Doug Coombs has become a legend for the skiing tribe. Hell, he’s always been legend. But ever since his death while attempting to rescue a fellow skier in the Alps in 2006, the Coombs persona has grown to the point that, looking back at his life and accomplishments, he’s arguably the greatest skier of a generation.
Now, 10 years after his passing, comes a new biography about Doug Coombs titled Tracking the Wild Coomba. Written by Robert Cucuzzo, and published by Mountaineers Books, Tracking the Wild Coomba traces Coombs’ life from his New England childhood in the ’70’s, to his infamous days in Jackson Hole in the ’90’s, heli-skiing and first descents in Alaska, and his untimely death in France in ’06.
As a backcountry skier who looked up to and admired Doug Coombs during my formative years, I’m stoked to be able to read this book. While it’s available to order now, you can also pick up a copy when the book tour comes to Utah. The author, Robert Cucuzzo, will be at White Pine Touring in Park City on November 15th, and at the Black Diamond Store in Salt Lake City on November 16th.
So if you’re as big a fan of Doug Coombs as I am, and felt the earth move when you heard about his death like I did, then definitely be at White Pine Touring or the Black Diamond Store on those dates. I plan on being at the BD store event so I can pick Cucuzzo’s brain and hear stories about one of the most legendary and influential skiers of our time. I also have a copy of the book and will have a review in the upcoming weeks.
To order your copy, head over the Mountaineers Books.