Mike Hattrup – Backcountry Basics They Didn’t Teach You in Avy 1

Mike Hattrup is a bonafide skiing legend, known both for his prowess as a skier and for his contribution to the industry at large. Best known for his starring roles in classic ski films including Greg Stump’s “Blizzard of Aahhhh’s,” Hattrup got his start as a mogul competitor on the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team. But the silver screen lured him away from the confines of mogul courses and into big mountain terrain.

While filming in Chamonix, France, he became captivated by the terrain beyond the resort boundaries, which led to him becoming one of the first certified AMGA Ski Mountaineering Guides. He’s also a member of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame, Black Diamond’s ski director, and he’s guided clients in the U.S., Canada, South America, Norway, and the European Alps.

Giving back has always been important to Hattrup. After his team won the Ford Sport Trac Challenge adventure race, he donated his $25,000 winnings to the American Mountain Guiding Association to create an endowment that provides ongoing tuition for guide education.

A local of Sun Valley, Idaho, Hattrup spends as much time skiing and guiding in the backcountry of the Sawtooths as possible.