Skiing News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Photo: Paul Harris/Getty Images

Hunter S. Thompson Once Wrote a Letter to POWDER Magazine

Originally posted on Powder | By Max Ritter | Last updated Jun 10, 2025 10:39 AM ET

POWDER Magazine was built to celebrate the special community that is the ski world. When Dave and Jake Moe dropped in and got the ball rolling in the mid-'70s, telling the stories of their peers and of the vibrant culture surrounding skiing was front of mind.

Looking back at some of the user-submitted pieces from the early era, we can catch a glimpse into the skiing microcosm of the time. It was weird, loopy, a bit edgy, and we'll readily admit that certainly not everything was in good taste, but there's no better way to read the spirit of the times than from the hearts and minds of the people themselves.

Some of the finest highlights of the 1970s and 1980s can be found in the Letters To The Editor section that was hidden among the classified ads in the front pages of early print issues. This was all long before social media comment wars, web forum rabbit holes, or otherwise sh*tposting online. It was a bona fide way for skiers to ask questions, voice opinions, or make public statements about that what they held true to heart. Of course, the editors would directly respond, often hilariously.

A prime example? When none other than Hunter S. Thompson declined an invitation to write for the magazine because he simply didn't like skiing. See below for the editorial team's response to the prolific gonzo journalist, who once ran for sheriff in Colorado's most famous ski town, Aspen.

Want to keep up with the best stories and photos in skiing? Subscribe to the new Powder To The People newsletter for weekly updates.

Below the Belt: A Reminder That Skiing Exists South of the Equator

In the October 1981 issue, Duncan Currie, of Christchurch, New Zealand, penned a short letter reminding POWDER's editors that the earth is not flat, and that skiing does in fact exist in the southern hemisphere. Also check out that ad for Olympic Valley's Granite Chief ski shop.

A Photo Critique

In December 1980, Olympic Valley's Charles Webster had a bone to pick with the quality of ski photography he found in the magazine he shelled out a prohibitive $2.25 a month for. In his own words, the man skis with the best mogul skiers on the mountain, so he could tell the state of the art of skiing, and was not finding it in Powder. Our sincerest apologies, Mr. Webster.

Hunter S. Thompson Compares Skiing to Golf

At some point in 1977, POWDER's editorial team must have reached out to the godfather of Gonzo Journalism, a certain Hunter S. Thompson, because in November of that year, we published a short letter from the man declining our invitation to write for the magazine. His reason? Skiing wasn't all that interesting to him.

Lou Dawson's Backcountry Accident Story

In the same issue as the Hunter S. Thompson letter, a young Lou Dawson penned a long guest editorial about a close call he had in the Aspen backcountry the year before. Talking about being honest and learning from our mistakes is a proven way to reduce risk in the backcountry, something Dawson took to heart when sharing the story of catastrophically breaking his leg. Dawson went on to become the first person to ski all of Colorado's 14ers, started the prolific ski-touring-focused website WildSnow.com, and has shared his lifetime's worth of stories about climbing and skiing in wild places.

It's All a Matter of Perspective

Kevin Rabbett, of both Minneapolis and Stratton Mountain, Vermont, shared his views on the popularization of indoor ski-training devices in the Letters section of the February 1980 issue. The article he refers to can be found in Volume 8, Issue 3. Rabbett makes the compelling argument that we shouldn't make skiing to easy, lest it lose its edge.

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: