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Tracking the Wild Coomba: The Life of Legendary Skier Doug Coombs
"Doug Coombs had a huge impact on my life; much of my overall approach to mountains comes from his example. I am so grateful that, thanks to author Rob Cocuzzo, I now have the complete story of what influenced one of my biggest heroes." – Jeremy Jones, snowboarding legend
“In the 1980s, I was lucky enough to be part of the Bozeman gang of ex-ski racers in one of the crucibles of the American steep skiing scene. Robert Cocuzzo accurately captures the amazing Doug and Emily Coombs that I knew then and the myriad of Coombs ski stories.” – Bruce Tremper, avalanche expert and author of
"Doug Coombs was an inspiration to me and so many others on and off the mountain. Now, here is an insightful look at the life of a legend." Jimmy Chin, climber-photographer
• A thrilling biography of renowned extreme skiing pioneer Doug Coombs
Arguably the greatest extreme skier to ever live, Doug Coombs pioneered hundreds of first descents down the biggest, steepest, most dangerous mountains in the world―from the Grand Teton “Otter Body” in Jackson Hole, to Mount Vinson, the highest point in Antarctica, to far-flung drops such as Wyatt Peak in Kyrgyzstan. He graced magazine covers, wowed moviegoers, became the face of top ski companies, and ascended as the king of big mountain extreme skiing. His place at the top was confirmed in 1991 when he won the very first World Extreme Ski Competition in Valdez, Alaska.
Now, his story is told for the first time in Robert Cocuzzo’s Tracking the Wild Coomba . From the slopes of his childhood in New England; to the steep chutes of his early career in Montana and Wyoming; to the deep, avalanche-prone powder of his guiding years in Alaska; and, ultimately, to the terrifying terrain of the French Alps, Coombs’s greatness was in how he skied. What most people didn’t know was that Coombs skied so perfectly in part because he had no other choice―at the age of 16 he crashed off a jump in New Hampshire and broke his neck. Doctors said it was a miracle he wasn’t paralyzed, and that another bad fall could kill him. Many believe it was this second chance that inspired the extraordinary life he led until his tragic death in 2006, the result of an attempted rescue of a fellow skier.
“In the 1980s, I was lucky enough to be part of the Bozeman gang of ex-ski racers in one of the crucibles of the American steep skiing scene. Robert Cocuzzo accurately captures the amazing Doug and Emily Coombs that I knew then and the myriad of Coombs ski stories.” – Bruce Tremper, avalanche expert and author of
"Doug Coombs was an inspiration to me and so many others on and off the mountain. Now, here is an insightful look at the life of a legend." Jimmy Chin, climber-photographer
• A thrilling biography of renowned extreme skiing pioneer Doug Coombs
Arguably the greatest extreme skier to ever live, Doug Coombs pioneered hundreds of first descents down the biggest, steepest, most dangerous mountains in the world―from the Grand Teton “Otter Body” in Jackson Hole, to Mount Vinson, the highest point in Antarctica, to far-flung drops such as Wyatt Peak in Kyrgyzstan. He graced magazine covers, wowed moviegoers, became the face of top ski companies, and ascended as the king of big mountain extreme skiing. His place at the top was confirmed in 1991 when he won the very first World Extreme Ski Competition in Valdez, Alaska.
Now, his story is told for the first time in Robert Cocuzzo’s Tracking the Wild Coomba . From the slopes of his childhood in New England; to the steep chutes of his early career in Montana and Wyoming; to the deep, avalanche-prone powder of his guiding years in Alaska; and, ultimately, to the terrifying terrain of the French Alps, Coombs’s greatness was in how he skied. What most people didn’t know was that Coombs skied so perfectly in part because he had no other choice―at the age of 16 he crashed off a jump in New Hampshire and broke his neck. Doctors said it was a miracle he wasn’t paralyzed, and that another bad fall could kill him. Many believe it was this second chance that inspired the extraordinary life he led until his tragic death in 2006, the result of an attempted rescue of a fellow skier.
