New Mexico Ski Hall of Fame inducts its first snowboarders
Oct. 29—Skiing in New Mexico is its own entity.
The resorts in the state differ in what is offered, making it a paradise for those who take up the sport.
The New Mexico Ski Hall of Fame inducted its first snowboarders on Saturday, Oct. 28, at Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum.
Known as the Experience Snowboard Crew, Brandon Peterson, George Medina and Michael Johnstone came together nearly 30 years ago in 1994 and became friends and then business partners.
Over the course of the next two decades, they changed the face of snowboarding in New Mexico.
The Free Taos campaign started out as a fun protest before becoming the campaign that ultimately contributed to Taos Ski Valley opening to snowboarders on March 19, 2008 — promoted at the time as "The Day Hell Froze Over."
The trio owned Experience Snowboards, which helped push the envelope to develop nationally competitive athletes, cutting-edge freestyle parks and snowboard friendly terrain, competitions and activities throughout the state.
The trio eventually went in separate directions over the years, but the contributions are still felt in snowboarding in the state.
Medina was killed in a motor vehicle accident in summer 2020, and Johnstone died a few days later after a battle with cancer.
Peterson is the sole survivor and lives in Sandpoint, Idaho, where he resides with his wife and two young daughters.
He now owns and operates a solar electric company and spends his spare time playing in the snow with his family, where he continues to share his passion for snowboarding.
During their time in New Mexico, the trio also the state on the map for:
One of the first PSIA Level 3 Certified Snowboard instructors in the state.Coached and instructed snowboarders for 20+ years.Improved the Southwest race series and expanded its reach by spreading the competitions throughout all of the New Mexico ski resorts.
Created the first sanctioned USASA Boardercross, Slopestyle and Skiercross competitions in New Mexico — the Jedi Challenge, which is ongoing today.
Brought the USASA National Championships to Angel Fire in 2004 — the world's largest ski and snowboard competition at the time.Created the first freestyle parks in New Mexico, along with junk parks and snow skate parks and events.Brought the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup to Angel Fire in 2005. At the time, it was the first UCI MTB World Cup event held in the United States in over a decade.
The ceremony also recognized Joey Turiciano from Ski Santa Fe and Max Killinger from Taos Ski Valley with the Lifetime Achievement Award for their commitment and dedication to the New Mexico Ski Industry over the past 40-plus years.
