Norman Ollestad was thrust into the world of surfing and competitive downhill skiing at a very young age by the father he idolized. Resentful of a childhood lost to his father's reckless and demanding adventures, young Ollestad was often paralyzed by fear. In February 1979, just as he was reaping the rewards of his training, a chartered plane carrying Norman, his father, and his father's girlfriend crashed in the mountains and was suspended at eight thousand feet, engulfed in a blizzard. Norman's father was dead, and the grief-stricken eleven-year old had to descend the mountain alone through snow and ice, without any gear. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2009.