256 pages, Paperback
First published July 12, 2016
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309 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
September 12, 2017
I recently read Tracking the Wild Coomba by Rob Cozuzzo. This biography of extreme skier Doug Coombs was published last year and describes Doug's experiences in both North America and Europe up until his tragic death in 2006.
It describes his childhood and how he came to love skiing as a child in New England during the 60s. He attended college in Montana became involved with extreme skiing at Bridger Bowl. After college he moved to Jackson Hole, where there were more opportunities to develop his skills as an extreme skier. He found even more challenge in Alaska where he became a pioneer in the heli-skiing industry by founding Valdez Heli-Ski Guides. In 1991 and 1993 he won the World Extreme Skiing Championships. He moved back to Jackson Hole and started a wildly popular extreme skiing camp with his wife in 1993, but relocated to the Alps in 1997 after disputes with Jackson Hole Resort about backcountry access. He died in 2006 while trying to rescue his friend after a bad fall in La Grave, France.
This book was a very good read and quickly captured my attention as I started reading. This biography was very well written and the author also describes his interactions with Doug's friends and family, whom he interviewed for this book. These interactions add a personal touch, which makes the book more interesting, but it could probably do with a slightly shorter description of these interactions. Doug's story is very inspiring and shows how to make the most of life and how it is possible to lead a fun, successful life, even though his own was cut short.
It describes his childhood and how he came to love skiing as a child in New England during the 60s. He attended college in Montana became involved with extreme skiing at Bridger Bowl. After college he moved to Jackson Hole, where there were more opportunities to develop his skills as an extreme skier. He found even more challenge in Alaska where he became a pioneer in the heli-skiing industry by founding Valdez Heli-Ski Guides. In 1991 and 1993 he won the World Extreme Skiing Championships. He moved back to Jackson Hole and started a wildly popular extreme skiing camp with his wife in 1993, but relocated to the Alps in 1997 after disputes with Jackson Hole Resort about backcountry access. He died in 2006 while trying to rescue his friend after a bad fall in La Grave, France.
This book was a very good read and quickly captured my attention as I started reading. This biography was very well written and the author also describes his interactions with Doug's friends and family, whom he interviewed for this book. These interactions add a personal touch, which makes the book more interesting, but it could probably do with a slightly shorter description of these interactions. Doug's story is very inspiring and shows how to make the most of life and how it is possible to lead a fun, successful life, even though his own was cut short.
November 12, 2017
Amazing, well-researched, fascinating read about the life of ski pioneer Doug Coombs. The author writes with such humility and humor, and it’s easy to fall in love with the story of Doug’s amazing legacy. Definitely recommend!
May 3, 2022
Amazing story about an incredible mountaineer.
October 21, 2022
4.5 stars
Just a wonderfully compelling biography of Doug Coombs.
Just a wonderfully compelling biography of Doug Coombs.
February 21, 2024
I had a blast reading this, and it was the perfect travel buddy for a couple weeks of ski bumming around the west. Anyone who is spoken of to have “given more people the best day of their lives” than anyone else deserves a memoir like this!
July 27, 2021
This book definitely fits its title. The author, Robert Cocuzzo, is one of the lead characters as he unravels the story behind the death of Doug Coombs, a legendary backcountry skier who spent most of his skiing career in Jackson, Wyoming, Alaska and La Grave, France.
Cocuzzo is the ultimate journalist, putting himself in the same spots as Coombs so he could report an honest account of Coombs life. Cocuzzo should be so proud he went to such great lengths to write his story and leave a legacy for Coombs’ family, friends and fans.
I wouldn’t say this is the most interesting read if you are not an avid skier.
Cocuzzo is the ultimate journalist, putting himself in the same spots as Coombs so he could report an honest account of Coombs life. Cocuzzo should be so proud he went to such great lengths to write his story and leave a legacy for Coombs’ family, friends and fans.
I wouldn’t say this is the most interesting read if you are not an avid skier.
September 21, 2019
A good book about a great skier. The author was too present in the story early on, but by the end it all made sense. I wish we had learned more about Doug - like learning about Alex in Jenni Lowe-Anker's book - but since this author never knew him, that's asking too much.
