Stephen Koch

Snowboarding on all Seven Summits

Categories: Adventure, Leadership, Motivational, Sports

Stephen Koch is a professional speaker, climber, snowboarder and mountain guide and is a pioneer in the field of Snowboard Mountaineering, a term he coined. His list of alpine ascents and descents include some of the most notable firsts anywhere in the world, most of which have never been repeated. He is the first person to snowboard all the major Teton Peaks in Wyoming, and the first and only person to snowboard on all Seven Summits, the highest peak on each continent.

Stephen shares the lessons he learned from life on the edge, with stunning photography and video, where he spent over 20 years climbing and snowboarding unprecedented new routes in the world’s great ranges.

Stephen was nominated for the Piolet d’ Or Climbing Award in 2002 and won the Hospitality Hero Award in 1993 for his single handed rescue of 7 year old girl from a cold and raging creek in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.

How To Survive (2,000 foot avalanche)

Dealing with Fear (acknowledgement of it and then break it down without getting overwhelmed by it…fear is usually beneficial)

Overcoming Adversity

Leadership (from micro-managing to leading)

Teamwork (putting the team before the individual for collective success – pretty key when you are roped up to your team mates)

Effective Communication

Trust (your own voice and others) and

Accomplish Your BHAG

Koch’s speaking engagements and seminars enable people to feel the fear, motivation, and inspiration involved in risk management when one’s life is at stake. This perspective translates into a clearer understanding and appreciation of risk and a new found dedication to risk management in the work environment.

Stephen loves spending time in the mountains with his sons, skiing, snowboarding, camping and fishing.

Stephen Koch’s speech was excellent, right on target and right on message. He completely motivated our team. Stephen’s message was relevant to what we’re trying to do as a company and as a team. I think that his experience in the adventuring world is perfect and very relevant to our experience in the business world.

Robert Grosz, Vice President, Dish Network

I am always looking for inspiring men to surround myself with who will push me to levels of success I never thought possible. Stephen is one of those guys for me. His training techniques have helped me to better tackle challenges not only as a climber, but more importantly as a leader of men. His practical principles on dealing with fear are powerful principles I use in my everyday life.

Holt Condren, CEO and Founder, Ink Custom Tees & TrailblazeNow

Thank you for coming to speak at the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. You connected your professional experience in climbing, snowboarding and mountaineering with the world of music in simple and clear analogies. Training, impeccable preparation and total commitment, as well as the ability of the performer to trust their training at the time of the performance, are familiar themes to both professions. I have used your analogies many times since your presentation in my own teaching, practice and performances. You connected and inspired the students with your energy and candor, giving them practical tools and advice with which to successfully approach and attain their goals. You are the ideal speaker for schools who value the potential of their students for success and achievement. I look forward to having you speak again to the students at Northwestern University.

Gail Williams, Professor of Horn, Northwestern University

Thank you for your speech at ENSM (French National School of Mountain Sports) in Chamonix, France. Everyone very much appreciated the opportunity to listen to you as you shared your experiences. The interns training for ski and alpinism guiding and instructing, the school Director Bruno Bethune and I all loved your presentation. It characterized your extreme engagement and your determination despite difficult events, all the while knowing when to stop and not exceed unmistakable limits. The whole hall applauded and cheered, as they greatly benefited from the knowledge and wisdom of the outstanding adventures that you have lived through. Your stories will serve them well as they become professional guides, athletes and mountaineers.

Anselme Baud, Legend and Pioneer of Extreme Skiing, ENSA Instructor, Mountain Guide and Author

I would like to tell you that lot of people told me this morning, that they really appreciated your show and they were very interested in your experience. All of them thought that you have big quality to transmit the facts. For me, I want to thank you for this event. It was a great pleasure to meet you, you know…sometimes you meet people who gives you energy and others who takes your energy. Obviously, you are in the first one and I appreciated to meet someone who decides, who is modest but who realizes some great things. I sincerely was lucky to meet you.

Isabelle Eynaudi, Chef de mission communication, partenaraits and relations internationales, Ecole National des Sports du Montagne (French National Mountain Guiding and Ski/Snowboard Instructor School), Chamonix, FRANCE

As a producer of corporate events for over 15 years, I have worked with many inspirational speakers. I found Stephen Koch’s message to be one of the more unique and compelling. Stephen’s story is a perfect metaphor for the challenges facing modern corporate America, especially in today’s current economy. His presentation is equally entertaining and his willingness to share professional and life skills “on the mountain” with clients sets him apart from most speakers.

Chris Carleson, President, Carleson Production Group

Stephen Koch was our special guest for a client appreciation event held on November 11, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. His presentation combined spectacular film and photography with stories and anecdotes that brought to life storied mountain locales from around the world. Stephen captivated the audience with his humility and humor for one so renowned as a world class mountaineer. We’ve never hosted a client appreciation event with so many unsolicited compliments received the day after.

John D. Richards, Managing Director-Investments, Wells Fargo Advisors

At Pepsi-QTG Canada we asked Stephen to come in and get our employees ready to ‘climb’ our mountain of being the top Consumer Packaged Goods company in Canada. Stephen did an incredible job sharing his experiences and translating that into what it takes to ready yourself for any challenge. Our employees just loved hearing Stephen talk.

Pepsi-QTG Canada

Not only is Stephen an amazing mountaineer, he challenges traditional thought and provides a new paradigm of accomplishing the impossible.

Jack Tackle, World Class Mountaineer