The Daily - January 30, 2020 - 24

The Pulse

F U T U R E

E P I C
Kit DesLauriers rips
down Wyoming's Grand
Teton. She was the first
woman to ski it solo.

Renowned ski mountaineer Kit DesLauriers
wants to shape the planet's future for the
next generation. By Chris Van Leuven
KIT DESLAURIERS IS THE FIRST

person to ski the Seven Summits, a mother of two, a passionate environmental steward, and a book author. When
The Daily asked what projects
she's got on deck, she was
reticent to answer. "There are
a few I'm in the early planning
stages of, yet nothing that I
feel like describing at the moment," she says. "Whenever I
do that, it seems like the energy dissipates, and it's harder
to make them happen."
What she did share was
insight into her life as a global
athlete for The North Face-
she's now in her 15th year with
the brand-her love of skiing
and ski mountaineering, and
her commitment to conser-

vation. The first back-to-back
winner of the Freeride World
Championships in 2004 and
2005, DesLauriers also volunteers on the board of the
Alaska Wilderness League,
where she helps protect the
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
from oil and gas development.
"It's as pristine as when any
of our ancestors came to this
continent," she says. She also
volunteers with the Protect
Our Winters Rider's Alliance,
and she's on the board of the
American Alpine Club.
Skiing and adventure run
thick in DesLauriers' family
line. Her grandfather opened
the first ski lift in Stowe,
Vermont. She endured bitter
cold winters as a child in New

/ OUTDOOR + SNOW SHOW 2020

What big project are you
preparing for now?
Recently I was elected into the
U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall
of Fame, Class of 2019. The
induction ceremony happens
March 28 in Sun Valley, Idaho.

That's a big honor that I feel
privileged to be planning my
immediate schedule around.
Basically, I'm skiing and training, which feels good. Oh, and
starting to think about my
acceptance speech.
What is the piece of gear that
you are most hoping to find
at Outdoor + Snow Show?
Whatever is at The North
Face booth, specifically
new Futurelight products.
I believe the fabrics are a
game-changer for how we
move in the mountains and
produce environmentally
sound products. In general,
I'm excited to see how our
industry is approaching sustainability. While we all have
a responsibility for speaking
and voting our conscience,
we in the outdoor adventure
world have what I feel is an
elevated role in mitigating our
impact on climate change.
Why is it important for you
to be at the Show?
This morning, The Conservation Alliance is hosting a
breakfast focusing on the
threats to the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge. I'm deeply
committed to protection of
that incredibly unique and special landscape, which includes
not drilling for fossil fuels as
well as supporting the indigenous culture of the Gwich'in,
whose way of life depends
upon the healthy ecosystem.

WE IN THE OUTDOOR ADVENTURE WORLD
HAVE WHAT I FEEL IS AN ELEVATED ROLE IN
MITIGATING OUR IMPACT ON CLIMATE CHANGE.

A N DY BA R D O N

Peak Form

England, perhaps prepping
her for charging steep Alaska
lines. Her passion is simple. "I
love to ski!" she says. (Men's
Journal called her the "Official
Queen of First Descents.")
For college, DesLauriers
headed for warmer climes,
studying environmental political science at the University
of Arizona. She took up rock
climbing and trail running
and spent a semester in Alaska with the National Outdoor
Leadership School (NOLS).
From there, she spent a
decade in Telluride, Colorado, where she worked on ski
patrol and for the San Miguel
County Search and Rescue
Team. From there, she settled
down in Jackson, Wyoming,
where she can take in breathtaking views of the Tetons
from her backyard.
Back in 1998, while standing on the summit of a peak
in Sikkim, which borders India and Bhutan, DesLauriers
found her calling to be a ski
mountaineer, ski the Seven
Summits, and compete on
the freeskiing circuit. She
tells her story in her memoir Higher Love: Skiing the
Seven Summits.

The Daily - January 30, 2020

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