Glen Plake is a complex person. Everyone knows him for his mohawk, but it's by no means his only distinguishing feature. He is a man who has driven his passion and love to perfection. This is why he laughs so often. But at his core he is and always has been a skier.
The voice of Cass Elliot of the legendary Californian band The Mamas and the Papas is probably a very rare occurrence on Glen Plake’s stereo. Her music is too gentle, melodic, and casual (in a good way). But the chorus of her hit “Make Your Own Kind of Music” could easily be Glen's life motto. His music is distinctly unique. It's a curious blend of skiing, skateboarding, punk, mechanics, water-skiing, racing cars and many other off-beat activities. His song is as special and rare as a unicorn. And he never ever cared if anyone else sang it with him. But the irony of fate always makes for unusual outcomes. Glen never made any effort to be likeable and popular. He just gave himself wholeheartedly to skiing - the best way in the world to waste time, as he once vividly put it. And then, quite unwittingly and unknowingly, he became by far the most popular American skier of all time. He is instantly recognizable wherever he goes because of his infectious laugh. Spending time with Glen is just full-on fun. He is in perfect shape, bursting with youthful energy and his mischievous and playful character shines through everything he does. It comes as no surprise that he has been named one of the 50 most exciting athletes of our time. If we paraphrase Volkswagen's slogan Das Auto, Glen Plake is simply The Skier.
The usa is home to some exceptional skiers, but the title of the most famous and recognizable american skier belongs to you. How flattering is that to you and is it also tiring in a way?
I don’t want to brag, but people do recognize me and say nice things to me all the time. In Chamonix, where I have been spending most of my time in recent years, it happens every day. Just today, a nice man and his son came up to me in the gondola and said, “You are Glen Plake, aren't you?” “Yes, of course I am,” I replied. It is interesting that I’m not recognized only by Americans, but by people of all different nationalities who love skiing. I have a friend in Chamonix who is a ski instructor and mountain guide, and he told me that his clients often ask him if they are going to see Mont Blanc and Glen Plake. I would be lying if I said that I was not flattered. Of course I am, but it’s an honor for me as well. It’s proof that I have chosen an interesting path for my life and that I've been passionate and sincere in everything I have done. It also makes me feel a great deal of responsibility, because I have to maintain standards so as not to let people down. But my popularity is quite different from that enjoyed by movie actors. They are popular because of the roles they play, but nobody really knows who they are and what kind of person they are. I live my role all the time, I am always me, and above all, I never act or pretend.
It is hard to imagine glen plake in a tight race suit fighting against the blue and red gates and a stopwatch. But you started as a classic ski racer?
Yes, I did, we all did. I started when my mother enrolled me in ski school, and then I slowly worked my way up to the school team and so on.
How good were you as a racer?
I started skiing when I was two and raced in alpine disciplines until I was 16. Unless you made the national team as a teenager, where you had access to coaches and all the best training facilities, you didn't really have a chance to move forward. That’s what happened to me. I did not make the national team at age 18 and my parents didn’t necessarily have the funds to finance my further skiing career.
When did you realize you were too free-spirited to be restricted by a classic racing program?
Me and my friend heard about some mogul competitions. As ski racers we had the technical ability to ski moguls, so we set off into the world of freeskiing where we enjoyed successful professional careers for a few years.
You grew up around lake tahoe which is considered the cradle of californian skiing.
Yes, for sure. People tend to associate California with the sun and the ocean, but the Sierra Mountains are home to great skiing with a very rich history. South of Lake Tahoe has great terrain and great snow. Mammoth Mountain is a great ski area and Heavenly Valley used to have a World Cup race where I saw Stenmark and the Mahre brothers live. I even saw Jean-Claude Killy when I was really little.
How did you get into skiing in the first place? Did you ever think about making a living off skiing as a child?
I fell in love with skiing as a little kid. I didn't know what it meant back then but skiing always felt special. My mother would drop me off at the bottom of the ski area in the morning and then we would ski with my friends until the evening. I broke my leg skiing for the first time when I was five years old. Those few weeks when I couldn't ski were terrible for me. It was the same when we went to visit my grandparents, I loved them very much, but after a few days I became restless because I couldn’t ski. As a kid, I described the difference between summer and winter by saying that you cannot ski in summer. Getting our season lift passes before the start of winter felt better than Christmas for me. It was the most important day of the year, more important than a birthday or a school party. I knew all the best professional skiers very well, I knew where they lived, the bars they hung out at. When I was a bit older, I looked up to them a lot. I told myself that one day I wanted to ski like them.
What about school?
The school suffered a lot, of course, it was as if it didn't even exist in my life. To be honest, I had problems from the very beginning. Not because I had difficulty learning, but because skiing was the only thing that really interested me. Some people pursue an education, others follow their dreams from a young age. It is hard to say which is better or what is right and what is wrong.
Do you have any role models?
Not role models as such, but my grandfather Bob was a strong influence on me. He was born during the Great Depression, so he knew how to work hard and be patient, but most of all he knew you must find your own way. Sports-wise, I got inspired by images of athletes, even unknown ones, who had a special body position or a facial expression. It didn't even matter what sport they were doing. I was even impressed by the odd baseball player, and I was never really into baseball at all.
You were one of the best skiers in the moguls, but then you focused completely on what we now call freeride skiing. What was the reason for this transition?
It was just my personal ski evolution, starting in ski school, continuing through alpine disciplines and in the moguls. Then it all came together in free skiing. Everything just fell into place. I loved the freedom that skiing brings, I loved the adrenaline rush of jumping over cliffs. Unlike Europe, America doesn’t have a long history and tradition of alpinism, but over time I learned about these things, and I was immediately hooked. We knew that in the Sierra some skiers only skied up in the mountains and not inside the ski area. When I started venturing out into nature, a whole new world opened to me.
