Norman Ollestad was thrust into the world of surfing and competitive downhill skiing at a very young age by the father he idolized. Resentful of a childhood lost to his father’s reckless and demanding adventures, young Ollestad was often paralyzed by fear.In February 1979, just as he was reaping the rewards of his training, a chartered plane carrying Norman, his father, and his father’s girlfriend crashed in the mountains and was suspended at eight thousand feet, engulfed in a blizzard. Norman’s father was dead, and the grief-stricken 11-year old had to descend the mountain alone through snow and ice, without any gear. This is his remarkable story, in his own words. Norman captures his conflicted feelings about his magnetic father and the exhilarating tests of skill in the surf and snow that made him a fearless sportsman and ultimately saved his life.