Date/Time
Date(s) - 02/13/2026
Categories
Event Date: February 13, 2026
Event Location: Olympic Valley Lodge, Olympic Valley, CA
Event Description:
Join Johnny Collinson at the Alpenglow Winter Speaker Series for an evening of captivating storytelling.
The night after skier Johnny summited Everest, on his way to becoming the youngest person to climb the Seven Summits at age 17, he barely slept; he was too busy helping an altitude sick adult rehydrate and recover. The Sherpas called Johnny “white Sherpa” for his high-altitude climbing ability that has been nurtured since age 4, when he stood atop Mt. Rainier in Washington.
Johnny, his sister Angel (a fellow TNF athlete), and his parents Jimmy and Deb Collinson spent 10 summers living out of a ’79 Ford Econoline Van hiking and backpacking around the West and climbing more peaks, like Shasta and Whitney before Johnny turned six. Without crampons and good boots small enough to fit, Johnny used tiny Sorels that his dad fitted with construction nail plates, and could hike 3,000 feet or about 10 miles a day at a young age.
Angel remembers, as a kid, Johnny would say: “Well, this can’t be as hard as Everest.” But years later, when he did climb the peak, he found it relatively easier than many previous mountain challenges.
As much as Johnny excels at going up, it’s skiing down that he’s known for. The same year he climbed the Seven Summits (and skied down three: Denali, Elbrus, and Vinson Massif), he also won the 2010 Junior Freeskiing Tour overall title. He’s since landed on podiums at several Freeskiing World Tour events and Red Bull big mountain competitions and racked up awards for segments in films by TGR, Sweetgrass Productions and Sherpas.
Key Details:
- Doors open at 6:00 PM.
- Event begins at 7:00 PM.
- Admission is free, but donations support local nonprofits.
Be inspired by Johnny’s extraordinary journey,
John’s Nonprofit Beneficiary: Headwaters Science Foundation
Headwaters Science Institute is a science education nonprofit dedicated to fostering curiosity through science. For students of all ages, Headwaters expands horizons, introducing students to research concepts and providing hands-on opportunities to ask and answer questions.
From weeklong school programs to summer camps and from after school extracurriculars to overnight camping opportunities, Headwaters makes science fun and accessible for students in elementary, middle, and high school. Headwaters staff and mentors have extensive training and backgrounds in both scientific fields and education, and this combination serves Headwaters well in providing the best experiences for students across their programs.