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The Soul of Skiing and my other big life project.
Hey guys I haven’t posted on here very frequently the last few years, but hope to do so more as the forums get revamped and life’s time constraints allow. Attachment 512351Attachment 512352Attachment 512353
After more than 25 years of shooting skiing full time, I’m excited to share that I’ve signed a book deal with @artisan_books to create #TheSoulofSkiing.
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This project is the culmination of a lifetime spent chasing storms, documenting powder days, and capturing the people and places that shape ski culture. The Soul of Skiing isn’t just about deep snow and iconic lines—it’s about the community, the characters, and the shared obsession that drives skiers to follow weather patterns across the globe.
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From legendary spots like Haines, Myoko, Alta, and Mt. Baker to hidden gems in Japan, Patagonia, and the Alps, this book is a visual and narrative journey through the heart of skiing. It features never-before-seen imagery, personal stories, and exclusive profiles of the people who’ve shaped the culture—from mountain legends to lifties, locals, and lifelong weekend warriors.
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While the image of the powder chaser may conjure the classic dirtbag ski bum, the reality is much richer. It’s the single parent scraping together enough for a day on the hill with their kid. It’s the family spending every weekend making memories one turn at a time. It’s the ski instructor sipping coffee before first chair, the patroller throwing avy bombs before sunrise, and the lift mechanic braving storms to keep the mountain running. It’s the hands that tune skis, the hitchhiker chasing one more lap, and the shared clink of après beers at day’s end.
This book is a tribute to all of them—and to everyone who lives for the snow. It’s a love letter to the sport, the people, and the culture that have defined my life and so many others.
Can’t wait to share it with you. More on the book soon.
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In addition to the book, the last few years I’ve started offering the same service I’ve provided to all of the pro level athletes I’ve worked with over the years to the public here in Bellingham: high quality binding mounts and MTB suspension rebuilds and tuning, plus E-bike motor repair ( launching the only repair facility for Shimano motors in NA) That’s been crazy successful, so I’m moving forward with getting a commercial space and building out the shop of my dreams. It’s a bit intimidating to be opening a shop when so many are struggling these days, but I have a vision. Plus with all of my travel shooting skiing and visiting successful shops I feel I got a really good idea of what works.
I launched my ski photo career here and on the old Powder forums back in the day posting pics and getting the collective feedback from the greater community of skiers, so plan on doing the same with this endeavor and plan on using this thread to document the build out and evolution of this project.
I wouldn’t be doing this without the support of my better half. Luckily my partner Jamie is fully supportive of this vision. Back in her race days she competed on the MTB XC world cup, was national champion, won the single speed worlds, was on the national team for both road and MTB and made it to nationals multiple times for both. She’s a bad ass and one of the smartest people I’ve ever meet.
One of the big pieces of equipment I need to decide on is a tuning machine. I’m familiar with Wintersteiger’s Jupiter machine after shooting their promo materials, but I’m also interested in the Reichmann offerings too so interested in what the consensus’s experience is. I’m not interested with buying an old used machine that produces lack luster quality. The goal here is the highest quality of tune available and in my experience those fully automated units surpass what even the most experienced tech can do by hand.
More to come and a lot of pieces need to start transpiring to make this happen.
-Grant Gunderson
