The Two Cohens: Pro Skier Sam and his Photographing Father Lee

Like most ski bums, legendary photographer Lee Cohen was only planning on skiing at Alta, Utah, for one season. Forty years later, he’s still there, shooting skiers in the Wasatch. Since his first image was published in the late ’80s in Powder, he continues to be one of the top shooters in the game. One of his favorite subjects is his son, Sam, himself a professional freeskier. It hasn’t always been easy for either of them: Sam admits he had to ski hard to get beyond the old man’s shadow. While their vocation is different, the canvas on which they ply that craft is the same. And they’re tight. If you didn’t know any better, they sound more like brothers than father and son.

This episode of the Backcountry Podcast is sponsored by 10 Barrel Brewing Co. It’s also possible thanks to support from our listeners—if you like what you hear and would like to hear more, please make a contribution.