Callithumper Corp.: October 2009

In honor of fallen legend Shane McConkey, Squaw Valley renamed the infamous run on top of KT-22, “McConkey’s.” The dedication ceremony took place on Saturday October 3, 2009. On a chilly fall day, a group of around 100 friends and family including; Shane’s father Jim, his mother Glenn and wife and daughter Sherry and Ayla McConkey made the hike from the base of KT-22 to the top. The group then assembled on the narrow peak where Sherry and Scott Gaffney poured a box of Shane’s ashes into the wind. The crowd cheered. On top of the line a memorial eagle was built by Hansi Standteiner. The eagle paid homage to McConkey’s love of flight and his love of skiing rowdy lines. Inspiration was also drawn from the iconic photo on the cover of “Immersion.” On the days proceeding the ceremony Sherry McConkey hiked the peak several times, and on each of those times she was followed by a golden eagle, circling above her. “McConkey’s” has long been considered a classic Squaw line and was the line McConkey was skiing on Powder magazine’s tribute issue cover.