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Remembering the Legend: C.R. Johnson
By: Sean Zimmerman-Wall
seanzdub@gmail.com
How do we honor someone who has had a profound
influence on the life and personal direction
of others? Paint a picture, write a book, build a
monument? Let’s go skiing instead! This February
24 marks the day one year ago when the
ski world lost one of its most cherished members,
C.R. Johnson. Known as CRJ throughout
the industry, his charismatic personality and
upbeat attitude were contagious to all those who
had the privilege of spending time with him. To
commemorate his life and spirit, Alta and 4FRNT
will host a memorial afternoon of riding for all
those who wish to attend.
A Truckee, California native, C.R. spent the early
days of his childhood chasing his Ski Patrol father
around the slopes of Squaw Valley. His love
of skiing eventually turned into a paycheck as
Johnson gained sponsorship at the age of 12.
Entering competitions and placing well earned
C.R. respect from a multitude of followers. As
he continued to push his abilities, and the limits
of freeskiing at the time, he began to attract the
attention of big companies and fellow skiers
alike. C.R. was notorious for his progressive
style, both in the park and in the backcountry.
His 2002 victories at the Winter X-Games
bolstered his status from awesome to epic,
and soon his name was synonymous with the
future of skiing. Producing innovative tricks and
shredding big lines placed C.R. in the limelight
and he had awe-inspiring segments in a variety
of different ski films over the next few years. Yet,
despite his success, Johnson never lost touch
with the community that raised him. Returning
to Squaw every year to ride with his friends was
one of the most important things in his life. He
also spent a good deal of time skiing with the
enclave of professional riders that live in Utah.
Skiers like Tanner Hall and Pep Fujas call the
Salt Lake City/Park City area their homes, and
C.R. would visit them to ski some of the deepest
pow on Earth.
During a filming session at Brighton in December
of 2005, C.R.’s success was cut short
when he suffered a traumatic brain injury after
a collision with one of his skier buddies. Left
in a medically induced coma for over a week,
Johnson spent the next month in the University
of Utah Hospital. At this point it seemed that
the young skier’s dreams were snuffed out like
a candle. However, being of strong body and
mind, he began his checkered path to recovery.
“It was really difficult to see one of my closest
friends in that condition,” said Matt Sterbenz of
4FRNT skis. Since the late ‘90s, Sterbenz and
Johnson had been like brothers. “Even though
I was older, his level of skiing was intimidating,”
said Sterbenz. Over the coming years, the two
formed stronger bonds as they traveled the
world competing. “It was always nice to see a
familiar face from town when you are in a crowd
of new people overseas,” added Sterbenz.
After nearly two seasons of intense physical
therapy and conditioning, C.R. was back on
skis with a renewed outlook and gratitude for
being alive. Learning to ski again from scratch
gave Johnson a fresh take on the sport and
he wanted to make every day count towards
something he cared deeply about. Devoting
his entire being to picking up where he left off,
C.R. trained religiously in all disciplines of skiing.
His overpowering spirit and friendly demeanor
permeated through the industry once again and
by late 2007, his prospects were looking great.
Understanding Johnson’s riding style and desire
to have more control over the type of equipment
he used, 4FRNT’s Sterbenz decided it was time
to build a ski that fit C.R. Over the course of the
season, the two spent a great deal of time coming
up with an inventive design for the new ski.
“C.R. would send me napkins with red drawings
on them depicting his ideas. I would look at
them and be like, ‘Do you even know what
you’re doing?’” said Sterbenz. Turns out he did,
and in short order, the first prototypes rolled off
the press. “We weren’t sure if the shape would
work out, but it ended up being a really fun ski
and our testing
up at Snowbird
proved useful,”
said Sterbenz. The
final blueprint was
decided on, and the
CRJ pro model was
born. In production
for over two
years now, the CRJ
has been a great
seller for 4FRNT.
The inspiration for
the graphic came
straight from C.R.
and his commissioned
artist, Greg
Lipp. The lion and
surrounding color
scheme were pulled
from C.R.’s interest
in the Rastafarian
culture—a
truly artful work that
captured his style
and set of ideals.
At the peak of
C.R.’s comeback,
he was struck down
in a tragic accident
while skiing at
Squaw. This time,
there would be no
second chance.
Johnson suffered a
fatal fall in an area
that he had skied
countless times at
his home mountain.
His friends
and family didn’t
CRJ 360. Photo: Freedle Coty
want to believe the news, but in their hearts they
knew he passed away in the very place he loved
most. “It is hard to lose someone like C.R. He
cared deeply about his friends and wanted everybody
to be as stoked as he was. I miss him
everyday,” said Sterbenz.
As the one year anniversary of his death approached,
Sterbenz wanted a way for those
that knew C.R. and those that wanted to know
him to have an opportunity to participate in a
celebration of his life. It was decided that a day
of riding would be held up at Alta due to its skicommunity
vibe and since it was one of C.R.’s
favorite places to shred. The event will take
place Thursday, Feb. 24 and will begin in the
early afternoon. Following the event, a memorial
and montage of his ski career will be held
at The Goldminer’s Daughter near the Wildcat
Base. It will feature highlights from his life and
raise awareness towards his charity. Check out
4FRNT.com and newschoolers.com for more
information as the event approaches.
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