The Otter Body Experience
A film by Green House Productions, Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Filmed on June 17, 2005. Produced by Doug Coombs, John Griber, Rick Hunt, Doug Workman, and David Gonzales.
Edited by Andrew Chapman.
With support from Wink Inc.
The Otter Body Experience was chosen as a finalist at this year’s Banff Mountain Film Festival.
It was screened on November 3, 2006 at 9:26 PM in the Max Bell Auditorium Theatre at the Banff Centre.
Great film, thanks for sharing. Such a huge loss.
great film . wow what a devastating loss i have been inspired by doug since i was a teen now in my thirtees im still inspired my condolinces to the family i got to go ski a run for doug.
Doug’s easy matter-of-fact manner always made getting to the next level, most often in the world of skiing, but also in the personal and business worlds, became instantly possible. “With that big innocent grin he’d simply ask, “Why don’t you just do this…” and you knew instantly that you could do it.”
Doug really affected so many people in so many ways. I had the great pleasure of many great runs in Valdez with Doug and he really made you feel at ease in some very intense situations. My fondest memory is in Valdez in 2000, after the massive avalanches forced the closure of all the heli operations many of “us” stayed around and prayed for it to heal up. It did, and Doug got one ship back and we flew straight up to the west face of Diamond …”2000 and B” Doug said and the following days were empty lines and truly some of the best days ever in AK.
I am deeply saddened by the loss of such a great person who really and truly changed my life in a great way… thanks Doug.
Doug and Emily welcomed my friend Jared and I into their world in Valdez during the spring of 1996. Doug quickly became a hero of mine as I watched him manipulate countless difficult descents like he was dancing to a beat we could never really hear. As a young impressionable skier from the wasatch I over-stepped my boundaries and summited a cornice above him that later crashed down 2,000 vertical in 15 seconds nearly taking him with it. Feeling terrible for the selfish act, I caught up to him as he said this “I forgot about it after the third turn, how about that snow!?” That image is always present in my mind that I committed a cardinal sin in the backcountry of Alaska, skiing above my partner. Doug and I later talked it out over dinner and drinks and he let me know his disappointment along with inspiration to be more alert under the circumstances.
That experience inspired me to become a better backcountry skier as I worked for Solitude Ski patrol in Utah. I will never forget the terrain in AK that taught me that anything can be skied if you see it through the eyes of someone like Doug Coombs. My heart goes out to Emily and David as Doug transforms into the Legend we will all remember him to be.
God bless you Doug and your family.
I never had the pleasure to meet the man, but I’ll share a recent tale from JH that relfects on how much he stoked other skiers. I was skiing Jackson in early March this year and was taking the gondola up one day with some friends and a random couple. This random guy was just so so excited about what he just saw that he starting telling us this story before the doors of the gondola shut. He was skiing some lines on the south side (I have no idea exactly where) when he stopped for a second to watch some people filming. One of the people on the shoot yelled to him that Doug was about to launch a big ‘un and so he scrambled desparately up the hill to watch DC in action. What he saw blew him away. DC flashed some turns and then went large, so large that he then opened his parachute and glided his way back down. The smile on this guy’s face as he told the story was priceless. It wasn’t the size of the huck, or the parachute that made this guy smile – it’s that it was Doug Coombs.
A terrible loss of an inspirational man.
I never knew Doug, nor him me. However, I know the man through is legend. This tragedy makes me cry evertime I think about it. The fact that he died doing one of the things he loved is somewhat comforting to me.
Peace;
dedicate you next adventure to Doug Coombs!
I have never met Doug, but have watched him many times on film. He was certainly an inspiration to me. It was his skiing that brought me to the backcountry from Snowbird and Alta. For that, I could not express my gratitude, there are no words. I am waiting patiently while the 2 feet that the wasatch received in the past 24hr is setteling. When I am able to get out safely, I will pay respect to him in the way I feel most appropriate. For now, I will keep his family and friends in my thourhts and prayers. God Bless.
Doub Coombs was an inspiration and mentor to all that love to ski beyond boundaries. The comments on this site reflect how many lives he touched for good. A great loss to his family and friends. I only met him briefly, but have always admired his achievements, energy, and carefully-honed mountaineering skills. I’ll carry my La Meije pack with greater respect for a great person that I imagine is making first ascents in his new adventure.
I only skied one half day with Doug in Alta and out of my 4000 days of skiing it
is one of the few I remember clearly no ego no attitude just someone who wanted
to ski with anyone else that wanted to ski. I will cherish my three year old more than
ever my tears are with you Emily…………….
I just returned from a two week business trip and was shocked to hear of Doug’s passing. There are no words to express the loss that the skiing world will feel. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. I’ve been a huge fan of Doug’s for years – had been planning to attend his steep skiing camp with my son and nephew when they turned 18 years of age next year. It will be a huge blow to both of them when I tell them this evening. His energy, awesome achievements, professionalism and stellar mountaineering skills will forever live on as will his soul which is a part of all of us who have ever skied down a couloir or welcomed the first snowflake as the beginning of a new season. I will pray for his family and safe keeping for his wife and son. He was a true pioneer and will forever be remembered!
A true legend- dougs positive influence will carry on in all those he inspired. A prayer goes out to all family and friends.
i try to download the otterbody film but it will not load. thanks for checking to make sure it is up and running. would love to see it.
What a huge loss for the outdoor community. I had been with Doug in his Steep camps multiple times over the past 7 years both in the Tetons and last year in La Grave. We had discussed doing a winter descent of Mt Olympus in Greece, in epic fashion. He saved me from a scary situation during a traverse of the Black Pike in the Tetons, so I owed him more than my respect. His humor, his grace – on and off the slopes, his smile, and his confidence inspired us all to reach and then go beyond what we thought our limits were. But it was all done with a such wry smile and with such ease that we never realized it until we were safely down. Doug could also party big, like he skied and his good-natured qualities had a way of infecting you. He will be sorely missed. My prayers to his wife and boy.
I knew Doug quite well over the years, have some of my own pics and memories, but the biggest is how he and his death compares to that of my cousin and best friend Debbie Martin, who died kayaking June 17, 2004, ironically 1 year before this video was made. Most of you amoungst the skiing and kayaking crowd from Jackson and around the world knew Deb and can see an uncanny similarity b/t her and Doug. She wasn’t so publicized although even Doug would probably admit she kicked his ass one way or another as many of our “extreme” dudes have. What I’m getting at here, is something that I only heard Hans Johnston touch on…is that both these people were extremely outgoing, fun, and even selfish, yet they both died in the end making an effort to help someone else. Deb was on a Class 5 run in Tahoe, CA and someone swam. When she went after his paddle, no one noticed that she was immmediately pinned under the next wave. They found her only 20 min. later upside down in her boat, submerdged in a sieve. It took them 1.5 hours to get her and the bout out. Apparently, Doug was following (cautiously) the tracks of someone that went off into the “abyss” before him, and it took him too…in a New York second, like Debbie of course. Either way they both were extreme rebels enjoying life, passing it on ,and died in what God calls “The Ultimate sacrifice”. As hans said, “death wasn’t caused by the ambition, but trying to help someone else.” God bless you both and all that have ironically given their lives in similar fashion. Love, jenny