PSIA-AASI

About Josh

Josh is head snowboard trainer at Heavenly Resort in California and an AASI-certified Level III examiner, freestyle examiner, and adaptive examiner. He is in charge of professional development for AASI-W, a member of the AASI-W committee referred to as “The Posse,” and is a member of PSIA–AASI-W adaptive committee. A longtime wilderness leader in climbing, mountaineering, caving, whitewater rafting, and ropes course instruction, Josh has level I and II avalanche certification, is a wilderness first responder, and holds certificates in vertical rescue, cave rescue, and swiftwater rescue. He starts his mornings as the on-mountain host for Another Heavenly Morning, reporting daily weather and snow conditions. This is Josh’s first year on the AASI Snowboard Team. He and his wife enjoy riding, climbing, biking, and surfing, and live in South Lake Tahoe with their dog.

Vital Stats

Hometown: South Lake Tahoe, CA

Resort: Heavenly

Sponsors: Rossignol, Burton, RED, Anon, Level

Favorite run: Whistler/Blackcomb Backcountry

Favorite travel destination: Warm water with some good surf

Favorite movie:  The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.  Reminiscent of a typical run-in with handrails.

Favorite board game: Chess. That’s right, I was on the chess team.

Snowboard morning breakfast: Coffee, coffee, coffee. . . followed by eggs and cereal.

Après style: Friends, food, drinks, and perhaps a little razzle-dazzle with the billiards, or a mean game of shuffleboard if I’m feeling “saauuccy.

Top three off-snow activities:
1)  Hang out with my wife and our dog
2)  Surf
3)  Climbing, mountain biking, or golfing. It’s a toss-up.

First snowboard outfit: Homemade bright purple hat that hung to my waist with a ball at the end (yes, that was cool in the early '90’s), the Burton jacket that had pink and purple dots all over with the side zip, standard black pants, Sorels with ski boot liners (the only way to go back then), and original Oakley frogskins that only took mowing 10 lawns in the neighborhood to afford.

Unusual talent: I pole-vaulted in high school

Snowsports goal: I just met an 8-year goal making it on the AASI Snowboard Team. So now that I’m on, I want to make a positive and lasting contribution to the snowboard industry that will outlast me.