James Niehues – Hall of Fame Class of 2021 - Inspiration

One of the most important annual celebrations of the state’s snow sports industry, the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame induction, is on tap for Sunday, August 22 at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater. For the next several weeks leading up to the 2021 Hall of Fame Celebration, the CSM will be highlighting inductees and annual award recipients. Tickets for the event are on sale: HERE.

James Niehues is a Colorado native and artist of more than 200 iconic ski resort trail maps in Colorado and around the world.

For 33 years, Colorado native and iconic ski resort trail map artist James Niehues has painted more than 200 stunning ski resort trail maps that skiers and snowboarders have used to navigate Colorado and other resorts, worldwide. No other artist has had a more lasting and significant impact on the enjoyment of skiing.  His body of work was recently brought together in his beautiful coffee table showcase book, “The Man Behind the Maps—Legendary Ski Artist James Niehues”. In addition to creating maps for all of Colorado’s resorts, he has also crafted maps for 75% of U.S. ski resorts and for resorts in Canada, Australia, Chile, New Zealand and Serbia.

James was born and raised on a farm in Loma, Colorado, graduated from Fruita Mountain High School and attended Mesa College. He began painting at the age of 15. With a four-year stint in the Army and employment as a graphic artist, his trail map artist career began in 1987, with the encouragement of noted trail map artists Bill Brown and Hal Shelton. 

James’ initial 1987 trail map commissions were with Boreal Pass and Soda Mountain Resorts, followed by his initial large resort commissions from Vail and Steamboat in 1988.  Over the next 30 years, he refined his techniques to create highly visually engaging trail maps. The maps are detailed and authentic, with their nuanced treatment of the resort imparting a mood or feeling to the resort topography. His artistry outperforms digital options and has stood the test of time.  James is truly an iconic, indeed legendary ski resort trail map artist, with an unparalleled body of work.

Observers have referred to James as the “Michelangelo of Snow”, the “Rembrandt of Ski Trails”, the “Monet of Mountains” and the “Norman Rockwell of Skiing”.  He is an iconic part of skiing, from the way we use his maps to his signature in the bottom corner. How many trails maps have been printed? Hundreds of millions?  What other artist can say that? As for James Niehues, he humbly refers to himself as “just a Colorado farm boy who became a self-taught artist.” He simply states, “this is what I do and what I live for.”  Rather, his finely crafted and detailed maps are as much a part of the snow sports experience as chairlifts, groomed trails, and hot cocoa.

Watch James’ Tribute Video below:

If you cannot attend the Hall of Fame Celebration in person, please consider making a tribute gift: HERE.