The Darkest White

A Mountain Legend and the Avalanche That Took Him

De: Eric Blehm

Narrado por: Dan Bittner

“Eric Blehm offers an insightful perspective on how Craig Kelly became the effortless icon that we all revered as well as sobering details of how his heroic journey tragically ended. The Darkest White is a must read, not just for fans of snowboarding, but for anyone looking for inspiration from an unlikely hero.”—Tony Hawk

From Eric Blehm, the bestselling author of The Last Season and Fearless, comes an extraordinary new book in the vein of Into the Wild, the story of the legendary snowboarder Craig Kelly and his death in the 2003 Durrand Glacier Avalanche—a devastating and controversial tragedy that claimed the lives of seven people.

On January 20, 2003, a thunderous crack rang out and a 100-foot-wide tide of snow barreled down the Northern Selkirk Mountains in British Columbia, Canada. More than a dozen skiers and snowboarders were thrust down the mountain, buried beneath several tons of rock-hard snow and ice in the Durrand Glacier Avalanche. A heroic search and rescue ensued. Among those buried was Craig Kelly—“the Michael Jordan of snowboarding”—a man who had propelled the sport into the mainstream before walking away from competitions, to rekindle his passion in the untamed alpine wilds of North America

The Darkest White is the story of Craig Kelly’s life, a heartbreaking but extraordinary and inspiring odyssey of a latchkey kid whose athletic prowess and innovations would revolutionize winter sports, take him around the globe, and push him into ever more extreme environments that would ultimately take his life. It is also a definitive, immersive account of snowboarding and the cultural movement that exploded around it, growing the sport from minor Gen X cult hobby to Olympic centerpiece and a billion-dollar business full of feuds and rivalries. Finally, The Darkest White is a mesmerizing, cautionary portrait of the mountains, of the allure and the glory they offer, and of the avalanches they unleash with unforgiving fury.

“Eric Blehm took on this biography as I imagine Craig Kelly took on the halfpipe. He studied it, chose his line, and pulled everything off—even tough parts—with grace and style. It’s not just a terrific story of an amazing life, not just the origin story of an entire sport, but a riveting disaster narrative that builds tension masterfully. The Darkest White grabbed me and didn’t let go.""—Jack Carr, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Terminal List series

Legend

Kelly's story is one of a kind. True legend of his time and taken to early.

The detailed information

CK was a few years before my time but growing up at Crystal, White in the late 70’s-90’s…was an amazing experience. His story of being unique is one of motivation and peace.

Gripping

I love snowboarding and historical non-fiction so this hit the mark. It's gotta be the definitive Craig Kelly book.

Great but sad story

This book was great. I went looking for a book to better understand who Craig Kelly was and this was just what I was looking for. I do honestly feel that the author did a great job of looking at and understanding all sides and everyone’s story from the day.

So real!

Wow, this story was amazing! As always Blehm’s writing is beautiful and raw. A nice tribute to the life of Craig Kelly.