Bill Browness

I am a teacher at heart. I love to turn someone on to this sport which gives me such "big grins". After several years on the US Adaptive Ski Team, competing at the Paralympics in Lillehammer and a World Championships in Austria, I went back to instructing. Currently, I am the Technical Director (in charge of the schools in-house instructor/staff training) for the Snowsports School of Disabled Sports Far West at Alpine Meadows and I work for the Professional Ski Instructors of America as a trainer on its National Team (I get sent around the country working with other instructors about how to teach adaptive skiing!).

• Height:
• 6'3"
• Date of Birth:
• October 1, 1958
• Nationality:
• USA
• Hometown:
• Truckee, California in the winter; Brandon, Mississippi in the summer
• Home mountain:
• Alpine Meadows, Tahoe City, California

• Hobbies:
• Cross country skiing, fishing, water skiing, kayaking, rock crawling in a highly modified jeep
• Life Motto:
• I have two: That which does not kill us makes us stronger. And: "my life is better than your vacation"
• Sponsors:
• Volkl/Marker, Hestra Gloves, Smith Optics, Hands on Concepts (sit ski), Superlight (outriggers)
• What is your favorite ski in 2011/2012 Collection?:
• Mantra 184
• Short statement about why you like this ski:
• I love the versatility of my Mantra. I can teach and clinic with this ski as easily as it goes in the deep, chowder, crud, or the firmer front side groomers!
• What conditions do you use this ski for?
• EVERYTHING!
• What other skis in the 2011/2012 collection do you ride?
• Kendo 184
• Can you tell us a little about each pair of skis, and about what sort of conditions you use them for?
• I bring out the Kendo when things get a bit firmer. I also use a GS Speedwall 183 when I am working a race camp!
• What about bindings? What bindings do you use? And where do you mount them?
• The last thing a sit skier wants to have happen is to release from his binding. That is why I use a Marker 30.0
• What DIN do you have your bindings on?
• 30DIN
• Ideal day in the mountains:
• Blue-bird spring day, big fat breakfast with friends at the local "greasy spoon", spring corn in the morning, light lunch on the mountain, follow the north-facing shadows in the afternoon, beer on the deck talking with friends about favorite runs of the day.
• How would you describe your style:
• Technical
• Your biggest breakthrough in your skiing career.
• During my first season as a sit down skier "diving" into a turn (that uncomfortable feeling of "falling" into a turn for the first time), feeling my ski come back underneath me…. And, realizing for the first time that's what it is suppose to feel like!
• Favorite place to ride:
• Alpine Meadows of course!
• Best snow trip:
• Heli skiing in Idaho.
• What age did you start to ski:
• 15 as a stand-up skier and then again at 31 as a mono skier.
• Favorite phone App.:
• "Fishing Calendar"… "Pandora" is pretty cool too.
• Goals and plans:
• Keep doing just what I am doing for as long as I can.