"Godfather of Freeskiing" Mike Douglas To Join Canadian Ski Hall of Fame Class of 2025

Douglas’s impact on skiing is wide-ranging, covering everything from forward-thinking video projects to the invention of the “D-Spin”—a backflip with a 720-degree rotation. 

One of his most significant innovations was a ski manufactured by Salomon, the TenEighty. 

In the 1990s, Douglas served as a mogul coach at Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia, training future stars like JF Cusson, JP Auclair, and Vincent Dorion. After training ended, they’d sneak into the terrain park and try all the same wild maneuvers as the snowboarders who, at the time, were the snow sports cool kids. 

But most of the skis of the day, which had flat tails rather than upturned tails, weren’t suited for landing backwards or progressive tricks. So, alongside the Japanese team’s mogul coach, Steve Fearing, Douglas began pitching companies on a new twin-tipped ski. Salomon bit and the TenEighty—a new tool that helped drive a generation of trick-oriented skiers—was born.

From there, Douglas has led a long career as an athlete, commentator, and filmmaker. POWDER recognized him both as a Male Skier of the Year and named him one of the 48 Greatest Skiers of Our Time.

More recently, Douglas served as the Director of Skiing for the Natural Selection Tour, a groundbreaking backcountry competition held in Alaska. He's also the founder of Switchback Entertainment, a full-service video production house.

“Overall, Mike Douglas’s legacy is defined by his pioneering spirit, athletic achievements, and unwavering commitment to advancing and protecting the sport of skiing for future generations,” the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame wrote.