PSIA-AASI

About Tom

Tom is a new member of the PSIA Nordic Team. He works full-time at Big Sky, Montana, where he first started instructing in 1999. He grew up in Boise, Idaho, and cross-country raced out of Bogus Basin through high school. At Dartmouth College he raced on the cross-country development team while majoring in engineering. While working a couple of seasons at Mt. Hutt in New Zealand he met his Aussi wife Mary. Tom is a current alpine examiner in the Northern Rocky Mountain division and is in training to become a telemark examiner as well. He usually waits for the lifts to shut for the season before going touring, but then takes advantage of the late snowpack held in Montana’s mountains.

Vital Stats

Hometown: Boise, ID

Resort: Big Sky, MT

Sponsors: Swix, Rossignol, Reusch, 22 Designs

Favorite run: Lenin, Big Sky

Favorite ski destination: Craigieburn Valley Ski Area, New Zealand

Favorite sports team: Boston Celtics

Ski morning breakfast: Frosted Mini-Wheats, banana, yogurt and OJ.

Ski day lunch: Toasted cheese sandwiches.

Après style: Go cross-country skiing or go to the bar and get a couple of beers. One or the other.

Playlist: No iPod, but I listen to country music. No plans for an iPod.

Skis on: Rossignol

Just read: Fabric of America by Androw Linklater

Most memorable ski moment: The first time I skied a black run at Bogus Basin, and the name of the run was War Eagle. It was really steep and I was probably six years old and it was the first black run I ever skied. It was scary but I didn’t fall and it worked out fine.

Top three off-snow activities:
1) Running/hiking in the mountains
2) Tubing
3) Bowling

I would like to meet . . . Bjorn Daehlie, the retired Norweigan ski racer. He’s one of the best cross-country ski racers of all time. He was winning his medals when I was in high school, so we were racing and following the results.

PSIA-AASI makes me . . . a ski instructor.

Can usually be found: In Montana.

Snowsports goal: To be able to teach skiing when I’m 65, 70 years old.