Chris Davenport Should Be in the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame

Folks, isn’t blogging supposed to be about what you’re doing, today? Well, this morning it’s about writing letters…

It’s downright strange. Chris Davenport is in our U.S. Ski Hall of Fame, but we’ve never put him in our Colorado version. We are attempting to repair this grievous oversight. An individual familiar with the Colorado Hall is in the process of nominating “Dav,” while myself and others are writing “seconding letters.” I’ll share my letter below, with linkage. (The final version we send to the Ski Hall might be slightly different. Suggestions are welcome, but keep in mind it’s best to fit the letter on one standard typewritten page.)

Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame inductees are voted in by existing Hall members. If you’d like to support getting Chris into the Hall, best strategy is to contact Colorado Hall of Fame members and “remind” them to vote for Chris once he’s nominated. Such reminders can take many forms, such as kidnapping their favorite pair of skis to hold for ransom. Totally appropriate, when it comes to getting Dav inducted. Just don’t tell anyone you read it here.

To: Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame
October 2016

To whom it may concern,

I’m writing this in support of the nomination of Colorado resident Chris Davenport to the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame, in the Athlete category.

For more years than I can count, Chris has been a driving force in skiing — in both Colorado and around the world. He is an outstanding athlete who excels in multiple disciplines.

Beginning in 1996, Chris burst upon the ski scene by winning several of the first “freeride big mountain skiing” championships. Since then, as a sponsored ski athlete, guide, spokesperson and published author he has applied his athleticism in numerous venues and subsequently inspired countless individuals, myself included.

In 2006-2007, Chris changed his focus from competition skiing to Colorado ski mountaineering, when he skied all of Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks within a year-long period. That was a huge event in Colorado skiing, as prior to the first time the “fourteeners” had been skied (by myself), Colorado’s highest peaks had been somewhat dormant in terms of ski mountaineering. Not only did Chris set a speed record and become the second person to ski all the 14ers, but he “opened up” the fourteeners in terms of the culture and psychology of his current generation. Subsequently “skiing the fourteeners” has become an established part of the Colorado ski scene.

Continuing his outstanding athleticism, Chris extended his fourteeners skiing when in 2015 he and two partners became the first ever skiers to descend the 100 highest peaks in Colorado. This stunning achievement is alpine sport at its finest, and perhaps the most important event in “Colorado skiing athletics” to occur in decades.

Other aspects of Chris: He’s an experienced product designer. As an accomplished athlete, he knows what works. His advice is taken seriously by the companies he works with such as Scarpa, Spyder and Kastle. More, Davenport is an author, having co-published two excellent large-format inspirational ski books, one covering the Colorado peaks (“Ski the Fourteeners”), and another covering inspirational ski descents (“50 Classic Ski Descents of North America”).

As Colorado Ski Hall of Fame member myself, I take these nominations seriously. Now in middle age with a family, Chris has more than four decades of skiing under his planks – plenty of time to make a seasoned addition to the sport. What is more, I feel certain individuals stand out as much for their character as for their resume, and Chris Davenport is one such person. I’ve dealt with Chris quite a bit over the years. He is genuine and caring of other people; deserving of accolades.

In summary, I enthusiastically second the nomination of Chris Davenport as a member of the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame.

Louis Dawson
Publisher – WildSnow.com, Colorado Ski Hall of Fame 2005

5 Responses to “Chris Davenport Should Be in the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame”

1. Ben Pritchett October 27th, 2016 9:34 am

   Dav has also taken a strong role promoting avalanche education! He led a key segment of the 2015 Know Before You Go video, and supports the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) as a board member.

2. Lou Dawson 2 October 27th, 2016 9:46 am

   Thanks Ben, I was trying to figure out how to fit in a paragraph about that. Since this is Colorado Hall of Fame, I prioritized the specific Colorado stuff, but I’ll try.

3. Herf October 27th, 2016 10:15 am

   Totally support him and you in this. Will write a seconding letter.

4. Hacksaw October 27th, 2016 11:05 am

   Lou, I bet you can get Knox to sign the letter.

5. LHadar November 8th, 2016 8:34 pm

   This would be a great letter to the editor of the Aspen Daily! He’s our hometown hero and a huge inspiration to the next generation of Colorado back-country enthusiasts. Everyone in Colorado knows, (or should) its Lou Dawson then Chris Davenport. Those are our forefathers. These are the guys we all look up to around here.