Alpenglow Sports Winter Speaker Series: Jim and John Morrison

Jim and John Morrison present, “Skiing the High Sierra and Beyond” at the Alpenglow Sports Winter Speaker Series

Bar and giveaway sales, plus a percentage of food sales, benefits the Send It Foundation.

On Thursday, January 4th, the 18th annual Alpenglow Sports Winter Speaker Series, presented by Tahoe Mountain Realty, continues with local, ski mountaineers, Jim and John Morrison. Through their show, “Skiing the High Sierra and Beyond”, the brothers will bring you along on their ever evolving search across the globe for the perfect [ski] turn.

Be a part of the audience at the Palisades Tahoe Olympic Village Events Center or livestream the event from the comfort of your home via Alpenglow Sports’ YouTube channel. Both shows are FREE to the public and all ages are encouraged to attend! Doors and food are available at 6pm and the show starts promptly at 7pm. Jim and John’s show is dedicated to the non-profit beneficiary of the evening, the Send It Foundation.

For the second Winter Speaker Series show of the 23-24 season, the Morrison brothers’ will take you back to 1993 and their first attempt at ski mountaineering in the Sierras. Armed with mountain knowledge gleaned from backpacking and climbing forays into the “High Sierra” as teenagers, as well as extreme ski techniques honed on the slopes of Palisades Tahoe, the two brothers set out on an epic adventure. They spent a week climbing and skiing the couloirs that they had read about as children, and were encouraged to tackle by other established Tahoe locals. Step by step, couloir by couloir, peak by peak, they learned their lessons, strengthened their skills, and achieved their goals. Jim and John will leave you enchanted by the opportunities and lines available in Tahoe’s very backyard, just as they were then, and still are today.

Only then, will they inspire you to follow their tracks to some of the most remote areas of the world. From the old growth trees of Rubicon Peak to the steep terrain of the Red Slate couloir, from the ruggedness of the Matterhorn to the intensity of the Messner, from sunrises in Emerald Bay to sunsets over Mt. Everest, the Morrison brothers epitomize how the ski dream is meant to be chased.

Their show follows an extraordinary kick-off show from Michelle Parker, who spoke of her new approach to life and big mountain ski career, cherishing the “in-between moments”. Parker gave the audience a peek into the world of her father’s battle with dementia and Parkinson’s, and her subsequent role as his caretaker, to share insight as to her new shift in perspective with humility and laughter. It’s a bonus that this mindset would translate directly into a successful Alaskan ski expedition. If you missed Parker’s show you can still view it for free on Alpenglow Sports’ YouTube channel, here.

Food will be available for purchase from MOGROG Rotisserie, with 10% of proceeds benefiting Send It, along with all bar proceeds from the event. The Send It Foundation provides outdoor adventures for young adult (ages 21-40) cancer patients and survivors, removing them from their cancer experience and creating the space to play, connect, and have fun in the outdoors.

There will be TWO incredible giveaways, thanks to Jim and John’s sponsors, also benefiting the Send It Foundation. One will be for all in-person attendees, and the other will be for all viewers tuning in from afar. The prizes are different and you can participate in BOTH. A divergence from previous years, all winners will be drawn at the event. Just prior to the show, all in-person giveaway winners and three online winners will be chosen. The remaining seven online winners will be drawn after the show ends.

Register here to watch the livestream of the event and automatically receive ONE free entry into the online giveaway. You do not need to register to attend the event in person.

Interested in sponsoring the 2024-2025 Winter Speaker Series? Email info@alpenglowsports.com to get involved.

MAIN PHOTO: John Morrison skiing Middle Palisade_Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA. Photo by Christian Pondella

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About Alpenglow Sports:

Alpenglow Sports is an original California Mountain Shop that has been providing locals and visitors with inspiration, local knowledge and the best gear to enjoy the great outdoors since 1973. Based in Tahoe City, we take pride in being community, socially and environmentally responsible to ensure Lake Tahoe stays one of the best places to play, visit, and live in California.

About Send It Foundation:

Send It provides outdoor adventures for young adult (ages 21-40) cancer patients and survivors, removing them from their cancer experience and creating the space to play, connect, and have fun in the outdoors. Send It programs are multi-day adventures in Lake Tahoe and the San Francisco Bay Area, designed around activities such as mountain biking, skiing, surfing, climbing and backpacking; creating a vital community through shared experience.

About the Winter Speaker Series:

The Alpenglow Sports Winter Speaker Series is an eagerly anticipated winter tradition for North Tahoe’s adventure community. With over 3,000 attendees annually, as well as a dynamic and global live stream component, the 19-year-old Alpenglow Winter Speaker Series has become one of the premier North American forums for adventure storytelling and community gathering.

The Alpenglow Winter Speaker Series blends two goals: 1) to inspire and motivate mountain athletes to pursue their own outdoor dreams and 2) to educate about, and raise funds for, non-profit organizations making a tangible difference in the North Lake Tahoe and Truckee community.

Five times per winter, a premier outdoor athlete presents an inspirational tale of adventure, creating a forum for motivation, inspiration and education. Past speakers of the Winter Speaker Series include Lynn Hill, Hilaree Nelson, Jeremy Jones, Emily Harrington, Cody Townsend, Alex Honnold, Adrian Ballinger, and more. The series runs from November through March at the Olympic Village Events Center at Palisades Tahoe. Every show is FREE to the public and all ages are encouraged to attend.

Each show is dedicated to a different non-profit that has been selected through a rigorous application process, and to date, the Winter Speaker Series has raised over $1,350,000 for local organizations. Giveaway and bar proceeds plus a percentage of food sales, in conjunction with anonymous donations by the Donor Party, raise up to $75,000 per show for a local non-profit organization.

About the Donor Party:

The Donor Party arose in 2017 when Winter Speaker Series founder, Brendan Madigan, was approached by a community member who wanted to show his support by anonymously donating $2,500 to each of the five non-profits represented that season. Since then, The Donor Party has grown to over 75 engaged locals responsible for a massive community philanthropic effort.  The result is a collective, game-changing impact that has made a difference in the fabric of the North Lake Tahoe and Truckee communities. To date, the Donor Party, in combination with the Winter Speaker Series, has raised over $1,350,000 for local organizations.

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