There are many exciting and engaging nightly presentations and happy hours during Mountain Festival. One that we are very excited about is local hero Jim Zellers, the presenter at our Tailgate Talk on Tuesday, February 18th at 7 pm.
One of big mountain snowboarding pioneers, Jim Zellers has been there from the beginning—establishing the sport in Tahoe after being banished to Slide Mountain and Donner Ski Ranch, exploring Alaska in the early days and leading snowboarding mountaineering expeditions around the world. Jim’s first snowboard descents include Mt. McKinley. Nepal’s Pumori, New Zealand’s Mt. Cook, Africa’s Mt. Kenya, and, Yosemite’s Half Dome.
Jim grew up in Cupertino, California, making trips to Tahoe through his childhood (and first sliding sideways on a $49.95 bindingless Tom Sims Ski Board in 1978) until he eventually moved to Truckee at age 18. While attending the University of Nevada, Reno, Jim started rock climbing and soon combined it with his passion for snowboarding to venture deeper into the Range of Light and beyond. Jim has supported himself as a construction worker, a furniture maker, a commercial stuntman, a pro snowboarder and now as the founder of High Camp, an internal branding and culture-building company.
A TNF athlete since 1988, Jim still believes his backyard is the future of exploration. While many seek remote locations from home, Jim knows the Sierra holds enough adventure for a lifetime. Accomplishments. He designed and built his home with his wife Bonnie, a former TNF athlete, and raised two boys who are now off to college.
Join Jim for a historical journey down snowboarding’s memory lane.
The Tailgate Talks have become a cherished tradition at Alpenglow Sports over the past 11 years, with the intention to bring the greater North Lake Tahoe community together to learn about and celebrate the various aspects of the mountains that we all love, at no cost. Bringing in a series of speakers and athletes passionate about their respective sports, the environment, and the greater community, the Tailgate Talks are the ultimate way to come together and connect with our neighbors. We look forward to seeing you there!
Beverage sales at Tailgate Talks for Mountain Festival will benefit the Tahoe Backcountry Alliance.