Rainer Hertrich - The Most Dedicated Ski Bum

Interview with Rainer Hertrich
July 27, 2009
Government Camp, Oregon

K2: How many consecutive days have you been skiing?
RH: 2,096 days

K2: Why did you start this?
RH:At the Mangy Moose in Jackson Hole, WY they have plaque celebrating individuals that have skied 6 million vertical feet in a season. I saw this plaque and thought I wanted to try this in Colorado so Nov 1, 2003 I started skiing as much as possible everyday.

K2: What makes you get up everyday?
RH: Anticipating a great day of skiing ahead and I’m done sleeping so no need to wait around I need to be doing something. Skiing has always been my favorite thing to do.

K2: If the conditions are bad what do you do and how do you make yourself get up to the ski hill?
RH: The bad days make you a stonger skier, strengthen your will and make you appreciate the good days even more. Seems to me most people judge their ski day in relation to their best day ever, for me I’m just happy to be skiing and make the best out of what I can.

K2: Where was your best run ever?
RH: Jackson Hole 2005 choking on chest high snow

K2: What do you enjoy most about winter?
RH: Skiing, grooming, snowmobiling and all the great things you can do with snow.

K2: How is your body holding up?
RH: Everything is good, knees get sore now and then.

K2: Most memorable experience?
RH: There have been many. The pre-dawn run from Timberline, Mt. Hood Oregon to departure at PDX for South America is always fun and stressfull.

K2: How long do you want to keep going with this?
RH: Who know’s, but I’d like to make it to 100 million vertical feet which is another 2.5 year commitment.

K2: How much vertical do you get in your average ski day?
RH: My MTR, (Minimum Tele Requirement) is 33 thousand vertical feet per day, which is equivalent to 22 top to bottom Palmer Express runs at Timberline per day.

K2: What was your biggest day ever?
RH: 115,545 at Keystone, Colorado where I skied for 12 hours straight in every condition winter could throw at me. From solid ice, thick slush to powder I had it all that day.

K2: What is the most amount of vertical you have logged in a short period?
RH: 2 million vert in 32 days….

K2: Where was this?
RH: In Valle Nevado , Chile I was able to do this due to no lift lines and few crowds.

K2: Shortest day?
RH: Generally these are travel days, one time on the drive out to Mt. Hood I logged 175 vertical feet on the biggest patch of snow Tamarack, Idaho could offer me for early June skiing.

K2: Who has the current official record for the most consecutive skis days?
RH: Arnie Wilson from the UK

K2: How long does a pair of skis normally last you?
RH: Typically 6 million vertical feet which for me is 6months of skiing everyday.

K2: If you didn’t need to work how much more vert could you gain per day?
RH: 45,000 per day so anyone reading this better donate to my fund….

K2: Any words of wisdom for people reading this?
RH: If you really want to commit to doing something like this I would suggest you think about it for a long, long time.

K2: How can people follow your daily progress?
RH: www.Suuntosports.com click on guest log in, go to snowsports and look for rainertelecat1 and click on date/title.

K2 House at Mt Hood Update

It's been busy here at the K2 House with groups of skiers and snowboarders testing products, shooting photos and enjoying the best summer shreddin in North America. The house has had a steady stream of ski and snowboard athletes, photographers, engineers and other humans.

Andy and I spent a day riding with Leanne Pelosi our favorite K2 Snowboard athlete who was here for a week. There were some photo shoots here at the house with different women snowboard athletes and all they talked about was how insane the HCSC halfpipe was. HCSC made a superpipe for the US Snowboard team to train in and everyday you could see people blasting. HCSC is a great camp but they don't allow skiers in their park so the chances of us riding this pipe were slim. Apparently someone was looking out for us because the next day without asking we were offered a chance to ride their pipe. We had a great time riding their pipe and before we left they were nice enough to offer Andy and I lifetime passes to HCSC. As you can imagine were both stoked to be the first skiers to receive lifetime HCSC passes.

It's been busy here at the K2 House with groups of skiers and snowboarders testing products, shooting photos and enjoying the best summer shreddin in North America. The house has had a steady stream of ski and snowboard athletes, photographers, engineers and other humans.

Andy and I spent a day riding with Leanne Pelosi our favorite K2 Snowboard athlete who was here for a week. There were some photo shoots here at the house with different women snowboard athletes and all they talked about was how insane the HCSC halfpipe was. HCSC made a superpipe for the US Snowboard team to train in and everyday you could see people blasting. HCSC is a great camp but they don't allow skiers in their park so the chances of us riding this pipe were slim. Apparently someone was looking out for us because the next day without asking we were offered a chance to ride their pipe. We had a great time riding their pipe and before we left they were nice enough to offer Andy and I lifetime passes to HCSC. As you can imagine were both stoked to be the first skiers to receive lifetime HCSC passes.

The conditions are great and Mt. Hood is a perfect place to beat the heat.
We look forward to seeing you on Mt. Hood.
Thanks
Todd