Doug Coombs

Doug Coombs
Born	September 24, 1957(1957-09-24) Bedford, Massachusetts
Died	April 3, 2006(2006-04-03) (aged 48) Couloir de Polichinelle in La Grave, France
Nationality	United States
Occupation	Alpine Skier and Mountaineer
Known for	Extreme skiing, film appearances (including Steep (2007) and Warren Miller films)
Spouse	Emily Coombs (nee Gladstone)
Awards	World Extreme Skiing Champion (1991 and 1993)

Doug Coombs (September 24, 1957 – April 3, 2006) was an American alpine skier and mountaineer who helped to pioneer the sport of extreme skiing, both in North America and worldwide.

Biography

Coombs was born in Boston and grew up in Bedford, Massachusetts, skiing in New Hampshire and Vermont.^[1] He attended Montana State University in Bozeman where he honed his skiing skills at nearby Bridger Bowl before becoming a fixture of the extreme skiing scene in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, helping to found Valdez Heli-Ski Guides (and the heliskiing industry) in Alaska in 1993, and twice winning the World Extreme Skiing Championship, in 1991 and 1993.^[2]

Coombs married Emily Gladstone in 1992, and in 1993 they founded Doug Coombs Steep Skiing Camps Worldwide in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. In 1997 the Coombs moved the business to Europe, and the company continues to operate today in La Grave and Chamonix, in the French Alps.^[3] Doug and his wife Emily have a son, David.^[4]

Death

While skiing with friends on April 3, 2006, Doug Coombs died from a severe fall at the Couloir de Polichinelle in La Grave, France. He was trying to rescue his friend Chad VanderHam, who had fallen himself. Both skiers fell approximately 1500 feet. Doug Coombs was found dead after the fall, and VanderHam later died from his injuries.^[5][6][7] Coombs was 48.

A memorial for Coombs was held at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort on June 25, 2006.^[8] A run on the upper part of the mountain is named after him as well.^[9]

Filmography

While not an exhaustive list, Doug Coombs has been featured in a number of ski films, including:

• Aspen Extreme (1993), credited as stunt skier ^[10]
• Teton Gravity Research's The Continuum (1996)
• Warren Miller's Cold Fusion (2001)
• Warren Miller's Storm (2002)
• Warren Miller's Journey (2003)
• Waiting Game (2005)
• Fantastic Four (2005), stunts
• Steep (2007) ^[11]
• Swift. Silent. Deep. (2010), archive footage.

External links

• Doug Coombs Steep Skiing Camps Worldwide
• Doug Coombs Memorial Fund set up to benefit Coombs' widow, Emily, and son, David
• Remembering Doug Coombs archive of Coombs-related stories from Powder magazine
• The Quick and Painless Ski Tune video of Coombs giving ski-tuning advice
• A LEGEND FALLS: 4/5 - Coombs died in fall over cliff Powder Magazine

References

1. ^ Nathaniel Vinton, "Skiing Beyond Safety's Edge Once Too Often" New York Times May 17, 2006.
2. ^ Porter Fox, "Legendary: Remembering Doug Coombs" Powder 35, no. 1 (Sept. 2006): 76-87, on 77.
3. ^ Doug Coombs Steep Skiing Camps Worldwide
4. ^ Doug Coombs, 48, Dies in French Alps Accident NY Times
5. ^ Doug Coombs, 48, Dies in French Alps Accident NY Times
6. ^ A LEGEND FALLS: 4/5 - Coombs died in fall over cliff Powder Magazine
7. ^ Industry mourns the death of Doug Coombs, a humble legend; VanderHam also dies SNEWS, snewsnet.com
8. ^ Memorial in Jackson Hole - June 25, 2006 Doug Coombs Memorial Fund
9. ^ Jackson Hole ski guide: top five runs telegraph.co.uk
10. ^ Doug Coombs at the Internet Movie Database
11. ^ Steep Steep on The Documentary Group's (production company) website

Persondata
Name	Coombs, Doug
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	September 24, 1957
Place of birth	Bedford, Massachusetts
Date of death	April 3, 2006
Place of death	Couloir de Polichinelle in La Grave, France