The Darkest White Audiobook By Eric Blehm cover art

The Darkest White

A Mountain Legend and the Avalanche That Took Him

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The Darkest White

By: Eric Blehm
Narrated by: Dan Bittner
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About this listen

“Eric Blehm offers an insightful perspective on how Craig Kelly became the effortless icon that we all revered as well as sobering details of how his heroic journey tragically ended. The Darkest White is a must read, not just for fans of snowboarding, but for anyone looking for inspiration from an unlikely hero.”—Tony Hawk

From Eric Blehm, the bestselling author of The Last Season and Fearless, comes an extraordinary new book in the vein of Into the Wild, the story of the legendary snowboarder Craig Kelly and his death in the 2003 Durrand Glacier Avalanche—a devastating and controversial tragedy that claimed the lives of seven people.

On January 20, 2003, a thunderous crack rang out and a 100-foot-wide tide of snow barreled down the Northern Selkirk Mountains in British Columbia, Canada. More than a dozen skiers and snowboarders were thrust down the mountain, buried beneath several tons of rock-hard snow and ice in the Durrand Glacier Avalanche. A heroic search and rescue ensued. Among those buried was Craig Kelly—“the Michael Jordan of snowboarding”—a man who had propelled the sport into the mainstream before walking away from competitions, to rekindle his passion in the untamed alpine wilds of North America

The Darkest White is the story of Craig Kelly’s life, a heartbreaking but extraordinary and inspiring odyssey of a latchkey kid whose athletic prowess and innovations would revolutionize winter sports, take him around the globe, and push him into ever more extreme environments that would ultimately take his life. It is also a definitive, immersive account of snowboarding and the cultural movement that exploded around it, growing the sport from minor Gen X cult hobby to Olympic centerpiece and a billion-dollar business full of feuds and rivalries. Finally, The Darkest White is a mesmerizing, cautionary portrait of the mountains, of the allure and the glory they offer, and of the avalanches they unleash with unforgiving fury.

“Eric Blehm took on this biography as I imagine Craig Kelly took on the halfpipe. He studied it, chose his line, and pulled everything off—even tough parts—with grace and style. It’s not just a terrific story of an amazing life, not just the origin story of an entire sport, but a riveting disaster narrative that builds tension masterfully. The Darkest White grabbed me and didn’t let go."—Jack Carr, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Terminal List series

©2024 Eric Blehm (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers
Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Sports Winter Sports
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What listeners say about The Darkest White

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Gripping

I love snowboarding and historical non-fiction so this hit the mark. It's gotta be the definitive Craig Kelly book.

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Legend

Kelly's story is one of a kind. True legend of his time and taken to early.

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Incredible!!

If only there were more than 5 stars to rate a book!
This book was perfection. I knew nothing about snowboarding. I don't even ski. But this book was riveting...everything about it,..both the story and the narrator...absolutely excellent! Be prepared to have tissues on hand for the ending. I HIGHLY recommend this incredible book.

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It feels like you are there!!

Eric Blehm continues to impress. You can tell how much he puts into his books to get it right. I was floored by his military books which led me to read all of them. This one did not disappoint. When he gets to the avalanche its feels like you are there. Im a military guy and never really participated in snow sports. Eric hooked me with Fearless and Legend and i have enjoyed this and his other books just as much

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Craig Kelly, Legend

The story of Craig Kelly's rise with the sport of snowboarding is legendary. I started snowboarding in 1987 at Mt. Bachelor and Craig Kelly was our idol. I learned how to ride on a Sims and I've been riding Burton ever since. To this day, his riding style is unmatched and a thing of beauty. I like how this story showed us who Craig was off the slopes - a humble, hard working, and loyal person who lived in the moment, a true zen master. RIP to all who died that day. #CraigKellyIsMyCopilot

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So many great things to know about Craig Kelly

A beautiful and articulate writing of Craig Kelly’s life. If you are a fan of Craig Kelly and/or the early days of competitive snowboarding, you will love this book. It starts with his early life and takes you through his early athletics, education, and rise to competitive snowboard dominance. It covers his travels as he and many other pro snowboarders work to get professional snowboarding on the map, and takes you all the way through his pursuit of mountain guiding, and ultimately to the end. Such a great story, by with a sad ending, but a story worth knowing. Much to learn if you just want to know more about Craig Kelly or if you want to learn more about The risks and consequences of decision-making in backcountry skiing and snowboarding.

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Technically accurate and emotionally riveting

The author is masterful in his story-telling. Clearly he took great measures to not only include the details of Craig’s background, but also those of the Avalanche Industry. As a 15-year practitioner, I’m impressed by how technically accurate this manuscript is. The vivid narrative gives you insights into how Craig lived, trained, and worked. You understand how he buckled his bindings with the same meticulous enthusiasm with which he studied snow. The balanced perspectives of those mountain professionals associated with the tragedy of La Traviata are welcomed by the reader/listener. At times I found myself so emotionally wrapped up with what it must have been like to be on that slope as a guide that faithful day, I had to push pause and step away to collect my thoughts. I look forward to reading more stories from Blehm.

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craig kelly is my copilot

As someone passionate about snowboarding and a fan of Craig Kelly, I found this book impossible to put down. The writing is superb, drawing you instantly into Kelly's life story. Even if you're not into snowboarding or familiar with its culture, you'll still find inspiration in this book and in Kelly's life.
Thank you, Eric.

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Tragic, but a snowboarder must-read

An incredible lead up and account of a tragedy which also pays incredible homage to the legend Craig, Kelly.

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Avalanche Tragedy

I got this based on the NYT review. But I found it a bit tedious, going into detail about each snowboarding venture. The writing is good and the narration excellent, but it lacked drama. The main character goes around the world helicopter-boarding on virgin snow. It's never explained how he can afford to do this terribly self-indulgent "sport". And the "science" of avalanches is obviously quite flawed and subject to the personalities of egotistical boarders. Though well-crafted, it left me a bit unsatisfied.

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