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"Doug Coombs had a huge impact on my life; much of my overall approach to mountains comes from his example. I am so grateful that, thanks to author Rob Cocuzzo, I now have the complete story of what influenced one of my biggest heroes." – Jeremy Jones, snowboarding legend

“In the 1980s, I was lucky enough to be part of the Bozeman gang of ex-ski racers in one of the crucibles of the American steep skiing scene. Robert Cocuzzo accurately captures the amazing Doug and Emily Coombs that I knew then and the myriad of Coombs ski stories.” – Bruce Tremper, avalanche expert and author of

"Doug Coombs was an inspiration to me and so many others on and off the mountain. Now, here is an insightful look at the life of a legend." Jimmy Chin, climber-photographer

• A thrilling biography of renowned extreme skiing pioneer Doug Coombs

Arguably the greatest extreme skier to ever live, Doug Coombs pioneered hundreds of first descents down the biggest, steepest, most dangerous mountains in the world―from the Grand Teton “Otter Body” in Jackson Hole, to Mount Vinson, the highest point in Antarctica, to far-flung drops such as Wyatt Peak in Kyrgyzstan. He graced magazine covers, wowed moviegoers, became the face of top ski companies, and ascended as the king of big mountain extreme skiing. His place at the top was confirmed in 1991 when he won the very first World Extreme Ski Competition in Valdez, Alaska.

Now, his story is told for the first time in Robert Cocuzzo’s Tracking the Wild Coomba. From the slopes of his childhood in New England; to the steep chutes of his early career in Montana and Wyoming; to the deep, avalanche-prone powder of his guiding years in Alaska; and, ultimately, to the terrifying terrain of the French Alps, Coombs’s greatness was in how he skied. What most people didn’t know was that Coombs skied so perfectly in part because he had no other choice―at the age of 16 he crashed off a jump in New Hampshire and broke his neck. Doctors said it was a miracle he wasn’t paralyzed, and that another bad fall could kill him. Many believe it was this second chance that inspired the extraordinary life he led until his tragic death in 2006, the result of an attempted rescue of a fellow skier.

From the Publisher

PRAISE FOR "TRACKING THE WILD COOMBA"

“Doug Coombs had a huge impact on my life; much of my overall approach to mountains comes from his example. I am so grateful that, thanks to author Rob Cocuzzo, I now have the complete story of what influenced one of my biggest heroes.”

—Jeremy Jones, professional snowboarder

“. . . a journey through one of the most pivotal and influential time periods in big mountain skiing. From Jackson Hole to Alaska, and Montana to the Alps, Cocuzzo digs deep to introduce us to the characters who, with Coombs as their fearless leader, left an indelible imprint on skiing today.”

—Matt Hansen, Powder magazine editor-at-large

“Tracking the Wild Coomba affected me profoundly. I laughed, and I cried. I was transported back to a special time—a time and a person I will never forget. In my own career, I only want to create imagery that evokes emotion. So I really appreciated Rob’s effort, and for all the emotion that Tracking the Wild Coomba evoked in me.”

—Ace Kvale, photographer

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mountaineers Books; Illustrated edition (June 23, 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1680510444
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1680510447
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.7 x 0.9 x 8.6 inches
Reviewer: Peter S.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: I loved this book
Review: I loved this book! Once I picked it up I could not put it down. The writing is poetic and emotionally provocative. It's not only an incredible account of an impressive existence of a truly outstanding mountaineer skier, but is also the story of the coming of age, so to speak, of the writer as he follows in Coombs' footsteps, seeking truth. It's a profound look into humanity and what each of us leaves behind in the world. I recommend this book not only to all alpine enthusiasts but to anyone who enjoys reading inspiring adventures.

Reviewer: Eric N.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great book about a great dude who was an even better skiier
Review: This is a tremendous book about a compelling, engaging mountaineer and the people he has inspired. If you like skiing, mountaineering, or just stories about badass people who also appear to be genuinely *good* people this is a great read.It's very much in the spirit of books like Krakauer's 'Everest' and will appeal to the same crowd.

