Ski- and boot-maker Blizzard announced today the release of limited-edition skis and a children’s book in honor of the late ski mountaineer Hilaree Nelson. The skis and book include artwork by skiers Malia Reeves and Soleil Patterson, while skier/journalist Kim Beekman contributed heartfelt words.
All three women participate in Blizzard’s Women 2 Women (W2W) initiative. The program aims to educate, equip, and inspire female winter athletes.
“Hilaree was such an important person in the outdoor space — not just for women but for all,” W2W project lead Leslie Baker-Brown shared in a press release. “Beyond her achievements in sport, her passion, drive, and down-to-earth demeanor served as a beacon, especially for women. She showed us what women could do and led us encouragingly and humbly. It was important for us to not let her legacy fade away, but to carry on and support the things that were important to her.”
A Leader of the Pack
The skis are limited-edition Sheeva 10s available in sizes 162, 168, and 174. The artwork emblazoned across the sticks utilizes a striking wolf-and-mountain motif meant to invoke Nelson’s incredible contributions to the outdoor community.
They’ll run $850 while supplies last. And because Blizzard is only releasing 175 of the skis, that won’t be long.
The “mama wolf” theme carries over into the children’s book: Leader of the Pack: The Hilaree Nelson Story.
“Hilaree Nelson was so extraordinary — mythical even — that we felt we could only describe her in fantastical terms, which is why we chose to tell her story in the form of a children’s fairytale,” author Kim Beekman said in the press release. “We wanted to capture her intensity, magic, and the nearly inhuman drive that fueled both her passion for the mountains and her love for her sons.”
“Leader of the Pack “is available on Blizzard’s website for $35, and there are only 250 copies to be had. All profits from the sales of skis and books will go to the Hilaree Nelson Fund. That organization distributes much-needed cash to organizations battling climate change and supporting women in the outdoors.
Remembering Hilaree Nelson
Nelson was a well-known and highly accomplished ski mountaineer with a host of impressive achievements to her name. Among her many incredible efforts, she was the first woman to summit Everest and Lhotse in a single 24-hour period. In 2018, Nelson and partner Jim Morrison made the first descent of the Lhotse Couloir from the summit. Either would be enough to cement her as one of mountaineering’s great figures.
The legend passed away in 2022 after an avalanche on Manaslu swept her into a fall of over 5,000 feet. Nelson left behind two sons, her partner, Morrison, and countless family members, friends, mentees, and admirers in the mountaineering community and beyond.
Learn more about Nelson, the fund that bears her name, and Blizzard’s limited-edition skis and book at the Blizzard-Tecnica website.
