BERNARD (BERNIE) ROSOW 1981-2026
The following was published in the May 2, 2026 issue.
Even if you didn’t know him personally, you knew him by his skis.
Local legend Bernie Rosow gave the world the opportunity to see the Sierra through his eyes, in videos he shared of his skis pointed down unimaginable terrain. And for those lucky enough to catch him cheering on friends in line for Chair 23 at Mammoth Mountain or ripping down its steepest terrain, he was also a good spirit, a family man, and a friend to many.
Rosow passed away last Thursday while ascending Bloody Mountain, on his way to ski yet another classic line. He was 45, a husband, and a father to his eight-year-old son, Alexander, who was at the center of his life. Though the exact cause of death has not yet been confirmed, it is believed to have been a cardiac event.
“He was one of the best people I knew,” his cousin, Chris Simpson, told the Sheet. “True, passionate, loving, sweet, crazy smart and extremely talented. He was also a wonderful father.”
Born in Williamsville, Vermont, he began skiing at just two years old. His early years were a mix of cross-country, ski jumping, and alpine racing, but even then, it was clear he wasn’t destined for a conventional path. He preferred the woods, building jumps and finding his own lines.
After high school, he headed west, eventually landing in Alta, Utah, where skiing often took priority over steady employment.
“It kind of fell into my lap to be a ski bum,” he reflected in a 2020 video for ski company Black Crows.
In those early years, he took part in a few freeride and freestyle competitions with strong results, including a fourth-place finish at the Aspen Open. But he was short on money and unable to sustain the travel required to continue competing.
Two seasons after moving to Alta, he felt called to Mammoth in pursuit of the local park scene. He arrived in the early 2000s, sleeping on couches and even living in a tent before finding his footing as a snowcat operator. With time, that job became a career.
For more than 25 years, Rosow worked on Mammoth Mountain’s grooming crew, eventually becoming Grooming Supervisor. It was the perfect setup for someone like him, who had endless energy and long night shifts shaping the mountain, followed by early mornings chasing powder.
He once said the only powder day he missed was the day his son was born.
“He made things look too easy,” said Miles Clark, CEO and Founder of media outlet SnowBrains, in a social media post. “It was almost frustrating to watch him effortlessly rip down the mountain, absorb bumps, bash bad snow, soar off jumps, find impossible transitions, and wait for you at the bottom with a snicker and smile.”
Clark, who recalled Rosow racing ahead on climbs and disappearing out of follow-cam frames to hit unseen jumps, said the skier never let his ability turn into ego.
“He didn’t wear his accomplishments as a badge of honor,” he wrote. “It was natural to him. I would often ask him what it was like to be him and have lived through all these experiences, and it was like asking a fish ‘how’s the water’ and the fish responding ‘what’s water?’”
Through helmet-cam videos and social media, Rosow shared his perspective with a large and growing audience. Thousands followed along, watching him charge steep couloirs, float through powder, and disappear over blind rollovers.
At his time of death, Rosow had accumulated over 100,000 followers cumulatively across platforms.
When not skiing, he devoted his life to his wife and son. Those close to him remember a father who made every season an adventure, whether on skis, a skateboard, or in the backyard.
“Bernie was his son Alexander’s favorite person in the whole wide world,” wrote his wife Amber Feld in an email to the Sheet. “We are absolutely devastated and will forever live with Bernie in our spirit.”
A ski-down in honor of Bernie Rosow is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, and a celebration of life is planned for Saturday, June 13. Those wishing to share photos for his memorial may email them to chris@chrisrsimpson.com.
After publication, Rosow’s family submitted the following:
Bernard (Bernie) Rosow died the morning of April 23, 2026, while hiking up Bloody Mountain in Mammoth Lakes, CA. The death was due to a cardiac issue. He was with friends, including his long time colleague Christian Pondella, doing what he loved to do. Bernie was 45 years old.
Bernie grew up in Williamsville, VT, beside Baker Brook. From the earliest age he was rambunctious. Bernie learned to jump in a johnny jumper, and throughout his life he never let up. At age 2 he started skiing beside his loyal dog, Potato. By age seven Bernie was skiing in the Bill Koch League Nordic lollipop races. He was coached by Chris and Mary Osgood. They taught
him to ski in balance and in rhythm, and they gave Bernie a strong foundation to build on.
Outdoors, Bernie always felt alive and free. He was at his best traveling with his family, paddling at Stonington, hiking in the White Mountains with his Uncle John, learning tricks on his bike. He had a knack for building arches and pillars with rocks. He grew up in harmony with the outdoors in all seasons.
