. While it was released in the United States by Disney's Miramax, this is not Disney fare. It isn't even fair to compare. Not for small children, Princess Mononoke is about a bloody war between humans and mythical animal gods over the fate of a primeval forest. From its terrifying opening to the emotionally exhausting climax, you'll be treated to an action adventure film that will leave you thinking. (Click here for VHS.) |
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Denise McCluggage's The Centered Skier was out of print for a long time. I was thrilled and surprised to see it on amazon.com. While it's not about backcountry skiing specifically, it is a joyous exploration of an approach to skiing inspired by eastern religions, languages, and martial arts. Zen and the art of skiing at its best! |
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Allen and Mike's Really Cool Backcountry Ski Book is an illustrated how-to for backcountry skiing and winter camping. What I love about Allen and Mike's books is that there is plenty of humor, but no fluff. They dispense great advice with an economy of words and graphics. |
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Allen O'Bannon and Mike Clelland's other book is Allen and Mike's Really Cool Telemark Tips. This book focuses on getting down the mountain in utmost efficiency. Their pictures, which come from the top of the class in the Famous Comic Artist's Drawing School, exaggerate the essential just enough so that you can see exactly what they are talking about. |
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Paul Parker is one of the smoothest and most versatile skiers I have ever seen, and he is able to reveal the secrets of free-heel ski techniques in clear and vibrant prose. Free Heel Skiing is the thinking skier's manual on all the tricks of the trade. |
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Ursula K. Leguin is known best for writing science fiction and fantasy. Her stories always explore the farthest reaches of the human condition and the relationships between people and society in ways that we don't always associate with sci-fi. She knows all about backcountry skiing, too. The second half of her science fiction masterpiece, The Left Hand of Darkness, is a dual narrative of an epic escape on skis across a continental ice sheet. Nansen meets Dostoyevski in space. |
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Several years ago I had the pleasure of skiing in to the Friends Hut near Crested Butte, Colorado with a retired physics professor named David Lind. Dave is an authority on everything related to backcountry skiing. From its history to avalanches, and of course to the magical phenomena that make sliding and turning on snow possible, Dave made that trip one of the most educational, as well as enjoyable I've ever taken. His book, The Physics of Skiing, coauthored by Scott Sanders, may tell you more that you ever thought you'd know about the universe under your feet, but you'll enjoy every minute of it. |
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Michael Finkel leads a charmed life. He has skied off high mountains on every corner of the earth and make a career out of writing in truly funny, self-deprecating prose about his adventures. In Alpine Circus, he chronicles some of his most memorable experiences. |
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Tony Daffern has updated his classic book and amended the title to be inclusive of our side-riding friends. Avalanche Safety for Skiers, Climbers, and Snowboarders is a must read for anyone considering going into the winter backcountry. Get awareness and be prepared before the unthinkable happens. |
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Jill Fredsten and Doug Fessler, authors of Snow Sense, have written the definitive guide for decision-making in avalanche terrain. I think this is perhaps the most useful avalanche book yet written because it provides a behavioral framework that reminds us that we can control only those things that we can control. All the natural phenomena that are beyond our reach can kill, but they are far less likely to if we never abandon our responsibility for our own acts. |
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In The Snowy Torrents, Nick Logan and Dale Atkins catalog avalanche accidents so you can read about the factors that contributed to these tragedies. Let's hope that if more backcountry skiers know their history, they will be less inclined to repeat it. |
