WHITEFISH — For roughly two hours a day, seven days a week over the last month, Ken Jones has undergone a grueling workout regimen at The Wave. Body squats, lunges, leg extensions — the 52-year-old handyman has trained with a feverish, focused mindset.
Winter is coming, and Jones needs to be prepared. He’s about to embark on an epic pursuit.
This season, Jones is attempting to break his own record for vertical feet skied at Whitefish Mountain Resort, a milestone he accomplished a year ago.
Last winter, Jones got back on skis for the first time in 24 years after moving to Whitefish from Nebraska. Around Christmas, he learned of the resort’s vertical program, which tracks season passes at each chairlift and lists the mileage online as a fun source for families and friends to follow their ski distance throughout the season.
On a whim, Jones decided to see how many feet he could pile up, riding a pair of used Dynastar skis he bought at a local swap meet. When the season ended on April 10 — his birthday, no less — he had tallied 8,058,144 vertical feet, or 1,526.16 miles. It crushed the previous record of 5.61 million feet, set by Tony Cooper in 2013.
To accomplish the herculean task, Jones skied 122 of the 128 days the resort was open, averaging 30 runs per day from first to last chair. After riding the SNOW bus shuttle to and from the resort each day, he would mostly enjoy turns on the front-side groomers, such as Toni Matt and Ptarmigan Bowl, which stretch 2,084 feet. On good days, he averaged 70,000 vertical feet, and on days when night skiing was offered, he would typically hit 115,000, skiing with ease instead of speed from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., only stopping for bathroom breaks. For sustenance, he carried energy bars and would eat large breakfasts and dinners before and after each day. He’d also try to drink a gallon of water each night.
“Ken’s quest for the Big Mountain record was as impressive for the rest of us to witness as it was for him to do,” Jay Foster, a former vert champ and longtime avid skier at Whitefish Mountain Resort, wrote on his blog, Northern Rockies View. “Ken skied with an effortlessness and grace while making 66,000 feet per day look easy.”
During and after last season, Jones said he would not attempt to break his 8 million mark. But this summer, someone recommended that he contact representatives from Dynastar and let them know about his season for the ages.
“I didn’t want any money, but I thought it would be cool to reach out to them. They emailed me right back saying, ‘That’s everything we love about skiing and we’re glad you liked your (Dynastar skis),’” Jones recalled recently.
The company sent him a new pair of skis, with another slated to arrive in January, and let him pick out some Rossignol gear.
Jones said there were no strings attached, but the company’s support refueled his passion for the upcoming winter and the pursuit of another incredible goal.
He stayed busy during summer, running his handyman business and saving enough money to spend the winter skiing again. Then, about a month ago, he made up his mind. He was going for it.
“I’m ready to go. I wish the mountain opened tomorrow. I haven’t been this excited about anything since my kids were born,” he said.
“A lot of people do question what I’m doing. They think I’m crazy or obsessed or it’s for my ego. It’s none of that. I’m just doing it because I want to have my goal.”
Many people have questioned how Jones can enjoy a day of constant groomers.
“I understand a lot of guys are powder hounds and they want to go up for quality over quantity, so they only want four good runs a day. I understand that,” he said. “I feel the best when I ski through to the finish. There’s something about going the distance. I think it’s like that in anything you do, whether it’s finishing your marathon or finishing your work.”
Jones said he enjoys pushing himself outside of his comfort zone and “knowing that I’m pushing myself to the max.”
“I think it goes way back to when I was in the military. I went into the military reserves when I was 17. I remember being on a road march and I wanted to quit. I hated life and the drill sergeant kept asking us who was going to quit,” he said.
“Enduring that and getting through it, it’s the same with the skiing. I feel like mentally I can do anything I want. That’s what it comes down to: When I set my mind to do something, I can do it.”
Jones acknowledges there are several factors that need to work out in his favor in order for him to achieve anything close to last season, including staying healthy and good snow.
“There is more pressure because I’ve already done it. And people will say I got lucky last year, and I did. There’s so many factors,” he said.
“Pray for snow.”