Remembering Jon Bowerman

We were saddened to hear about Jon Bowerman's death on October 19th at his ranch near Antelope. He was 86 years old.

Saddened might not be the right word - surprised is probably the emotion I'm looking for.

I just saw Jon at a volleyball game in Fossil a couple of weeks ago. Of course, he was sitting courtside in his cowboy hat, conversing with a couple of locals.

Jon was one of a kind. His advoca...

 
 

Reader Comments(1)

christin writes:

Jon's incredible life story includes his 3 years coaching the US Women's Ski Team in the mid-1970s. I was a young member of that team and benefitted from Jon's stewardship, creativity in coaching, and good humor on the road. He was a new coach at my first conditioning camp in Aspen CO, in which he decided that ascending a 14,000' peak would be good for us, which it was. I've never stopped climbing peaks. At my first on-snow camp in Portillo, Chile in 1977, Jon climbed up and skied down steep, powdery couloirs WITH us, as an extra-curricular to instill confidence & bad-assery, which it did. The year-round travel took him away from his beloved horses and ranch life more than he wanted, but he committed himself to it for as long as it lasted. His mega-watt smile and get-'er-done attitude impacted me as a youngster, and stayed with me long after Jon returned to Oregon (and I went on to win an Olympic medal). Jon was iconic. A renaissance man. RIP. Your legacy lives on with us skiers. Coop