Gimme Five: Zach Crist sounds off
By JODY ZARKOS
Express Staff Writer
Zach Crist
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For a man who has been focused on the finish line for much of his life, what concerns Zach Crist these days is the bottom line.
And the bottom line for the 31-year old Crist is that the town he loves is becoming less and less like the town he grew up in.
?I get a little bit discouraged the way the town has changed in the 26 years I have been here,? he remarked.
For Crist the crux of the change is what he sees as the squeezing out of the middle class.
?There has always been a really good core community of people who are less concerned with notoriety and more concerned with sharing a lifestyle.
?Sun Valley Company used to name ski runs after skiers and now they name them after Hollywood stars. I think that is really unhealthy. Everyone thinks they have to have a million dollars to hang around Ketchum and it?s becoming true.
?The people who have the most history and the most feel for the soul of the community are getting wedged out.?
Crist has been around long enough to witness the changes in the town.
Born in Palo Alto, California on January 12, 1979, Crist moved to Ketchum with his parents, Roger and Diane, and older siblings, Reggie and Danielle, when he was six years old.
A skier from the time he was a toddler, Crist promptly joined the Sun Valley Ski Team and eventually grew skilled enough to be picked for the U.S. Ski Team, joining Reggie on the World Cup tour.
On his seven-year career with the USST, Crist commented, ?It was exciting for sure. It certainly was one of the most intense experiences I have ever had in my life in terms of competition.?
A super-G specialist, Crist was a regular at the top of the FIS standings winning Europa Cups and Nor Ams, but he never made the leap to the head of the pack at the World Cup level.
A little disillusioned, Crist walked away from the team after the 1998 season after a second knee reconstruction.
?I think I just became too focused on winning and I was not having fun anymore. It became an unhealthy environment for me. I had the wrong perspective. For me it was one winner and a bunch of losers. Losing every day is disappointing. It starts to eat away at you.?
With ski racing over, Crist finished up his college education, graduating from UC Santa Barbara with a Bachelor of Arts degree in environmental studies and a ?Ph.D. in surfing?.
In that time frame he also rediscovered his love for free skiing.
?I quit the U.S. Ski Team to get back to my roots and just go free skiing. That is what how I got my stoke on for the sport again,? he said.
In 1998, Crist hooked up with the budding sport of skiercross, which is basically a motorcross on skis where groups of skiers race in heats through manmade terrain.
Skiercross is slowly gaining strength with a full World Cup tour as well as domestic and pro tours, but the big event in the sport is the X-Games, in which Crist won a title in 2001 and a bronze medal in 2000.
?It?s a competitive environment that demands you stay sharp in every way,? Crist remarked. ?I always talk about moving on and doing something that does not put my body in harm?s way, but even with all the injuries I am a healthier person than I would be otherwise.?
Crist, a skilled athlete in several sports, including hockey, soccer and kayaking, is thriving once again as a ski racer.
?It?s definitely fun, but you almost can?t have any expectations because in every heat something unexpected will happen. Not might, but will. You have to be ready to improvise. You see things happen where people rely more on raw athletic talent than skiing ability.?
In 2000, Zach, Reggie, Danielle, Gerry Moffat and Bob Poole formed the film company Equator Productions which produces adventure documentaries of their own and others exploits from skiing in Alaska and Greenland to kayaking in South America. The company has sold six shows to network television and have two more in the can.
?We try to broaden the emphasis beyond the action toward characters and their stories making the shows more informative and educational. We sold our previous shows to the Outdoor Life Network and National Geographic,? Crist said, ?and now we?re working with high-definition networks.?
?I am really happy doing what I am doing. As long as I continue to live this lifestyle that is a victory for me. I get to go skiing almost everyday and that?s worth more than just about anything.
?And living here?I love this community.?
With the skiercross season set to get underway in two weeks, I caught up with Zach between workouts on Wednesday afternoon.
JZ: What are some of the changes in the town you have seen in the last 15 years that alarm you?
ZC: Too many people have the notion that growth is a healthy sign of progress. Developers are building everything out to maximize their earning potential, instead of maintaining the character that makes this place special. In the past people were here because they made a lifestyle choice. I think now people have discovered they can live the lifestyle and make money. I don?t knock that, but when it compromises the character of the community it is not okay. It shows itself in small ways too. You used to see someone on a trail and they would say hello and pass on a smile. Now you don?t always see that positive exchange that used to be a signature for Ketchum.
JZ: What can we do to improve the situation?
ZC: To be honest I think every individual has a responsibility to be friendly and respect one another. I think on of the biggest responsibilities starts with Sun Valley Company. They are guilty of removing the middle class population and replacing it with cheap labor. It?s a totally bi-polar community and has left little room for the group of people that came here for the lifestyle of the outdoors and appreciating their surroundings.