As a youth, Bernie would wake up early, grab his skis and snow shovel, head down to a neighbor’s hill, build jumps, and ski and jump till dark. In his teenage years he took up ski jumping and was coached and mentored by local legends Dana Zelenakas, Steve Squires, and Bernie Wells. They taught Bernie to fly. By the time Bernie left Vermont he had developed a natural grace and versatility on skis that was his lifelong trademark. Bernie was noticed by Jeff Winterton while skiing at Stratton Mountain. Jeff was known for encouraging skiers to pursue the sport. He encouraged Bernie to head to Utah. Over two years, Bernie worked for, and was sent walking from, almost all the lodges in Alta. On powder days he preferred skiing over work.
It is mysterious how fate and life interact. Bernie heard about Mammoth Mountain and he headed there to pursue his dreams, arriving and living out of his beat-up Subaru. As an infant, Bernie’s first two word utterance was, “big truck.” Mammoth Mountain hired Bernie as a snowcat operator and that was the magic portal to his future. Operating a snowcat allowed Bernie to ski all day, then work from late afternoon to midnight. He would catch a little sleep,
wake up in the dark filled with energy, and do it again and again, day after day, year after year.
This basic lifestyle continued for the next 24 years. During warmer months, Bernie would chase snow across the world traveling to South America, Japan, and Australia. At one point he skied for 36 months in a row. Everywhere he went, Bernie made friends and had adventures. Being a snowcat operator was his ticket to the life he loved.
It was during this time that he met Christian, who was in the early stages of his epic career as an outdoor sports photographer. Some of these early photographs appeared in magazines such as Powder Magazine.
Bernie always returned to his home base in Mammoth. He came to know every nook and cranny of Mammoth Mountain and took great pride in his work. He enjoyed waking early to be first up the mountain on trails he had groomed the night before. Skiing trails and park, Bernie refined his skills. However, his true love was exploring the Sierra Nevada Mountains, learning from trusted friends, and searching for new challenging lines to ski.
Over time, Bernie became a true mountain man. He introduced many of his peers to the high mountains and was respected not just for his skiing, but also for his knowledge and presence of mind in the mountains. He was often accompanied by Christian. Their partnership lasted decades. He also often headed out alone.
As he aged, Bernie never let up. He grew into a world class skier. He always felt he was getting better. Bernie skied with a passion and love for the sport that drew others to him. Bernie began to film his skiing adventures. He had a way with computers and technology. He taught himself to make and produce videos that he posted on social media. These postings gradually came to incorporate other aspects of his life including mountain biking,
skateboarding, off-track motorcycle rides that took him deep into the desert, and adventures with his son Alexander.
By the end of his life, Bernie had a large and devoted following. This led to increasing sponsorships allowing him greater freedom and opportunities across the world. In particular, Oakley and Black Crow supported Bernie for years. On the Black Crow site, the Groomer Episode provides a beautiful look into the life and soul of Bernie.
Bernie hated school and loved learning. He was autodidactic by nature and curious about the world far beyond skiing. He read constantly and broadly. He was confident in his ability to learn new and complex things including repairing his snowmobile, his truck, his computer. Skiing in Australia, he came upon a lost drone at a time when drones were new devices. He learned to
program and use it to scout out ski runs, to navigate new and steep terrain, and to film himself from above. He developed deep knowledge of meteorology, and could discuss weather patterns across the Sierras and around the world.
Bernie’s greatest accomplishment was being a dad. Bernie and his partner, Amber, raised their son in two worlds, one in LA where Amber lives and one in Mammoth. They figured out how to make this work, growing into an unconventional and loving family. Becoming a father helped Bernie grow into a deeper, kinder and more sensitive person. Bernie was commonly seen skiing
with his family at Mammoth. He loved to head out with Alex in his truck and visit skate parks, bike parks, hiking trails, and ski areas. He loved working with Alex on his truck. He took great pride in how his son grew to love the same things he did. Bernie was a little kid in an adult body.
Bernie was also a wonderful son, brother, uncle and friend. He could be direct and harsh. He always spoke his mind not behind your back but to your face. Beneath that, he was a teddy bear. He treated everyone he met with openness and kindness. He was generous in helping others enter his world. There was no pretense about Bernie. He had close friends with people from all walks of life. He always showed up for family and friends in need. He was the same
person to everyone, funny and compassionate. He loved bringing people into his world. He was an ambassador for Mammoth Mountain and a model for embracing life.
Bernie left behind his partner, Amber Feld, their eight-year-old son, Alexander, his mother, Barbara Lindsay Rosow, his brother, Daniel Rosow, his father, Bruce Rosow and stepmother Kate Conway, a host of other family members, and countless friends from around the world. He leaves behind a huge hole in the fabric of life. Bernie is deeply missed. Still, his spirit remains
with us, inspiring us to live each day to the fullest.
