Chris Davenport, of Aspen, Colorado, is considered one of the world’s most accomplished big mountain skiers. Chris first made his mark in the skiing community when he won the 1996 World Extreme Skiing Championships in Valdez, Alaska. In 2000, he managed to land on the podium in each Freeskiing World Tour event he participated in, and won his second World Championship at the 2000 Red Bull Snow Thrill of Alaska. Chris has also been honored five years in a row by Powder Magazine with its Reader’s Poll Award. In addition to his competitive prowess, Chris has been featured in over twenty feature ski films and is also a reporter and color commentator for ESPN and ABC Sports. His writing has been published in magazines including Powder and Men’s Journal. He is an avid climber and mountaineer, with ascents of summits around the globe, and now guides clients on exotic ski trips. When not traveling, Chris recreates around Aspen and Snowmass with his wife Jessica and sons Stian, Topher and Archer.
Penn Newhard, of Aspen, Colorado, left his job as a municipal bond trader on Wall Street to become a ski/climbing bum. After trips to South America,
Nepal and Alaska, he settled on a friend’s couch in Aspen, Colorado in the summer 1989. Work as a climbing and backcountry ski guide, snowmaker, raft guide and for the Aspen Mountain Race Department eventually led to more steady employment at Climbing Magazine from 1992 – 1997. Currently, Penn is a partner and founder of Backbone Media, an agency specializing in public relations, social media and media planning. When not working, he travels, climbs, skis and chases his wife Kirsten and four kids, Chapin, Lacey, Natalie and Teagan around the mountains. Newhard’s words and images have appeared in titles such as Outside, Climbing, Rock & Ice, Powder, Skiing and Backcountry Magazines.
Art Burrows, of Aspen, Colorado, was one of the original catalysts during the rebirth of Telemark skiing in the ‘70s. In the creative world, he is known for innovating new design benchmarks and is a recipient of three coveted Graphis Awards. His design reach has been broad and encompasses downtown civic enhancements for the City of Aspen, ski products for Black Diamond Equipment and brand enhancements for the Aspen Skiing Company, The Colorado River District and others. Burrows, schooled in fine art and design in Italy, never lost his youthful passion for skiing and mountains. He was a key force within the original group that forged modern Telemark skiing. He left his mark on early free-heel big mountain descents in the western U.S. and Canada including the first free heel descent on Mt. Logan in 1978. Art was twice World Masters Telemark Champion, and currently devotes his time between design, photography, winter and summer adventures and raising the next generation of creative contributors and adventurers, Beau, Lilli and Tullis.