About Jackson Hogen

Jackson Hogen has served as a supplier, retailer, instructor, coach, screenwriter, trainer, product manager, designer and general student of skiing and the ski marketplace for close to 50 years. Some of the landmark moments:

1970’s

• Skied on Yale Ski Team for 3 years, where I was first seed in GS and SL and truly dreadful at cross-country and Nordic jumping.
• Last person chosen as full-time instructor for Copper Mountain, CO opening season (72/73). With too few lessons to live on, quit to follow freestyle.
• Qualified for back flips for the IFSA, the tour for PFA washouts and wannabes.
• Worked retail at Maverik Ski Shop and Norway Haus, in Breckenridge, CO
• Joined Salomon North America as Service Representative, conducting live, 4-hour binding technician certification clinics across the Rockies.
• Moved from a field position to the Peabody, MA office to supervise the certification program and develop educational services.

1980’s

• Became Salomon binding product manager; later, the title boot product manager was added to the portfolio in lieu of pay. Before leaving the company in 1987, was responsible for all product divisions for North America.
• As Salomon’s representative, served as General Secretary of the ASTM F-27 Committee on Ski Safety. During this period, helped draft shop testing standards and liability release language that stemmed a flood of litigation.
• Served as Chairman of SIA’s Skiing Safety Committee, where we drafted the first skier classification posters to assist shops in implementing new binding release setting standards.
• For two years toured the country as a faculty member of the Skiing Mechanics and Managers Workshops. Lectured on ski tech, selling skills and risk management.
• Hired by New York Times Magazine Group to be first Equipment Editor for newly created Snow Country Magazine, the group’s first start-up. By the mid -1990’s Snow Country was the highest circulation ski publication in the world.

1990’s

• Assigned task of improving Snow Country’s equipment coverage, assembled a spectacular test team and a strict methodology derived from prototype testing that ranked skis in order of finish, a daring innovation.
• Wrote comprehensive reviews for London Daily Mail Ski magazine.
• Wrote trade-related copy for Ski Business, Snow Country Business & Ski Tech. Coined the generic term, “shaped skis” when carving skis emerged as a force.
• Wrote and narrated Warren Miller Entertainment’s The Truth About Skiing, a learning system that included a manual, videotapes and audio cassettes.
• Wrote and emceed 3 feature-length TV shows for Outdoor Life Network with co-host Pam Fletcher. Hosted a special on the Outdoor Show.
• Co-created (with Bob Woodward and Paul Kirwin) Gearorama.com, one of the first digital platforms for ski reviews.
• Co-hosted The Gear Guys with Paul Hochman on Resorts Sports Network. We’d shoot 12 segments in a day, earning the sobriquet, Johnny One-Take.
• Designed Scott’s first ski line, a 3-model series that debuted in the Swiss market. Went from paper to product in less than two years.
• Began working with Head Wintersports in product development, marketing and team management. Conceived Head ski’s first website and created a freeride team with Johnny Moseley, Allison Gannett, Rex Wehrman and Darien Boyle, among others. In April, 2000 Head athletes swept the awards at the US Nationals in Crested Butte.

2000’s

• Wrote the narrative for three Warren Miller Entertainment features: Impact, Higher Ground and Off the Grid. Only writer ever to ghostwrite for Miller.
• Wrote, co-narrated and co-produced Hotel Bella Coola with Greg Stump.
• Co-created, with Dave Bertoni, Desperate Measures, a comprehensive retail training system replete with manuals, videos and workshop tools.
• Hogen and Bertoni collaborate again on Planet Hospitality, a resort personnel training system. I deliver its message to one client, Sipapu, NM.
• Ski and boot tester for SKI magazine for most of the decade; also contribute several resort reviews, including one that continues to hang in the Forklift at Snowbird.
• Executive Producer sub rosa for Greg Stump’s Legend of Aahhh’s.

2010’s

• Published Self-Help for Losers to test the self-publishing waters, followed soon by Controlled Fall, an anthology of early work.
• Co-authored Snowbird Secrets, A Guide to Big Mountain Skiing with “Guru” Dave Powers. Secrets teaches skiing from the mountain’s point of view, combining instruction with metaphysics to reveal our sport’s secrets.
• Contributes feature articles to Skiing History, including profiles of Rick Sylvester and Sven Coomer.
• Retail consultant and bootfitter at Bobo’s Ski & Board in Reno, NV, where reverential customers refer to him as the Boot Whisperer.
• Editorial Director and content provider for the Masterfit Buyer’s Guide.
• Editor & Pontiff, Realskiers.com