Let It Ride

During the 1980s and '90s, professional snowboarder Craig Kelly clocked in as one of the top-tiered international competitors of his sport, then swept up a veritable pantheon of awards and honors including seven World Snowboarding Championship titles. Kelly also perfected the practice of mountain-back country riding, and developed such a longstanding affinity for that pastime that he opted to devote all of his time to it and qualified as the first accredited snowboarding mountain guide in history. In addition, Kelly developed and honed a unique spiritual philosophy related to snowboarding that explores the unity between the participant, the snowboard and the surrounding mountains. On January 20, 2003, Craig Kelly was tragically killed by an avalance. His untimely death united snowboarders around the globe and reminded them that snowboarding is more than a sport, it's a culture.