A Love of Skiing: The Story Behind a New Fund Honoring Johnny Eldred
For John Henry “Johnny” Eldred, skiing was never just a sport. It was where he spent weekends as a kid, where he found community and friendship, and eventually, where he built a career.
Now, his love of skiing is creating opportunities for young people in the community where it all began.
The Johnny Eldred Ski Opportunity Fund, established by Johnny’s family in his memory, will support local youth skiing through the Washburn/Bayfield ski program and Mt. Ashwabay. We’re honored to invest and steward the fund at Boreal Waters Community Foundation which will help local kids participate in a sport that played such an important role in Johnny’s life.
The idea grew from Johnny’s family and community; many of whom knew him growing up and shared his love of skiing. After his passing, they came together around a simple idea: honor Johnny by helping other young people experience the sport that had given him so much.
From Mt. Ashwabay to Alta
Johnny was born in Washburn and raised on Madeline Island. As a young boy, he and his brother spent weekends skiing at Mt. Ashwabay with their mom. The small community ski hill became an important part of his childhood and, eventually, the beginning of a lifelong passion.
As he got older, Johnny joined the ski racing program through the Washburn and Bayfield schools. He loved racing and continued skiing even after a serious injury during a trip to Red Lodge, Montana.
After graduating from Bayfield High School in 2003, Johnny followed his passion west to the University of Utah. A college course in backcountry skiing and avalanche safety led to an opportunity to teach at Alta Ski Area.
What began as a college job became a 19-year career. Johnny earned his Level III certification through the Professional Ski Instructors of America and became one of Alta’s sought-after instructors.
But those who knew him remember more than his skill on skis. Johnny brought patience, enthusiasm, and a genuine joy for the sport to the people he taught. He had a way of making skiing something to share—something that brought people together.
That spirit is at the heart of the fund created in his memory.
Making skiing more accessible
While the Washburn/Bayfield ski program and Mt. Ashwabay work to make skiing accessible to local kids, the costs associated with the sport can still add up. Equipment, program and race fees, transportation, lodging and other expenses can create barriers for families.
The Johnny Eldred Ski Opportunity Fund will help ease some of those barriers. As the fund grows beyond an established threshold, annual distributions will be shared equally between the local ski program and Mt. Ashwabay’s ski scholarship program.
For Johnny’s family, the fund is about more than remembering where he started. It is about giving other kids the opportunity to discover something of their own.
Mt. Ashwabay was where Johnny first discovered skiing. It was where he learned to race, built confidence and developed a passion that would eventually take him across the country and into a career teaching others.
Now, through the Johnny Eldred Ski Opportunity Fund, that opportunity can begin again for a new generation of young skiers, right here at home.