I loved the epilogue about the Doug Coombs Foundation - an organization and mission I love (based in my adoptive home of Jackson Hole).
I loved the epilogue about the Doug Coombs Foundation - an organization and mission I love (based in my adoptive home of Jackson Hole).
February 24, 2017
Tracking the Wild Coomba
By Rob Cocozzo
For readers who are not familiar with author Rob Cozuzzo’s debut book, Tracking the Wild Coomba, a biography of one of the world’s greatest mountaineering extreme skiers, you also might not know he is the Managing Editor of N Magazine, a stunning seasonal publication featuring all the latest and greatest people, places and things on and about Nantucket. It’s more than a full-time job, and he manages it seamlessly year-round, twenty-four-seven.
So, before I tell you about the awe-inspiring biography he recently wrote about the life and death of his skiing hero, Doug Coomb’s, which he will be presenting at this year’s Nantucket Book Festival, I must tell you a bit about the man behind the pen. Rob conceived, wrote and published this book during his almost non-existent spare time, grabbing random hours whenever he could, while turning out issue after issue of N. No small feat. Some of the writing of the manuscript was done on Nantucket after work and late at night, some was written in his cabin in New Hampshire during the winter months when the magazine is in its planning stages, other chapters from weekend digs in Boston, and a lot of it, during one intense winter Rob committed to retracing Doug’s life in the same small French village in the Alps where the skier spent the last days of his life.
Ever since Rob graduated from Mt. Holyoke, he knew he wanted to write and eventually landed a dream job as the editor of N in 2012. Through sheer determination and focus, plus elbow grease mixed with sand, he was quickly promoted to Managing Editor. Working long days and endless weeks, Rob’s pinpoint focus, determination, and tenacity make a winning combination for a writer who needs to put the words down on the page and get the job done. While he turned out articles for N, he was also churning out the book that was bursting from beneath the buttons of his polo shirt. It was something he felt called to do and there was nothing that could or would stop him from getting Doug’s story down on paper.
I believe, as does Rob, in cosmic energy, and it is by no mistake that Rob became obsessed with Doug Coombs at a young age. As a kid, Rob remembers watching VHS videos of Doug maneuvering his way with ease, grace, and skill down vertical mountain drops as steep as a closed door. Doug cruised through places no one on earth had ever skied before, down terrains no one had ever even dreamed of descending: Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Mount Vison in Antarctica; Wyatt Peak in Kyrgyzstan; Valdez, Alaska; and throughout the commanding French Alps. Images of Doug on the covers of Powder Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Skiing Magazine—images burned onto Rob’s brain—were everywhere, as Doug won competition after competition as the world’s greatest skier. He and his wife, Emily started the first heli-skiing company in Valdez, Alaska, a first in the industry, opening the doors of ski-mountaineering to serious skiers around the world. Doug felt born to pursue this sport and nothing would or could, stand in his way.
Rob shared a cosmic past with Doug as well, skiing the same ski area in Massachusetts as Doug did when he was a kid. Rob has always longed to assimilate his hero—to follow in his ski tracks and discover what traits Doug possessed that made him as talented an athlete—one so fearless, tenacious, dedicated, and focused that he could claim the title “King of the Mountains” forever.
When I met Rob, he had just started his job with N. He had new ideas and stories he knew would work to bring vibrancy and readership to the magazine but needed freelancers. We met by chance, struck up a conversation about writing, and when he found out I was spending the summer on Nantucket to revive my long-shelved career as a writer, he asked me if I was interested in sending him a sample of my work. I went straight home and browsed through my fledging list of recently written documents and found one possible fit. “Good for a Girl” is about my friendship with a college ski team buddy, a guy I dated named Doug Coombs, whose death from a fall while skiing in France I felt acutely when I read about it in 2006 in the New York Times.
Rob’s emailed immediately. “I’m writing a book about this guy. He’s my all-time hero. I can’t believe you sent this to me. You’re hired.”