JZ: You feel pretty strongly about this.
ZC: Sun Valley Company is blatantly ripping off locals. It burns me that they charge what they do for a season pass. They don?t see the core community contributing to their bottom line. All you have to do is compare the Janss ownership with the current bottom line corporate mentality. You can give Disneyland to the guest and sprinkle it with snow, but I think the local is being sold short. I appreciate all the wonderful facilities they have to offer, but if SV Company were more concerned about the middle class population, who in my opinion is responsible for the image of this town, I think they would create a situation that would encourage locals to spend money at Sun Valley establishments. I doubt that is the case right now.
I had dinner with Dick and Miggs Durrance shortly before they passed away at the Ram Restaurant and they could not believe how empty it was. They were telling me stories how Sun Valley establishments used to be the local?s choice. Now it?s a very seasonal and segregated business. How long are we going to sit here and watch the community erode so we can accommodate these brief influxes of elderly holiday travelers? The people who live here year-round are the ones that have invested themselves and deserve a chance to enjoy it. The bottom line is (Sun Valley Company) are not skiers and they have very little understanding of the sport and therefore the community. In running a business they have lost touch with the roots of the community, and ultimately that is their business.
JZ: What five words would you use to describe yourself?
ZC: As I am today? Blunt, honest, stubborn, compassionate, and enthusiastic.
JZ: What triggers fear in you?
ZC: Lots of things. I seem to be able to create that emotion in myself on a pretty regular basis. I think it?s healthy. If you don?t have any fears or you don?t put yourself in situations where you going to be afraid you are missing out on a lot of lessons in life.
JZ: Most classic ski day ever?
ZC: That is a really hard question. I have had so many. I have skied in so many great places and been so fortunate to have had great conditions all over. I have to say I don?t like anything better than watching the rope drop at the top of the bowls and watching everybody from young kids to old Ketchum legends like Psycho (Mike Levy) and (Matt) Luhn hooting and hollering. It reminds you that it is far more than the conditions on a day like that. It?s kind of like some sort of communal gathering. Everyone is genuinely stoked for one another. It removes a lot of barriers between young and old and social status. It is an even playing field where everyone can leave behind their preconceived ideas and just kind of be on the same page.
JZ: Best party you have ever attended?
ZC: Oh my God. That?s a tough one. The last day of skiing is always a good one. It?s almost like Halloween on the ski mountain. Halloween is definitely one of my favorite holidays. It?s a freak show.
JZ: Is there anyone you emulated growing up or wanted to be like?
ZC: It was a mixture of so many different people. I never was really that struck by celebrities, so much as the local big brothers and sisters I had. I had tons of great role models.
JZ: Who are some of the people you admired?
ZC: I had so many great teachers at The Community School. They were a big contribution to who I am. People like Bob Brock, Jon Maksik and Bob Doyle. My ski coaches Lane Monroe and Michel Rudigoz.
JZ: How did growing up as the youngest of three hone your competitive drive?
ZC: That is definitely a really significant influence on any kid. You are more or less forced to be competitive to keep up with older siblings. I am not sure if that is true with most siblings. Younger ones have to work harder to keep up especially when you have an older brother and sister like I have.
JZ: Is there still a sense of competition between you guys?
ZC: I do compete directly against Reggie but it doesn?t really feel like that. Skiercross is a pretty dog eat dog world. It?s a big advantage to have a teammate in that environment. I would say there is very little competitiveness. But certainly that is where the competitiveness is derived from in those formative years.
JZ: Who is the sickest World Cup racer you have ever seen?
ZC: I will have to go with my buddy Daron Rahlves on that one. Pound for pound he is the strongest athlete I have ever seen. He is exceptionally driven. Interestingly enough, he is not the most talented racer, but he is the most hard-working. Bode (Miller) is almost the opposite. He is a marvel of natural talent. It?s an interesting comparison, but only one of those guys is winning World Cup downhills right now. Bode can win all the slaloms he wants but until he wins the Hanenkham he?s not at the top of my list.
JZ: What is your next big adventure?
ZC: Living here in Ketchum with my beautiful girlfriend Monica and someday starting my own family. As for work, hopefully I can get on the other side of the camera. I like to capture stories and images and portray them as realistically as they are when you see them with your own eyes. I have been so fortunate to travel around and see so many great places. It?s neat to bring something back and translate it.
JZ: If you made a movie about the ski culture in Ketchum what would you call it?
ZC: Hopefully not Gone With the Wind. How about Never Say Die.
