Product Description

Bill Johnson took the world by storm at the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics, coming out of nowhere to win the first American gold medal in downhill skiing. He went on to dominate the World Cup races that same year. His success made him an overnight celebrity, but his fame was fleeting. He never won another race, and personal tragedy seemed to follow him at every turn. With his post-Olympic life spiraling out of control, Johnson decided to do the unthinkable — make a comeback at the age of forty. He had his motto, "Ski to Die," tattooed on his right bicep. In a race at Big Mountain, fearless and in the lead with one turn to go, Johnson crashed face-first into the icy mountain at fifty miles per hour. Ski to Die is a story about the cost of chasing dreams. It is about glory and the attempt to recapture it once it is lost. More than a cautionary tale, Ski to Die is a rise-fall-rise-again story — because against all odds, Bill Johnson’s story doesn’t end at Big Mountain.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #563834 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

Review
"Ski To Die is compelling." -- Bill Littlefield, host of NPR's Only A Game

"…a fascinating, well-reported cautionary tale…" -- Bill Pennington, New York Times

"…an unflinching and historically rich rendering of a ski champion’s troubled career…" -- Robert Frohlich, Ski Racing magazine, January 2006

From the Publisher
While Johnson has been profiled in the media many times over the years, SKI TO DIE is the first full-length account of Bill Johnson’s rise and fall. Unlike the sanitized made-for-TV movie created after his gold medal victory, author Jennifer Woodlief, with Johnson’s full cooperation, gives readers the whole story—a gritty, cautionary tale about the price paid for pursuing dreams. With the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin just around the corner, Bill Johnson and SKI TO DIE are certain to make headlines

From the Back Cover
"The book makes you feel like living every day to its fullest, because you never know what's around that next turn."

--Picabo Street, two-time Olympic medalist

Journalist Jennifer Woodlief interviewed dozens of people in the skiing world, including Bode Miller, Frank Gifford, Franz Klammer, Phil Mahre, Tommy Moe, Picabo Street and Daron Rahlves to find out what went wrong in the life of this arrogant, stubborn, and amazingly talented Olympic bad boy.

Customer Reviews

Gripping and compelling
I am an avid skier and a lover of biographies. What an amalgamation of the two!!! Growing up in Colorado, skiing was in my blood...much like Bill Johnson. This book is not only a compelling story of his life but also a story of tragedy that draws you in immediately. You wish for Bill's confidence in your own life's ventures but dread that it would come with the price of cockiness and heartbreak that inevitably follows. I couldn't put it down!!!! Well written and gripping!

A Wild Ride
Very much in the style of Krakauer and Junger, the book adeptly juxtaposes Bill's early years with his current plight and in doing so provides the reader an intense perspective and the means for compassion for this troubled and immensely talented man. It was a great read. I realized I had never seen Bill as a hero, but having finished the book, I certainly do now. I really recommend this book!

Excellent treatment of the complex components of a sports legend
This book succeeds at the very difficult exploration of both the factual achievements of a sports legend, and the psychological traumas and demons that may, or may not, have driven him to those achievements. The author lets the reader draw their own conclusions while weaving a thoughtful, interesting and compelling tale of one man's life, his compulsions and dreams, his self destructive actions and momentus ability to survive against all odds.

A tremendous read. Highly recommended!