American freeskier
Tanner Hall (born October 26, 1983) is an American freeskier.[1]
Biography
Hall, nicknamed 'Ski Boss', was born in Kalispell, Montana where he grew up skiing at Big Mountain, now named Whitefish Mountain Resort, starting at age three. He joined the freestyle ski team at age 10, skiing moguls and aerials until age 15 when he moved to Park City, Utah to pursue freeskiing. His first major competition was the US Open in Vail, Colorado
In 2002, Hall co-founded the freeride ski company Armada Skis with skier JP Auclair and photographer Chris O'Connell.[citation needed] Hall is also part owner of the Retallack Snowcat Operation near Nelson, BC, Canada,[2] along with skiers Seth Morrison and the young Algerian/Canadian Mehdi Trari.[3]
In March 2005, while attempting a switch cork 900 over the legendary Chad's Gap in Wasatch backcountry, Utah, he pulled up short, hit the knuckle and then ragdolled down the landing, breaking both ankles. His injuries put him out for the rest of the season but returned in 2006 to win gold at both the US Freeskiing Open and the Winter X-Games.[citation needed][4]
His attempt at a fourth gold in slopestyle was upset by Charles Gagnier and in 2009 he lost a fourth straight superpipe gold to Xavier Bertoni.[5]
After overshooting a jump at Stevens Pass, in May 2009, in Washington, he went on hiatus for just over a year. He suffered from tibial plateau fractures and ACL tears in both knees.[2] Hall returned to training on trampolines during summer 2010.
Hall embraces the Rasta culture and supports the marijuana lifestyle.[citation needed] His DaKine line is called THC, which stand for the "Tanner Hall Collection" but is a play on the abbreviation for tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive substance in cannabis. Hall is the co-founder of Inspired Media Concepts, a film and record company that focuses on rasta music and producing ski movies and webisodes.
After an 11-year relationship, Red Bull dropped their sponsorship of Tanner Hall at the Red Bull High Performance ski camp in New Zealand on August 29, 2012.[6]
In February 2016, Hall became the first active professional athlete to create a pro model cannabis product and build a partnership with a cannabis company.[7] Adventure travel brand Black Rock Originals created “The SKIBOSS Collection", a trio of products including rolling papers, a lighter and grinder; the three key item one needs to roll a joint.[8][9]
United States