Did americans know about elan skis back then?
Believe it or not, my father even skied on Elan skis in the late 1970s. I broke my leg on blue RC skis in the early 1980s. A friend of mine was even sponsored by Elan. I remember being in awe of his full set of six pairs of slalom, giant slalom, and downhill skis.
What about skiing in fresh powder, were you into that at the time?
Skiing powder is a fantastic thing, but to tell you the truth, it is not the ultimate skiing pleasure for me. It is two dimensional. My personal pleasure is skiing big bumps covered in fresh soft snow. It makes skiing three dimensional.
Freeride skiing has become very popular in recent years; it has evolved into a lifestyle. But it is not a new genre of skiing.
Well, freeride, free skiing or whatever you want to call it is not new. It is the original form of skiing. The first ski resorts came much later, and carving has only been around since the mid-1990s. Saying that freeride is only 15 or 20 years old is a complete lie and it’s not true.
Have you ever thought about what skiing means to you? In terms of what it has enabled you to do and how many interesting people and places you have seen because of it?
Skiing has given me everything I have seen and everything I have. It is what I do for a living. I have no rich ancestors, no trust fund, and I can only thank skiing for everything. In these terms I’m proud that I had the courage and that I listened to the inner voice I’ve had since I was a child that has guided me along this exciting path. I have seen beautiful parts of the world and met some great people. Being able to make a living off skiing is an incredible privilege. My French travel documents say famous skier under job description. I think that’s awesome.
Your hobbies are also an interesting aspect of your life. You are a fan of water-skiing, fast boats, and unusual cars. Would you say skiing has also made this possible?
That is only partially true. Part of the reason I have unusual things is because I never had the money to buy new ones. Fortunately, I have good manual skills thanks to my grandfather and enough mechanical knowledge to be able to repair things or put them back together. Water skiing has kept me healthy. I am sure that I wouldn't have been such a successful athlete without water skiing. My love for mechanics and strange vehicles helps me mentally because it takes a lot of patience, precision, and concentration. Building a vehicle is complex. I built engines with over 1000 horsepower and that’s not an easy feat. If you do just one thing wrong, the whole thing can blow up in your face. All these activities are a kind of meditation for me, and they fill my time away from skiing.
Lately you have spent most of your time in chamonix. If I'm not mistaken, your move to the savoy alps was quite an adventure.
I first came to Chamonix for a three-week shoot for the “Blizzard of Aahhh's.” When everyone was packing up to go home, I said I was staying here. “What's wrong with this little town?” I said. I had no kids at home or job, and I had other problems I had to sort out due to my run-ins with the law. So, I was in no rush to go back home, but that’s another story. I had two pairs of skis, a ski pass and USD 25, but I stayed anyway. I like it here, there are lots of outdoor activities and I enjoy the company of interesting people.
You have been skiing on elan skis since 2006. How important is it for you to work with elan engineers who are some of the greatest masters of their profession and who make it possible for you to co-create your favorite skis?
It’s every skier’s dream. One of the main reasons I chose Elan more than a decade and a half ago is the fact that Begunje is home to the best ski developers in the world. They gave me access and insight into how the most innovative skis are made. I could see how skis are made with my own eyes, and I could touch all the raw materials and components that come together to make a ski. I think that’s fantastic. Over time, they even took some of my ideas on board. I knew about Elan's rich history in the ski racing world, so the guys expectedly thought some of my ideas were strange. I kept telling them we should start making skis that were a bit softer, skis that twist, bend, and have fewer metal components. In the end, we got to some sort of agreement. I must admit that I really enjoyed being part of the transition of Elan from a traditional racing ski manufacturer to a maker of skis that made everyone excited. Just take a look at the Ripstick. These skis have changed the perception of Elan as a brand. We know a sort of new Elan which is a unique blend of old and new. We are never satisfied, and we’re always looking for something new. Instead of striving for bigger and better, we ask ourselves: why? This is fundamental for continuing the innovation process. We do not follow trends, we create them.
What about ski design - are skis also an integral part of your unique ski-punk image?
I have always been different, and Elan has always been different. I have always been unique, and Elan has always been unique as well. After all, we invented carving, and we are the only ones who make different left and right skis. We are the only ones who use carbon fiber tubing instead of metal reinforcements. Of course, graphic design is also interesting. It is like fashion and graphic designers are always five years ahead of their time. I'm like that in a way as well. Kimberly often tells me “Look, this was your idea five years ago.” In graphic design, it's not about what's popular now, but about what people will like in five years' time.
Would you agree that andre agassi's quote that “image is everything” applies to you as well? Are there some similarities between you and him?
I am certainly the first person not to be like everyone else, that is for sure. I have always worked only with independent brands and never with big corporations or groups. Even when I did work with conglomerates, I only took a part of their range, maybe just the ski boots or bindings, but not skis as well. I love independent products and brands. My attitude was probably described best by my Kimberly, who always says: “Hey, what do you expect from a guy who has a mohawk and is known for skiing down steep mountains?”
How does glen plake explain elan’s now legendary motto always good times?
I have been accused of giggling and smiling too much. I look at them and say, “Really? That’s a bad thing?” I go out of my way to try to be nice to people. I've probably offended some people, but it's never been intentional, and I've always been able to apologize. I mean, it's okay to be polite, but it's even better if you can open doors for people. It is very easy to do. Being able to spend your days smiling, happy, easy, and nice is Always Good Times for me.