Glen Plake has been called the “Pied Piper of Skiing.” With his signature, multi-colored Mohawk hairstyle, he is the most recognizable and quite possible the best-known skier in the world. From his appearances at the smallest of ski areas in the United States to his descents of the world’s most challenging mountains and his innumerable film, television and print media appearances, Glen has done more than anyone to promote the love for skiing to millions of people.

Glen grew up skiing from the age of two in South Lake Tahoe, where his mother enrolled him in ski school. Glen honed his skills through ski racing and free skiing between stints on the U.S. National Moguls Ski Team circuit. He was later crowned three-time World Hot Dog skiing champion. In 1988 his performance in the Greg Stump production, “Blizzard of Aaahhs,” launched a whole new genre of ski films which had a major impact on the way people viewed skiing and its possibilities. Other major and influential film appearances have included “Steep,” “The Edge of Never,” “License to Thrill,” and “Fistful of Moguls” to name a few.

As an extreme skier he has challenged and completed in over 100 ascents and descents of some of the world’s biggest mountains. In 2009 Plake did a ski descent of the Arete de Peuterey of Mont Blanc in Italy. In 2008 he climbed and skied the 20,000 feet of the Callangate in Peru for the filming of “Reel Thrills.” A climb and ski of the 22,000 foot Kullu Pumori in India in2006 included a 4,500 vertical ski descent on slopes ranging from 45 to 55 degrees for the filming of “Himalaya Experience.”

Glen is also famous for his innumerable surprise visits to local ski areas throughout the country as part of his “Down Home Tour.” Traveling in his motor home with his wife Kimberly, Glen spends time visiting small to medium-sized ski areas to be with and encourage the local patrons of the sport. He is a strong believer in the importance of these areas as the foundation of skiing in America. To this end he has recently completed his Level One Instructors certification with the PSI and lenads his name to the ski industry’s annual “Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month” in January. Through this work he keeps in touch with the needs and expectations at the local level, which has assisted his work in product development. Both Elan in Slovenia and Dalbello in Italy maintain a work area for Glen’s various projects at their factories.

Glen is a true adventurer, enjoying off-road racing, all forms of water ski competition, and anything else that involves “gasoline and gravity.”