Morrie Shepard

Shepard grew up in Maine where he was a friend of Pete Seibert. The two boys skied together from age 7. During World War II, Morrie was a Navy pilot and after the war he joined Pete in Colorado where the two became members of the Aspen Ski Patrol. After that first winter, he moved to the ski school and eventually became Assistant Ski School Director to Fred Iselin and Freidl Pfeifer. From 1956 -1960 he was an examiner for the Rocky Mountain Ski Instructors Association and became Chief Examiner during the 1960-1965 period. Morrie left Aspen to join Pete Seibert as he built and launched Vail. He helped lay out the trail system and got deeply involved in the gondola construction and other mountain projects.

In the fall of 1962 he assumed his duties as Vail's first Ski School Director and held that position until 1965 when he became National Sales Manager of Bob Lange's new startup boot company. Not long after that, Morrie oversaw the construction of the Lange Company complex in Boulder. With Lange Boots a worldwide racing success, Morrie Shepard became Vice President of the company until it was purchased by Garcia in 1973.