It was my own cosmic reentry into journalism, a path I felt destined to complete, one that would open the way for me into more published work, an eventual graduate degree in nonfiction writing and eventually onto the memoir I am writing now.
Throughout Rob’s journey of tracking the wild coomba, there were many other cosmic coincidences involving Doug. Unexpected and revelatory conversations and meetings with family, school friends, and beloved ski buddies of Doug’s in extraordinary circumstances took place time and again. But Rob came to understood that Doug, too, was fallible. Doug had indeed, slipped and fell to his death trying to help his best friend avoid that very fate. Doug’s undoing was his big heart. But it is Rob’s dedication to Doug’s spirit that allows the skier to live once more on the pages of this finely researched and written story.
It is no wonder that Rob choose Doug for the subject of his first nonfiction profile. All the traits that carried Doug to be the best in his field, are the same characteristics and qualities that have taken Rob to his—hard work, dedication, fortitude and that one very special quality they both share—heart. I saw great things in Doug way back when, and I see an amazing future for Rob as a writer. Two hero’s in one lifetime makes me one lucky girl.
By Rob Cocozzo
For readers who are not familiar with author Rob Cozuzzo’s debut book, Tracking the Wild Coomba, a biography of one of the world’s greatest mountaineering extreme skiers, you also might not know he is the Managing Editor of N Magazine, a stunning seasonal publication featuring all the latest and greatest people, places and things on and about Nantucket. It’s more than a full-time job, and he manages it seamlessly year-round, twenty-four-seven.
So, before I tell you about the awe-inspiring biography he recently wrote about the life and death of his skiing hero, Doug Coomb’s, which he will be presenting at this year’s Nantucket Book Festival, I must tell you a bit about the man behind the pen. Rob conceived, wrote and published this book during his almost non-existent spare time, grabbing random hours whenever he could, while turning out issue after issue of N. No small feat. Some of the writing of the manuscript was done on Nantucket after work and late at night, some was written in his cabin in New Hampshire during the winter months when the magazine is in its planning stages, other chapters from weekend digs in Boston, and a lot of it, during one intense winter Rob committed to retracing Doug’s life in the same small French village in the Alps where the skier spent the last days of his life.
Ever since Rob graduated from Mt. Holyoke, he knew he wanted to write and eventually landed a dream job as the editor of N in 2012. Through sheer determination and focus, plus elbow grease mixed with sand, he was quickly promoted to Managing Editor. Working long days and endless weeks, Rob’s pinpoint focus, determination, and tenacity make a winning combination for a writer who needs to put the words down on the page and get the job done. While he turned out articles for N, he was also churning out the book that was bursting from beneath the buttons of his polo shirt. It was something he felt called to do and there was nothing that could or would stop him from getting Doug’s story down on paper.
I believe, as does Rob, in cosmic energy, and it is by no mistake that Rob became obsessed with Doug Coombs at a young age. As a kid, Rob remembers watching VHS videos of Doug maneuvering his way with ease, grace, and skill down vertical mountain drops as steep as a closed door. Doug cruised through places no one on earth had ever skied before, down terrains no one had ever even dreamed of descending: Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Mount Vison in Antarctica; Wyatt Peak in Kyrgyzstan; Valdez, Alaska; and throughout the commanding French Alps. Images of Doug on the covers of Powder Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Skiing Magazine—images burned onto Rob’s brain—were everywhere, as Doug won competition after competition as the world’s greatest skier. He and his wife, Emily started the first heli-skiing company in Valdez, Alaska, a first in the industry, opening the doors of ski-mountaineering to serious skiers around the world. Doug felt born to pursue this sport and nothing would or could, stand in his way.
Rob shared a cosmic past with Doug as well, skiing the same ski area in Massachusetts as Doug did when he was a kid. Rob has always longed to assimilate his hero—to follow in his ski tracks and discover what traits Doug possessed that made him as talented an athlete—one so fearless, tenacious, dedicated, and focused that he could claim the title “King of the Mountains” forever.
