For many skiers, the name Valdez became synonymous with world-class terrain thanks to its role as host of the World Extreme Skiing Championships in the 1990s. Karen McCune-Stewart, Rydor's stepmother, served as president of WESC for years and still hopes to resurrect the event. Here, she holds a poster from the 1997 edition. She also hopes to work as a liftie if resort skiing ever becomes a reality in Valdez.

Read more in our November issue, on newsstands November 1