KelliRohrig
I met Kelli through her brother, Chris. Since knowing Kelli, I’ve followed her (and sometimes her husband) on crazy backcountry skiing adventures, which usually include some amount of bushwhacking, face shots, getting lost and the occasional mandatory cliff hucking to get back on track. I’ve also followed Kelli and her crazy fit, female, rippin’ mountain biking lady friends on some epic mountain bike rides. The most recent birthday ride consisted of crossing two mountain passes, gaining over 5,000 feet in elevation and topping out at over 12,000 feet. And we did it in style with some wine, cheese, and crackers in our packs (very French of us). She is one of the most motivated, hyper, and unrelenting people I know. She never stops pushing herself whether it’s on skis, her mountain bike or as an entrepreneur. I always know I’m going to have a fun and wacky adventure when I’m around her and I thought you all should meet our newest “Jumper” as well. Maybe you can explore a “new” trail with her one of these days. —Ashley Magnuson

I'm not so stellar with the self-bio thing, but will give it a shot. My name is Kelli, no nicknames or any great tag names, just Kelli. I'm originally from CO, raised in the Vail area, but I've tried to get out and live many places. My Colorado roots run deep, thus my love for the mountains and snow. I was raised racing gates mainly, but spent some time dabbling in the Nordic world during high school and college in Boulder. I ditched the Alpine skis after fracturing a pelvis and moved on to tele. I was fortunate to have gotten into the early "tele extreme" events back in the day and had a blast. I consider competing every so often, but don't seem to be able to get back on the proverbial horse and huck like I used to. Instead, I coach a junior Freeride team and live vicariously through the kids. I come from a mom who is about as hyper as a 4 year old, a trait which was passed down to me, but on a more manageable level. It's great to be energetic, however, I've never been able to keep focused on one sport or job long enough to achieve any real greatness. I can say I've done plenty—pro mountain biker, whitewater kayak comps and sales rep, Alpine-Freeride & Nordic coach, a life in an office, time in politics, guide, teacher...and it's all been well worth the time and effort. I'm sure there are many more distractions I've yet to come across. My husband, beloved dog and I split our time between Big Sky, MT (winter) and Avon, CO (summer). I've crashed plenty of couches in my day and am always looking for ways to repay my debt. Our house is always open to visitors if you find yourself in Montucky or Avon.

SJ: What are you scared of? Or what's the scariest thing you've ever done?
I'm terrified of falling, or slipping off a boot pack, on a big exposure. The scariest thing I've ever done was side-stepping down a 120 foot long chimney that was about 5.5 feet wide over a 2000 foot cliff. I had total sewing machine leg, my friends had taken all the snow with them on their descent and I was fairly sure I was going to barf.


SJ: You and your husband have started two of your own businesses. What motivated you to step out as an entrepreneur and what have been some of your biggest challenges with your business adventures?
Our first business, landscaping, was started by some totally random sequences of events. With landscaping, we thought we'd be able to work whenever we wanted, ride whenever we wanted, leave town and play all the time...you get the picture. It was perfect the first few years, but now the company has grown and we've had to come to terms with being responsible adults which has its ups and downs for sure. Our second business, ski and mountain bike tours in Europe, came about after living in France. The valley we lived in had the most amazing playgrounds, but we only ever came across one American. So, we figured we'd do our best to market the area to our own country people and see what would come of it. People don't realize there really is a difference between skiing and riding in Europe than the U.S. Our biggest challenge has been balancing the two businesses in two different countries, plus living in two separate states (CO in the summer, MT in the winter) plus having full-time jobs in the winter—Kreston is a ski patroller at Big Sky and I coach for the Big Sky Ski Foundation.

SJ: What’s next, what are some of your future goals or projects?
Um...that's hard to say since it changes every day. I'm currently working on creating the Big Sky junior avalanche initiative which I hope to get up and running for this season. I learned to sail last year with the idea that we'd buy a cheap, but amazingly cool, boat and sail around the world. We're also trying to move back to Europe for the winters and really focus on our tour company. My loftiest goal that constantly looms over me is to get back into mountain bike racing and qualify for Master Worlds. I'd also like to learn to cook some decent Indian food since both places we live are void of any Eastern Asian restaurants and open a fondu/raclette restaurant in Montana. Is that enough, because the list goes on...