When I met Rob, he had just started his job with N. He had new ideas and stories he knew would work to bring vibrancy and readership to the magazine but needed freelancers. We met by chance, struck up a conversation about writing, and when he found out I was spending the summer on Nantucket to revive my long-shelved career as a writer, he asked me if I was interested in sending him a sample of my work. I went straight home and browsed through my fledging list of recently written documents and found one possible fit. “Good for a Girl” is about my friendship with a college ski team buddy, a guy I dated named Doug Coombs, whose death from a fall while skiing in France I felt acutely when I read about it in 2006 in the New York Times.
Rob’s emailed immediately. “I’m writing a book about this guy. He’s my all-time hero. I can’t believe you sent this to me. You’re hired.”
It was my own cosmic reentry into journalism, a path I felt destined to complete, one that would open the way for me into more published work, an eventual graduate degree in nonfiction writing and eventually onto the memoir I am writing now.
Throughout Rob’s journey of tracking the wild coomba, there were many other cosmic coincidences involving Doug. Unexpected and revelatory conversations and meetings with family, school friends, and beloved ski buddies of Doug’s in extraordinary circumstances took place time and again. But Rob came to understood that Doug, too, was fallible. Doug had indeed, slipped and fell to his death trying to help his best friend avoid that very fate. Doug’s undoing was his big heart. But it is Rob’s dedication to Doug’s spirit that allows the skier to live once more on the pages of this finely researched and written story.
It is no wonder that Rob choose Doug for the subject of his first nonfiction profile. All the traits that carried Doug to be the best in his field, are the same characteristics and qualities that have taken Rob to his—hard work, dedication, fortitude and that one very special quality they both share—heart. I saw great things in Doug way back when, and I see an amazing future for Rob as a writer. Two hero’s in one lifetime makes me one lucky girl.
March 24, 2021
I'm usually a reader of reasonably dense fiction or in-depth biographies or historical narratives. This is not the kind of book in my usual rotation. But I am a skiier, and I know who Doug Coombs was. So ... when I found this included in the Audible catalogue, I figured "What the hell, I'll give it a listen. It's quick, I'll learn about a bada** skiier, imagine getting back out on the slopes, and have some fun."
I finished the book and immediately purchased it on Amazon so I can put a physical copy on my shelves. This isn't the light read I was expecting, but it's some weird mix of memoir (of the author, not Coombs) and biography (of Coombs and others who knew and loved him).
Cocuzzo has done a masterful job of finding a story and explaining to the reader why that story matters, both to Cocuzzo himself and to those of us who read/listen to the book. I've seen the other reviews suggesting the author is a little too involved in the narrative, but come on ... if that's your perspective, you didn't pay attention to the title: we know from the get go that Cocuzzo is telling us the story of Doug Coombs through his own attempt to 'retrace his steps', so to speak. I don't think anyone is going to put Cocuzzo up for a Pulitzer in the near future, but that's not what a book like this is supposed to be and it's not the standard against which it should be judged.
If you love mountains, skiing, or the outdoors, this book is for you. If you love stories about passionate people doing what they love and finding ways to chase their passion above all else, give this a shot. It's not a literary masterpiece, it's not a groundbreaking piece of investigative journalism, it's just a damn good book. Solid 5*, and one I'll come back to again and again.
I finished the book and immediately purchased it on Amazon so I can put a physical copy on my shelves. This isn't the light read I was expecting, but it's some weird mix of memoir (of the author, not Coombs) and biography (of Coombs and others who knew and loved him).
Cocuzzo has done a masterful job of finding a story and explaining to the reader why that story matters, both to Cocuzzo himself and to those of us who read/listen to the book. I've seen the other reviews suggesting the author is a little too involved in the narrative, but come on ... if that's your perspective, you didn't pay attention to the title: we know from the get go that Cocuzzo is telling us the story of Doug Coombs through his own attempt to 'retrace his steps', so to speak. I don't think anyone is going to put Cocuzzo up for a Pulitzer in the near future, but that's not what a book like this is supposed to be and it's not the standard against which it should be judged.
