Glen Plake

Glen Plake (born 9 September 1964) is an American Freestyle skier. Born in Livermore, California, he grew up in Lake Tahoe, skiing Heavenly Valley.^[1] He is known for his appearances in ski films such as Greg Stump's The Blizzard of Aahhhs,^[2] and for his trademark Mohawk hairstyle, often dyed blonde, purple or blue. Plake was a pioneer of extreme skiing in America. He is currently the host for the RSN program Reel Thrills.

According to his official biography:

"...it was his third-grade teacher who used a Möbius flip from the seminal '70s ski flick Outer Limits as a way of demonstrating math that turned his life. For Glen, there fell into place a connection between skiing and the wider world, an understanding that there were deeper forces beneath this sliding on snow. In that brief flash of insight, Plake knew that skiing held something greater for him."^[3]

Glen Plake married his wife Kimberly in 1991.^[4] The Plakes now base their winters in Chamonix, France^{[citation needed]}.

Notable achievements and appearances

Plake is a three-time World Hot Dog Ski champion.^{[citation needed]}

In 2002 Heavenly named Plake its “Ski.E.O.”^[5]

In 2003 Plake was awarded a Ski Club of Great Britain Centenary Medal in recognition of his outstanding contribution and influence upon snowsports.^[6]

In October 2006 Plake joined Slovenian ski company Elan^[7] where he contributes in a design and development role.

In 2006 Glen joined a French Steep Skiing expedition to India, successfully climbing and skiing three new routes in Indian Himalaya^{[citation needed]}. The Rice on Ice film can be found on YouTube.

In late 2007, Plake also appeared in a tourism commercial for the state of California, emphasizing winter sports. At one point he is seen "flipping" up his mohawk, and later in the commercial he is seen airborne on skis.

In 2008 Plake, accompanied by climbing partner Remy Lecluse, had a successful expedition in the Villaconota range in Southern Peru.^{[citation needed]}

In September 2009, Plake was named spokesperson of Learn a Snowsport Month (LASSM), a "public awareness initiative designed to encourage participation in skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing and snowshoeing." ^[8][9]

In 2010 Plake was inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame ^[10][11]

On September 23, 2012, Plake survived an avalanche that killed 11 fellow climbers in Nepal . He planned to ski down Manaslu without the aid of oxygen.

Plake is an active member of PSIA.^[12] In May 2011 he passed his Level III Skiing Examination at Mammoth Mountain in Mammoth Lakes, CA. This is the highest level of certification for instruction in the United States. His goal is to complete his certifications in different regions within PSIA. He completed his Level I in the Rocky Mountain Region and his Level II in the Pacific Northwest. He plans to complete the teaching module of the Level III standard in the Northeast next season.

Filmography

While not an exhaustive list, Plake has been featured in a number of ski films, including:

• Cheap Ski Movie (2010)
• The Edge of Never (2009)^[13]
• Steep (2007) ^[14]
• Warren Miller's Higher Ground (2005) ^[15]
• Warren Miller's Impact (2004)
• Warren Miller's Journey (2003)
• Mercon Industry's Guatemalan Persuader (2003)
• Warren Miller's Cold Fusion (2001)
• "A FISTFUL OF MOGULS" (1994) with Jonny Moseley
• License to Thrill (1989)
• The Blizzard of Aahhhs (1988)
• Maltese Flamingo (1986)

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links

• Glen Plake's Moguls Preview on The Ski Channel