Featured Speakers
The Will to Survive: Aron Ralston’s Shocking Tale of
Perseverance Against Hopeless Odds
The miraculous and inspirational story of Aron Ralston is right out of a Hollywood blockbuster – literally.
In 2003, Ralston was hiking alone in a narrow canyon in southern Utah, when he became pinned by a half-ton boulder,
trapped in the canyon alone for nearly a week with only meager supplies and no cell phone.
Surviving on his remaining water, his own urine, and two Oreo cookies, Ralston cheated death. He used a
small, dull pocketknife (it came free with the purchase of a flashlight) and personally amputated his arm to free
himself from the boulder. Ralston documented his harrowing and life-altering experience in his best-selling book
Between a Rock and a Hard Place, and now his story has been made into this year’s hit movie 127 Hours starring James
Franco and directed by Danny Boyle, who directed the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire. Ralston’s movie was nominated
this year for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay.
Even after his traumatic ordeal in the Utah desert, equipped with his new prosthetic arm, Ralston
skied the summit of Denali, North America’s highest mountain, and completed his goal of mountaineering –
solo, in the winter time – all 54 of Colorado’s 14,000-foot mountains. Named
GQ Magazine’s “Man of the Year” in 2003, Ralston’s uplifting story of
unbelievable courage underscores the human will to survive against hopeless odds, and the latent capacity within
all of us to overcome the unimaginable.
Ambassador for the Sport: Celebrating Shaun White’s
Legendary Snowboarding Career
Superlatives have yet to be coined that truly capture the athletic prowess and unparalleled dominance that
Shaun White has achieved as a professional snowboarder. Two-time Olympic Gold medalist in the halfpipe, the
highest Olympic score in men’s halfpipe, 5-time ESPY Award winner – not to mention record-setting medal hauls
in both the Winter X Games (11 total Gold medals) and the Winter Dew Tour (5 total Gold medals in superpipe and
slopestyle). The first (and only) athlete to win Gold medals in four straight years at the Winter X Game, Shaun’s
amazing arsenal of new tricks in the pipe has pushed the progression of snowboarding to new heights – both
figuratively and literally – motivating an entire generation to embrace snowboarding and terrain parks.
Shaun’s impact on the snowsports industry is incalculable. From the mountain resorts in
Southern California where he grew up to his Red Bull-sponsored 22-foot personal halfpipe at
Silverton Mountain, Shaun’s influence in driving youth to snowsports is unprecedented. For
both his legendary athletic achievements and the tremendous exposure White has raised for
the sport of snowboarding, NSAA honors Shaun with our
Industry Impact Award.
Todd Buchholz, New Realities in the Post-Recession American Economy
The former director of economic policy in George Bush’s White House, Todd Buchholz is a Harvard-trained
economist and an expert in finance and business strategy. Buchholz is a frequent commentator on the U.S. and
global economy for the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, ABC News, CBS, CNBC, and Forbes, as well as a
contributing editor to Worth magazine, where he writes the “Global Markets” column. A prolific author, Buchholz
has written several best-selling books focusing on the economy and business management, including New Ideas from
Dead CEOs, From Here to Economy, and Market Shock: 9 Economic and Social Upheavals that will Shake our Financial
Future. A fellow at Cambridge University in England and the recipient of the Allyn Young Teaching Prize at Harvard
University, Buchholz “lights up economics with a wickedly sparkling wit” according
to the Associated Press. And he certainly knows his way around balance sheet — Buchholz is the managing
director of the $15 billion Tiger hedge fund. In addition to all his accomplishments,
Buchholz is the co-producer of the Broadway smash hit Jersey Boys.
Buchholz will decipher the riddle of the evolving new American economy, placing in context the good news — rising stock markets,
business profits, and consumer confidence — with less hopeful news —
persistent unemployment and a stagnant housing sector. As we emerge from the Great Recession, is America facing
harsh new realities? Is there now a permanently reduced American middle class, and what does it mean for disposal
income? Will the burgeoning national debt, health care costs, and the loss of manufacturing jobs fundamentally
alter the economic landscape and business climate? Still, Buchholz is increasingly optimistic and bullish on our
economic prospects. And we’ll carve out time for a robust Q&A from our audience.
Dr. Tyler Cowen, Challenges Facing the American Economy
Dr. Tyler Cowen is a Harvard-trained economics professor at George Mason University famed
for his unique, fascinating ways of applying economic thinking to nontraditional subjects –
everything from free parking, business meetings, dating websites, culture, even dentistry.
A prolific author, his current book, The Great Stagnation, was called “the most debated
nonfiction book so far this year” by The New York Times. With a rapidly growing reputation,
The Economist magazine named him as one of the most influential economists in the last decade,
while The Wall Street Journal recently characterized Dr. Cowen as “this decade’s Thomas Friedman”
for his influential ability to frame the national dialogue. Dr. Cowen writes the libertarian-leaning
“Economic Scene” column for The New York Times.
