Featured Image: BRASS partner Atle Lie McGrath: GEPA pictures
Atle Lie McGrath brings heart and star power to BRASS Avalanche’s safety mission.
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
When FIS announced that athletes could wear sponsors logos on the sides of their helmets, it presented an opportunity for athletes to make more cash and build their visibility through brand ambassador partnerships. Atle Lie McGrath—arguably the most personable and popular young star on the circuit—had his share of offers but wanted a relationship that went beyond a paycheck and a logo. The 24-year-old explains: “I really wanted to be able to represent something that meant something to me that I could be very, very proud to be a part of.”
McGrath also wanted a vehicle to positively impact people everywhere, especially at home in Norway. Days before the World Cup SL in Gurgl, McGrath and BRASS Avalanche announced their new partnership, with McGrath as BRASS’s Global Ambassador. “When this opportunity with BRASS came, it ticked every single box.” TheU.S.-based organization targets ski racers in its avalanche awareness and education efforts. As McGrath says, “It affects people that I care about, which is everyone in the skiing community, and especially young skiers.”
Days after the partnership announcement, McGrath, wearing the BRASS logo, stepped on the podium at Gurgl. It was a powerful moment, happening a few miles away and nearly ten years after the avalanche thatkilled two US Ski Team athletes, Bryce Astle and Ronnie Berlack.
That accident, on January 5, 2015, led to the creation of BRASS Avalanche and its mission for advocacy and education.McGrath was then a 14-year-old ski racer and remembers that day well. “The ski family is small, so you could really feel the impact it had. It also made me reflect on all the times that I’ve gone out with my friends skiing powder because training was canceled. I had no idea how dangerous it could be, especially in a ski area.”
BORN TO SKI
McGrath has skiing in his blood. His father is American World Cup skier Felix McGrath, and his mother, Selma Lie, was an NCAA All-American Nordic skier at UVM. But like most ski racers, especially those from tiny ski hills, he grew up with no formal avalanche education.As he advanced, he took his expert skiing skills to larger mountains with real yet unmarked hazards. That is precisely the recipe for the disasters BRASS aims to prevent with its combination of online resources and in-person, customized group classes. McGrath saw the impact of BRASS’s education efforts in the US and realized the impact it could have in Norway. Says McGrath: “That’s what really drew me into the possibility with BRASS.”
TALKING TO HIS YOUNGER SELF
In addition to wearing the logo, McGrath, with support from the Norwegian Alpine Ski Team, will bring the educational curriculum, BRASS 101, to ski clubs throughout Norway. McGrath’s goal is to reach kids who were just like him ten years ago. “I see myself in so many of these young skiers. One of my big goals is to reach out to them and to make them realize that the mountain isn’t always just a playground. The days where it seems the least dangerous can be the most dangerous days.”He also wants to convey that skiing ability will not keep you safe. “It doesn’t help to just be a good skier. If you feel invincible, that’s a big danger.”
The Vermont-born, Norwegian raised skier has always felt at home and connected to his American fan base. In the States, his work will start even earlier, on November 30, when he joins kids at Ski Club Vail for a BRASS 101 presentation. “That was something that I really wanted to do because it’s one of the few times of the year where I’m actually there,” says McGrath. “I can really get their message out and put a spotlight on the importance of snow safety.”
GLOBAL EFFORT
EDUCATION FOR EVERY AGE
BRASS Avalanche does not replace established avalanche education and professional certification organizations. Macomber explains that it fills a niche for competitive snow sports athletes early on in their journey. “We’re your entry point access to mountain travel.” Their method is to help create a life-long love and respect for the mountains.“It’s about lighting a fire, and we’re the spark,” says Macomber. He also notes thereis no singular BRASS curriculum. BRASS’s avalanche pros adapt their presentations to each age group and demographic. “We’re going to teach differently between U12s and U14s, than FIS kids, than coaches.”
When presenting to a younger audience, Marno considers the challenges of attention span and motivation. She keeps her message simple, introducing some basic vocabulary and imagery. “Most people, and especially kids, don’t realize that an avalanche is just snow moving downhill. Itcan come off a roof, it can come off the side of a slope,” explains Marno, who tries to raise awareness that avalanches aren’t just an anomalous event in the backcountry.
She also knows that kids might not retain everything she says. But she aims to get one or two points across while making it fun enough for them to want to learn more. “It’s your opportunity to make it something that they’re interested in so they want to learn more,” says Marno.
Marno also tailors the message toward competitive athletes:“We talk about what you will hear as an athlete that could perk your ears up to potential avalanche risk.” Canceled training due to heavy snow or high winds often signals high avalanche danger.
BRASS 101 is the starting point from which BRASS can point athletes to more resources and education. Keeping clubs on a two-year cycle with the presentation ensures every generation of young skiers receives the information. Considering the runway McGrath has in his World Cup career and his global reach, he is on track to inspire thousands of them.
STEPPING UP TO THE WEIGHT
The collective energy and McGrath’s visibility propel the organization to its next phase—where BRASS expands beyond the families who worked tirelessly to build it and the two individuals who inspired its name.
“We’re not a memorial; we’re an educational organization,” says Macomber. “We are productive and proactive and growing an educational community and a mountain travel community that will persist throughout these athletes’ lives, and I think that is a very fun community to be part of.”
Macomber was Ronnie’s lifting partner when the two attended Burke. He recalls, “One thing Ronnie loved to say was, ‘You don’t get on the platform until you know you’re gonna lift the weight.’” Ten years after the accident, that’s where he sees BRASS now. “We’re stepping up to the platform because we know we can lift that weight and that there’s a need to be filled in that competitive snow sports community.”
Learn more about BRASS Avalanche and sign up for the next free webinar December 4 at https://brassavalanche.org/brass101/.
About the Author: Edie Thys Morgan
