Whether it’s sports or business there are always influential people whose names become household words. However there are also other very influential individuals whose names for some reason aren’t as well known. Let’s take Doug Pfeiffer as an example.

Doug Pfeiffer grew up in Quebec and started skiing at the age of 4. By the age of 18 he was a ski instructor in the Laurentians eventually being part of the Gray Rocks ski school. He moved to the United States in 1951 when Emile Allais hired him to be an instructor at the then-named Squaw Valley. As an instructor he was driven to find better ways to teach people to ski that would allow them to find the joy of skiing. In other words, learning had to be fun. Doug would go on to become ski school director at several California resorts.

In 1961 Pfeiffer was one of the founders of the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) and served on its Board of Directors for many years.

Doug was a writer and in 1958 documented some of his teaching techniques in a book entitled “Skiing with Pfeiffer.” He later would write two more books “Skiing Simplified” and “Skiing Skills.” Bob Soden reports that Pfeiffer “co-wrote/ghost-wrote, “Skiing…The Killy Way,” with/for J.C. Killy in 1971.”

In 1965 Pfeiffer took the job of editor-in-chief of SKIING magazine and its related publications Skiing Trade News, Skiing Area News, Skiing International Yearbook and Skiing Trade Show Daily. This is where I became aware of Doug Pfeiffer. During the late 60s I was driven to learn how to ski. I devoured every issue of SKIING looking for pointers. Pfeiffer had what he called the Instructors Corner in every issue and I remember studying the pictures and text. And by the way the pictures were usually of Doug!

As I shared last season, while at SKIING Doug Pfeiffer also started the first annual Ski Tests which became must-reading before each season.

As skiing’s popularity boomed in the 1960s and 70s, Pfeiffer became “The Voice of Skiing.” He appeared at ski shows around the country and distributed recordings to 500 radio stations reaching millions of skiers. As a result he was chosen as commentator for the nationally televised “Killy Challenge” as well as co-hosting with Suzy Chafee a TV series called “The World of Skiing.” Further, he served as “colorman” on the original “Battle of the Sexes” CBS-TV shows.

Last week’s trivia asked who did Wayne Wong refer to as the “founding father of freestyle” and that would be Doug Pfeiffer! Pfeiffer always felt that skiing should be about the fun and not competition. Ski racing was exciting for the participants, but it was a flop as a spectator sport. In 1964 a young Pro Ski Racing tour in the U.S. consulted Pfeiffer on trying to boost their crowd appeal. At an event held in Stratton, Pfeiffer scheduled an exhibition day where the competitors showed off their on-slope tricks. They drew a crowd to the point that the lift operators wondered where everyone went! And the ski racers had a good time showing off!

Pfeiffer would find a kindred spirit in Tom Corcoran, a former U.S. Olympic skier, who was building the Waterville Valley ski area in New Hampshire. Together they planned the first National Championship of Exhibition Skiing which was held in 1971. Pfeiffer obtained sponsorship from Chevrolet including a Corvette for the winner! Other exhibition events at Vail and Sun Valley would soon follow. Through his connections Pfeiffer obtained TV coverage for the new sport. In fact Pfeiffer indicated that the term “freestyle” came from ABC Sportscaster Bud Palmer who said that “freestyle skiing” had more appeal than “exhibition skiing.”

Doug Pfeiffer passed away on July 23, 2023 at the age of 96. He spent his life helping other people enjoy sliding on snow. I have to say that because late in life he learned to snowboard and became a certified snowboard instructor! His name is worth remembering.