If you love mountains, skiing, or the outdoors, this book is for you. If you love stories about passionate people doing what they love and finding ways to chase their passion above all else, give this a shot. It's not a literary masterpiece, it's not a groundbreaking piece of investigative journalism, it's just a damn good book. Solid 5*, and one I'll come back to again and again.
December 9, 2025
I was looking for an equivalent to William Finnegan's surfing classic Barbarian Days – but for skiing. I wanted strong writing and a personal narrative that captures the spirit of a sport and the evolution of its culture.
Tracking the Wild Coomba was brilliant; perhaps one of my favorite non-fiction reads this year. You can tell it was written with pure love for the mountains and the people who make skiing their lives.
One chapter follows Doug Coombs and his family, the next you're back in (almost) present day, meeting elite skiers with the author as he travels in the US and France, skiing in Coombs' tracks. I rarely think of biographies as gripping or fast-paced; this one was–it was masterful storytelling.
And you don't have to be an extreme skier (“The definition of extreme skiing is if you fall, you die.”) to fall in love with this mountaineering community. I'm not. But I wouldn't be surprised if one day I found myself in Jackson Hole or France, walking up to one of these fantastic people Cocuzzo interviewed and saying, “Hey, so I read this book...”
Tracking the Wild Coomba was brilliant; perhaps one of my favorite non-fiction reads this year. You can tell it was written with pure love for the mountains and the people who make skiing their lives.
One chapter follows Doug Coombs and his family, the next you're back in (almost) present day, meeting elite skiers with the author as he travels in the US and France, skiing in Coombs' tracks. I rarely think of biographies as gripping or fast-paced; this one was–it was masterful storytelling.
And you don't have to be an extreme skier (“The definition of extreme skiing is if you fall, you die.”) to fall in love with this mountaineering community. I'm not. But I wouldn't be surprised if one day I found myself in Jackson Hole or France, walking up to one of these fantastic people Cocuzzo interviewed and saying, “Hey, so I read this book...”
April 13, 2020
This book is awesome. It's an adventure filled with passion, thrills, family and first hand experiences of the most legendary skier to ever grace the slopes, Doug Coombs. What an amazing story from start to finish. To tell the truth, I have never been skiing before and I found myself looking up how to get started after only a couple chapters into this story. The author does an incredible job of portraying the excitement that Coombs found in the mountains and bringing that feeling to the readers with each turn of the page.
If you want to hear first hand about a dare devil who understands his passion and lives his true calling in life, you'll find that in this book. I highly recommend it to anyone with any background and especially for those who are looking for a bit of energy in their life. This book helped me get excited about things again and really try to embrace the Wild Coomba's life style of doing what you love.
If you want to hear first hand about a dare devil who understands his passion and lives his true calling in life, you'll find that in this book. I highly recommend it to anyone with any background and especially for those who are looking for a bit of energy in their life. This book helped me get excited about things again and really try to embrace the Wild Coomba's life style of doing what you love.
January 28, 2022
Robert Cocuzzo's adoration for his hero runs through as one of, if not the central theme of this piece, as he hopes to trace his Doug Coombs' life journey from his childhood all the way through to his untimely death.
The writing style is very engaging, with personal stories and anecdotes told through Cocuzzo's travels and meetings with Coombs' family & friends. These pull together the narrative strands of the mythical figure in the world of extreme skiing and the devoted husband, friend, and father that he is remembered as by those who know him.
The writing style is very engaging, with personal stories and anecdotes told through Cocuzzo's travels and meetings with Coombs' family & friends. These pull together the narrative strands of the mythical figure in the world of extreme skiing and the devoted husband, friend, and father that he is remembered as by those who know him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2018
I have reread this book at least three or four times, maybe more and I feel like I'm living through Cocuzzo's words each time. Coombs is one of my all time favorite skiers and this book makes you feel like you're just a little closer to the legend. I think it was written in a down to earth style much to Coombs' likeness. It's a must read if you spend time on sticks in the winter.
May 16, 2020
A wonderful account of the life and times of Doug Combs, who pioneered commercialized extreme skiing.
