Before he became the owner of Points North Heli Adventures, ski guide and personal trainer Kevin Quinn spent seven years as a professional hockey player, and dished out so much on-ice justice he earned the nickname The Enforcer. The fans loved it, but Quinn—who grew up skiing and skating in Alaska—wanted out. "I couldn't get the mountains out of my head, he says.

A decade later, Quinn no longer breaks noses for a living. As the founder of the largest heli-ski operation in the U.S., he skis 150 to 200 days a year, and regularly drops 3,000-foot lines down 50-degree faces. His ability, he says, comes from years spent in the rink. "Much of hockey training requires balance, agility, and plyometric drills, he says. "Those same skills keep you upright and confident in big mountain no-fall zones.