The perfect book for any skier or snowboarder out there, The Man Behind the Maps features over 200 ski resort trail maps hand-painted by one legendary artist, this beautiful 292-page hardcover coffee table book is the first and definitive compilation of the art created by James Niehues during his 30-year career.
The Man Behind the Maps Book
If you are a skier or snowboarder, there is a good chance James Niehues has been your mountain guide. Throughout his 30 year career he has worked at the smallest hills and the most expansive resorts in North America. He has left his mark in South America, Australia, Asia and Europe too. And even if you have never shared a bottomless powder day with him, he has always been close by. Maybe even in your pocket.
Jim has extensively researched, photographed and illustrated nearly every ski map used in North America over the last three decades. Nearly 200 in total! It is because of Jim that trail maps from Aspen to Whistler have the same look and feel. Ski Magazine regularly ranks the Top 50 resorts in North America. Jim has hand painted 45 of them. His tools of choice are a camera, a notepad, a paintbrush and a canvas. Every painstaking detail – peaks, cliffs, trees and shadows – is painted by hand. Jim’s large and beautiful paintings have helped generations of skiers navigate and capture the unique character of each mountain. He has had more impact on the image and feel of skiing than almost anyone, yet few people know his name.
This project is a celebration of Jim’s life work and his contribution to the ski industry featuring some of the greatest mountain terrain in the world. His work, built on the foundation of artists that came before him, provides the connective tissue that links together millions of ski memories over the last three decades.
Learn more at jamesniehues.com or buy online at Amazon.com
Behind the Book
Check out the video below from Open Road Ski Company to hear more from Niehues himself.