Mr. Combs developed some of the world’s best steep-skiing areas, from Alaska to La Meije, all while pushing his own standards on the world’s hardest lines.
The book is well written and a great testament to an inspiring man with a wonderful soul.
Mr. Combs developed some of the world’s best steep-skiing areas, from Alaska to La Meije, all while pushing his own standards on the world’s hardest lines.
The book is well written and a great testament to an inspiring man with a wonderful soul.
March 7, 2021
A boy writing about chasing his dead idol around the world. Despite being set in some beautiful places and talking about great skiers, this story fails to elicit much of an emotion response. It’s told in a choppy back amd forth way and right when a part of the story could get interesting, the author seems to metaphorically chicken out and hike out the rest of the way.
August 25, 2023
A fun read for the adventurer and ski/ snowboarder enthusiast! I want to read more from this author. Great descriptive passages that transport you to time and place. The story of Doug Coombs is as inspiring as it is tragic. You can make this stuff up. A real character full of life! A one of a kind.
April 28, 2019
If you are a fanatical skier you will find this a four star. But as a general read it was probably a three star. It’s a little too focused on the author himself at times. Interesting to get inside the heads of extreme skiers. They definitely march to a different drum!
January 31, 2024
This was a very well written book showing the life of legendary skis Doug Coombs. I really enjoyed how the author, Andrew, combined his adventure with the life story of Coombs. Definitely admire this writing style.
January 19, 2017
Coombs was obviously a great skier and perhaps his life story would make a compelling story. This book is entertaining enough, but was too full of hero worship.
October 12, 2017
Interesting, fun read about Doug Coombs' awesome life. Inspiring, but also cautionary.
June 4, 2018
great book about a skier i didn't know anything about
August 14, 2018
Not the best-written book but I really enjoyed the story. I grew up idolizing guys like Doug Coombs so it was nice to read his life story despite the tragic ending.
July 24, 2020
If you love skiing you'll like this book. It's a chore to read the less than polished writing style but the subject itself manages to pull one through.
November 2, 2023
Not even a die hard skier and could not put it down. Reading it was an adventure along and has me stoked for my first winter in a while ❄️
January 10, 2024
Inspiring!
March 4, 2017
Books of "adventure/exploration/trekking" are among my favorites, but I don't enjoy the ones that mostly contain chest pounding bragging of a writer's exploits. I prefer ones that mix the adventure with introspection. This book is humorously written in a self-effacing manner that makes you like the author and appreciate his quest.
September 17, 2016
I loved this book, and I'm probably unique in that I didn't know that that much about Doug Coombs before reading this story. What a fantastic story to both live and write—following in the tracks of your hero. Thankfully Rob has both the skiing chops and and journalistic chops to pull this off. It's a great biography of Coombs, and it's not a pure biography in that the writer inserts himself in the story, but I think it works very well in this book. Rob appears in the story just enough to give it a personal perspective, which I think helps all of us mortal skiers understand how much of a badass Doug Coombs was. Rob's first-person perspective is never too much, just to put us in his ski boots and have some first-hand knowledge of what the skiing feels like. A good read for anyone who wants to know more about Doug Coombs, or know more about ski mountaineering, or just read a good mountain story.
September 10, 2016
As an everyday Jackson Hole skier this book means something to myself. Rob gets the essence of Doug Coombs, there are local stories I have heard (plus a bunch more I have not) beforehand that made it into this book.
This is a must read for anyone who wants to see his somebody pushed the most you can get out of life. You may have only one life, but if you do it right, once is enough.
This is a must read for anyone who wants to see his somebody pushed the most you can get out of life. You may have only one life, but if you do it right, once is enough.
August 24, 2016
Wow! Grabbed me on the first page and never let go. For anyone serious about skiing and who either aspires to ski the steep and deep (or who has done so already) this book is a must read. Takes you into the inner circle of the world's best ski-mountaineers and along for one hell of a journey from Jackson to Valdez to Chamonix and, finally, to La Grave. A great read!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews