Johnny Biggers moved to Gunnison to attend Western State College in 1979. (The college has since been renamed Western Colorado University) What makes his story unique is that he grew up halfway across the world in Australia, but his love of skiing, along with a magazine article, brought him to the mountains of Colorado. After his plane landed, the first thing he did was hitchhike up to Crested Butte to see the ski area, which he has now called home for nearly 40 years. Johnny quickly realized that the ski patrol got to ski a lot- so he started patrolling while he was still in college. In this episode, we discuss the early days of his patrol career, which spanned openings of the "extreme" terrain that Crested Butte is now known for- the headwall, Phoenix and Spellbound bowls, and the frontside runs like Banana and Funnel. Johnny is still one of the most passionate skiers you'll find- though he no longer patrols, he still skis more than most, not to mention water skiing in the summers. Johnny has a lot of stories, so you're sure to enjoy this episode of the Crested Butte is Home podcast.
To learn more about Johnny Biggers and his construction company, Crested Butte Builders, visit his website or his company Facebook page:
