***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***

 

ACCLAIMED SNOWBOARD MOUNTAINEER STEPHEN KOCH WILL PRESENT A SLIDESHOW AT CAL TECH UNIVERSITY ON HIS PIONEERING SNOWBOARDING DESCENTS IN THE TETONS AND HIS RECENT SNOWBOARD EXPEDITION ON MT. EVEREST

 

“FROM THE TETONS TO TIBET: 15 YEARS OF PIONEERING SNOWBOARD DESCENTS BY STEPHEN KOCH”

 

WHEN:             FEBRUARY 9th , 2004 - @ 7pm

 

WHERE:           The Outland Mountain Shop, 929 E. California Blvd, Pasadena

 

TICKETS ARE $5 AT THE DOOR (ticket sales will benefit www.avalancheawareness.org)

 

Please join Stephen Koch at his upcoming slideshow where he will present photos and riveting tales of adventure and courage drawn from his pioneering snowboard descents in Wyoming’s Teton Range, as well as his Summer 2003 snowboard expedition on Mount Everest, which was the most recent chapter in his quest to snowboard the Seven Summits (see www.stephenkoch.com for more information). Stephen and his teammates - photographer Jimmy Chin, base camp manager Eric Henderson and two Sherpa - spent three months on Mount Everest’s North Face attempting to climb and snowboard the Complete Hornbein Couloir, the most direct route on the mountain.

 

Stephen is one of the most accomplished snowboard mountaineers in the world. What sets him apart from many snowboarders and skiers is his ability to safely and swiftly climb the terrain he then descends. Seeking out aesthetic and challenging lines regardless of their altitude, Stephen has accomplished over 40 first descents worldwide, including Wyoming’s Grand Teton Black Ice Couloir.

 

Stephen is the survivor of an avalanche that occurred on the attempted first snowboard descent of Mount Owen’s NE Snowfields in 1998. He was swept over 2,000 feet down the mountain and spent 23 hours alone in sub-freezing temperatures after sustaining severe injuries including a broken back, dislocated knee and torn ACL. Through determination and commitment he overcame seemingly debilitating, and what many thought would be career-ending, injuries.

The intensity, dedication and uniqueness of his achievements have made him well-respected and admired both within and outside of the mountaineering community. His slideshows appeal to students, both experienced and armchair mountaineers, the aspiring alpinist, and snowboarders of all levels. The slideshow provides Stephen with an opportunity to share how it is possible to make a dream reality, and how to find, and sustain, the inspiration to follow through with goals. He emphasizes how to set high goals for oneself and stop at nothing to attain them. His show contains his photographs, as well as those of several other top outdoor photographers, including Jimmy Chin.

Please also note that the March, 2004 issue of OUTSIDE magazine is doing a cover and feature story on the Everest Expedition, which will be available in mid-February.