Reviewer: Gary L.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Reliving Memories
Review: Unwittingly, I stitched together a course in choosing my skiing destinations over the years that mimicked those of Dough Coombs through his career. Somewhat ignorant to his legacy, I skied in Chamonix with Miles and Liz Smart for their Steep Skiing Camp in 2010 and then followed Miles to La Grave in 2011 as if captured by certain force field. Reading Rob Cocuzzo's wonderful chronicle of the life of Doug Coombs, I feel like the choices in my skiing endeavors had been validated. Having (much less effortlessly and certainly more cautiously) followed in Doug's footsteps , I felt personally attached to this story as it brought back some of my happiest memories and most cherished accomplishments. The people and places described by Rob in "Tracking the Wild Coomba" are so vivid and true that, while sitting on the beach in Asbury Park, I found myself smirking under my sunglasses thinking about riding the telepherique in La Grave or traversing the ridgeline at Bridger Bowl. Anybody who has been inspired by Doug Coomb's legacy, or may be inspired by it, would greatly enjoy this read, either heading into or deep within a ski season!

Reviewer: M. Kantor
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Major Publishing Error - (since corrected by author)
Review: UPDATE: The author sent me a new and signed copy making complete amends for the publisher screw up.I'm a long time admirer of Doug Coombs and am very familiar with his story. I'd say the author did an excellent job researching who Doug was and telling his story with all the detail and personal insight his fans are looking for.Major publishing screw up and the book has over 20 blank pages. The pages are there just no words are printed on them. I cant imagine mine is the only copy with that problem.

Reviewer: Todd
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: The book is awesome describing who Doug truly is
Review: I am not going to say the same things that everyone has said so far, which is s masterpiece. The book is awesome describing who Doug truly is.I am a skier who spent my first seven winters skiing everyday at Alta/Snowbird until 2009, I knew of Doug, but never met him. Then I moved up to Jackson Hole in the 09-10 ski season (still ski here eight winters later getting 125+ days every winter) for new mountains. There in my new home, I met Robbie Cocuzzo & he soon was my ski buddy who I also worked with at a restaurant at night. The chapters where he is following Doug's tales are awesome because I personally know his mindset. Those to me are as good as Doug's stories.This is one of the best biographies I have read in quite some time & Robbie never even met Doug. However, the diligent guy that he is, he found out the adventures of Coombs that only few people know.This comes from someone that recently got a patch & pin for just having fun in the mountains day after day. The journey is as thrilling as the destination. This book is never leaving my personal book collection.

Reviewer: Coakley
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Doug would have them all eating out his hands with his amazing vision of the possibilities in the mountains
Review: I lived in Teton Village Wyoming in the late 90's and Wilson for ten years. Doug Coombs was an event within himself. Big mountain skiing is filled huge egos, and even bigger personalities. Doug would have them all eating out his hands with his amazing vision of the possibilities in the mountains. He was able to envision the boundless potentials, but also inspire other adventurers that they were a part of his world. This book was able to evoke some serious emotions from me. The skiing community is a pretty tight as well as sensitive to outsiders. Rob has done a fantastic job of being respectful to this underpinning of the ski culture. This book is more than an account of a tragic accident, but a celebration of an inspiring individual. Doug was my hero. The day he died truly broke my heart. This book made me smile with the energy of the community, the love of his wife, and the respectful tribute to his son "David". You really have covered all the bases with this book. It's pretty funny how in his absence Doug Coombs was able to inspire from the great unknown and take someone else on a life changing adventure.

Reviewer: R. Jensen
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: I loved the way he wrote this book
Review: I loved the way he wrote this book, switching back and forth between Doug's story and Robert's. The first chapter has a number of editorial mistakes that need to be corrected, which almost made me not read the book. However, starting with the second chapter, those errors were gone and the book flowed smoothly. It's full of interesting information that was well-researched. Robert unfolds the story gradually so that the reader stays interested and excited as the book progresses. I'm buying several more copies to give to my skiing buddies with the instructions to "read and pass on!" Loved the book! Thank you, Robert.

Reviewer: Randy Yates
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: You can't help but reflect on his life as well as your own.

Reviewer: Henrique Cruz
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: The book itself is ok. It is worth reading if you are into skiing history.The purchase of the book via Amazon was straight forward and uneventful.