John Shocklee
Occupation: Ski Guide & River Guide
Home Mountain: Silverton Mountain
Skiing since: 1972, tele since 1992
Skiing Venture Since: 2024
Skis of Choice: Sultans 180 & 188
Bio: I grew up in Akron Ohio and in my earliest memories I remember being fascinated by magazines like Powder and Skiing with all the snow, skiing, lifestyle and suntans. It was so different from Akron to say the least. I became obsessed with learning and experiencing that. After many years of skiing just a little bit at Boston Mills Ski Area in Cuyahoga Valley near Cleveland, I told my friends and family I was moving to Colorado to seek out those early childhood impressions that I wanted so badly. So, at age 26 I packed up my bitchin Camero and moved to Colorado. After a little bouncing around I landed in Telluride in 92. Working as a waiter and bartender allowed me to ski every day possible. With over 400 inches of snow that year I knew I had made the right decision.
I started working as a ski guide at Silverton Mountain in 2002 after building the ski lift and doing the intern thing. I've also been a river guide since 1997 with my roots in Durango. Sometimes my occupation includes trimming trees, light construction, excavation and snow removal. Skiing has been my number one passion since the early 90's and everything I do facilitates that.
Currently I'm in constant pursuit to find new lines to ski while honing my skills at Silverton Mountain and the surrounding San Juan Mountains. Guiding has given me some awesome opportunities, including working with Yeti. With cameras and recorders hidden all around some funny moments have been captured. One of my favorites was during the filming of A Fairy Tale, the videographer recorded me saying that "I like skiing more than anyone here," which is true. That's led to a lot of fun banter over the years. All I can say is the stoke is real!
Best Skiing Memory: There's been so many. The moments keep coming. The time I was guided a group down Sunset in bottomless pow for 2000 feet in the white room.
Why Venture? Klem is a great friend and I've been waiting for these skis to arrive ever since he and Lisa moved to Silverton. Plus, they have the durability and playfulness that you want in a big mountain ski! And I love them!