James Niehues, the artist who has drawn more than 300 trail maps of all the world, is among the eight snow sport industry legends that will be included in the US Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame.
The official ceremony will take place in March 2020 in Sun Valle, Idaho. Before the opening ceremony, Niehues will make a national tour showing his new book ‘The man behind the maps: the legendary ski artist James Niehues’.
Niehues was born on a farm in Loma, Colorado, and he never aspired to be recognized, but he dreamed of becoming an artist. During a career of more than 30 years, he has hand-painted trail maps for emblematic tourist centres around the world, spending countless hours carefully adjusting the perspectives and details to elaborate both useful guides and pieces of art.
Trail maps in the US Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame
It was created to honour athletes, pioneers and visionaries who have significantly enriched worldwide ski and snowboard sports, and to show their historical stories and memories in a national museum. In the video below, you can see the artist working, a real wonder where precision and passion come together in a real piece of art.
By joining Billy Kidd, Warren Miller, Mahre Brothers, Bode Miller and Shane McConkey, Niehues will be included along with other ski and snowboard personalities, including Kit DesLauriers, the first person to ski on the seven summits and the legendary ski filmmaker, Greg Stump.
“I am truly honoured that the United States Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame recognizes my passion for what I do and appreciates the fact that my work is so unique,” said Niehues.
“I HAD NO IDEA THAT I COULD CAUSE SO MUCH IN AN INDUSTRY LIKE THIS ONE. ALL OF THIS, THE NOMINATION AND THE RECENT BOOK, IT IS DIFFICULT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE IN WORDS”.
The Man Behind the Trail Maps
This prestigious honour that highlights Niehues’ lifelong achievements and the global impact on the ski and snowboard industry comes immediately after the launch of a new book: The Man Behind the Maps, which details his hand-painted trails maps.
The book represents the culmination of his life’s work and his passion for the mountains, an impressive collection of more than 200 individual tourist trail maps. With eight thematic chapters geographically classified, you can purchase this book on its website. It is the first and definitive art collection created by Niehues during his 30-year career.
During the next months, Nieuhes will introduce his new book in numerous specialized stores like US bookshops and the events will finish with the US Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame ceremony at the end of March.
Below you will find the locations and dates of the tours, to discover his trail maps :
- November 5: Salt Lake City, Fisher Brewery (4-6p) and annual archival event at the University of Utah (6-9p)
- November 15-16: Boston Ski and Snowboard Show
- December 7: Los Angeles, Ski Dazzle
- January 30: Denver, outdoor retailer
- March 26-27: Sun Valley, Idaho
jamesniehues.com
