Bernie Rosow was a beloved member of the Mammoth Lakes neighborhood.
Beloved skier and veteran worker of Mammoth Mountain Bernie Rosow suddenly died whereas backcountry snowboarding in the Sierra Nevada on Thursday, forsaking a spouse, son and a neighborhood of pals who adored his infinite pleasure for snowboarding.
Rosow was climbing Bloody Mountain, an iconic peak close to the city of Mammoth Lakes, with pals when he suddenly collapsed at round 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, in accordance with famend skilled photographer Christian Pondella, who was with him on the time.
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“Everything was normal, just a typical day. Just out of the blue he said, ‘My back hurts, it hurts between my shoulders,’” Pondella mentioned in a cellphone interview. Rosow then sat down on the slope and stopped responding to his pals’ questions, Pondella mentioned.
“It happened so quick,” Pondella mentioned. “Two minutes before that he was having normal conversations.”
Bernie Rosow pictured at Mammoth Mountain.
Pondella mentioned they known as search and rescue and a staff arrived by helicopter however was not capable of revive him. Amber Feld, Rosow’s companion, instructed SFGATE in an electronic mail that the household remains to be ready on an post-mortem for affirmation on a explanation for dying nevertheless it seems to be a coronary heart well being incident.
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“We are absolutely devastated,” Feld mentioned in an electronic mail. “Bernie was his eight-year-old son Alexander’s favorite person in the entire world.”
Rosow was born in Vermont however moved to Mammoth Mountain in the early 2000s, the place he made a reputation for himself for his inventive and highly effective snowboarding in each the park and backcountry. He instructed Black Crows Skis in 2020 that he initially wished to be an expert skier however pivoted to working for the mountain as a snowcat operator when the skilled profession didn’t pan out. He mentioned that he lived in a tent in the woods of Mammoth Lakes when he first got here to city.
“I was sleeping in my tent in the woods looking for work. I knew I didn’t want to work in the day because I wanted to ski. And a friend of mine was like, ‘You should be a snowcat operator,’” Rosow mentioned in a video interview.
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Bernie Rosow was a hard-charging skier recognized throughout the trade for his infinite pleasure.
Emily van Greuning, a spokesperson for Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, mentioned Rosow had labored for the resort’s snowcat crew for over 25 years.
“He will be missed greatly by the Mammoth family and surrounding community,” van Greuning mentioned in an electronic mail. “His passion for the sport was aspirational, and his legacy will never be forgotten. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues during this difficult time.”
Rosow told skimag.com last year that the one powder day he had missed in 20 years was when his son was born. Pondella mentioned he was a dedicated companion and father who would all the time be taking his child on an journey, whether or not it was snowboarding or skateboarding or enjoying with radio-controlled automobiles.
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“He loved his partner and he loved his kid,” Pondella mentioned. “When we were hanging out he would talk about them a lot.”
Bernie Rosow seen taking a deep powder carve on Dec. 15, 2024, at Mammoth Mountain.
Rosow documented his adventures on his TikTok and Instagram accounts, the place he amassed over 100,000 followers. Pondella mentioned Rosow’s infinite power amazed everybody who knew him.
“A lot of us as friends couldn’t figure out how he just had the energy. He would ski all day and then work from 4 p.m. to midnight, come home, get to bed at whatever time, and then be the first one at the mountain the next day and do it all over again,” Pondella mentioned.
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His devotion to the mountains turned him into probably the greatest skiers at Mammoth, and a extensively recognized native who almost everybody wished to ski with.
“He was one of the more talented skiers I’ve ever skied with, and I’ve photographed the world’s best skiers over the last 25 years of my life,” Pondella mentioned.
