Bill Briggs
Encyclopedia
Bill Briggs is the director of the Great American Ski
School at Snow King Mountain in Jackson, Wyoming
in the United States
. Briggs, born in Maine, is notable as the first to ski the Grand Teton
on June 15, 1971 and as a result is said to be the father of extreme skiing in North America.
His route required a free-hanging rappel down a 165-foot (50 m) cliff face, which he completed with his skis on. He has also made first descents of other mountains in the Teton Range
, including Middle Teton
, South Teton
, Mount Moran
, and Mount Owen
. He was the recipient of the 2003 Utah Ski archives Historical Achievement Award for his contributions to skiing.
In 2008, Bill Briggs was inducted into the U.S. National Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame, with his citation reading in part:
Briggs is a founding member of the Stagecoach Band, which has played country and bluegrass music every Sunday since 1969 at the Stagecoach Bar in Wilson, Wyoming. He also founded and presides over the Hootenanny, an open mic music event that happens every Monday in Moose, Wyoming. He plays banjo, auto-harp and six and twelve-string guitars. Briggs sings traditional and contemporary folk songs, specializing in mountain yodels.
Ski
A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
School at Snow King Mountain in Jackson, Wyoming
Jackson, Wyoming
Jackson is a town located in the Jackson Hole valley of Teton County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 8,647 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Teton County....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Briggs, born in Maine, is notable as the first to ski the Grand Teton
Grand Teton
Grand Teton is the highest mountain in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park, and a classic destination in American mountaineering.- Geography :...
on June 15, 1971 and as a result is said to be the father of extreme skiing in North America.
His route required a free-hanging rappel down a 165-foot (50 m) cliff face, which he completed with his skis on. He has also made first descents of other mountains in the Teton Range
Teton Range
The Teton Range is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in North America. A north-south range, it is on the Wyoming side of the state's border with Idaho, just south of Yellowstone National Park. Most of the range is in Grand Teton National Park....
, including Middle Teton
Middle Teton
Middle Teton is the third highest peak in the Teton Range, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. The peak is immediately southwest of Grand Teton and the two are separated from one another by the lower saddle, a broad high ridge at . The Middle Teton Glacier is located on the eastern slopes of the...
, South Teton
South Teton
South Teton is the fifth highest peak in the Teton Range, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. The peak is south of Middle Teton and just west of Cloudveil Dome and is part of the Cathedral Group of high Teton peaks. The long Teton Range is the youngest mountain chain in the Rocky Mountains, and...
, Mount Moran
Mount Moran
Mount Moran is a mountain in Grand Teton National Park of western Wyoming, USA. The mountain is named for Thomas Moran, an American western frontier landscape artist. Mount Moran dominates the northern section of the Teton Range rising above Jackson Lake. Several active glaciers exist on the...
, and Mount Owen
Mount Owen (Wyoming)
Mount Owen is the second highest peak in the Teton Range, Grand Teton National Park in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The peak is named after William O. Owen, who organized the first documented ascent of the Grand Teton in 1898. Mount Owen is part of the Cathedral Group of high Teton peaks, a...
. He was the recipient of the 2003 Utah Ski archives Historical Achievement Award for his contributions to skiing.
In 2008, Bill Briggs was inducted into the U.S. National Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame, with his citation reading in part:
Bill Briggs is regarded as the father of big mountain skiing in the United States. He was able to imagine and believe it possible to ski in places where no one else had skied before. His first ski descent of Wyoming’s Grand Teton on June 15, 1971 is regarded by most as the single crystallizing moment in American big mountain skiing. He also completed the first high ski traverse in the Canadian Rockies and the first modern ski descent of Mount Rainier.
Briggs is a founding member of the Stagecoach Band, which has played country and bluegrass music every Sunday since 1969 at the Stagecoach Bar in Wilson, Wyoming. He also founded and presides over the Hootenanny, an open mic music event that happens every Monday in Moose, Wyoming. He plays banjo, auto-harp and six and twelve-string guitars. Briggs sings traditional and contemporary folk songs, specializing in mountain yodels.