James Niehues, the artist behind more than 300 ski resort trail maps worldwide, is among eight snowsport industry legends to be inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame’s Class of 2019. The official induction ceremony will take place in March 2020 in Sun Valley, Idaho. Leading up to the induction ceremony Niehues will be going on a national book tour showcasing his new book The Man Behind the Maps: Legendary Ski Artist James Niehues.
Niehues was born on a farm in Loma, Colorado and never aspired for recognition, but he did dream of becoming an artist. Over a more than 30-year career, he has hand-painted trail maps for iconic resorts around the globe, spending countless hours painstakingly adjusting perspectives and details to craft both useful guides as well as works of art.
The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame was created to honor and celebrate the athletes, pioneers and visionaries who have significantly enriched the global sports of skiing and snowboarding, and to showcase their stories and historic memorabilia in a national museum located at the birthplace of organized skiing in America, Ishpeming, Michigan. Joining the ranks of Billy Kidd, Warren Miller, the Mahre Brothers, Bode Miller and Shane McConkey, Niehues will be inducted alongside other luminaries in the sports of skiing and snowboarding including Kit DesLauriers, the first person to ski all seven summits, and legendary ski filmmaker Greg Stump.
“I’m truly honored and humbled that the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame recognizes my passion for what I do and appreciate the fact that my work is so unique,” Niehues said. “I had no idea that I could make that much of an impression on an entire industry. This whole thing, the nomination and the recent book, it’s just hard to put my gratitude into words.”
This prestigious honor highlighting Niehues’ lifetime achievements and global impact upon the ski and snowboard industry comes on the heels of the launch of a new coffee table book, The Man Behind the Maps: Legendary Ski Artist James Niehues, detailing his hand-painted trail map art and one-of-a-kind career. The book represents the culmination of his lifelong work and passion for the mountains, a stunning compilation of more than 200 individual resort trail maps. With eight geographically themed chapters, this hardcover coffee table book is the first and definitive collection of the art created by Niehues during his 30-year career.
Starting tonight and continuing over the next few months, Nieuhes will host a number of book signings culminating with the induction ceremony into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in late March. See book tour locations and dates below:
November 5 – Salt Lake City, Fisher Brewery (4-6p) and University of Utah Ski Archives Annual event
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
For additional details and to stay connected to future events read more here.
To learn more about James Niehues’ story, or to order his new book visit jamesniehues.com or follow him on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
