Industry News
The last time we checked in with Thomas Hart, aka “Racer Tom,” was two months ago when he was on the cusp of breaking his own world record for vertical feet skied in a season. This was from the 2023-24 season when he logged 8,513,340 vertical feet. He also predicted that he would go over 10 million by the end of the season.
“I felt like I left some on the table last year,” Hart told SnowBrains in April when asked why he wanted to do it again after setting the record last year. “I have big vertical in my blood.”
Now the retired real estate broker from North Ogden, Utah, hasn’t just broken his own record—he destroyed it. So far in the 2024-25 season, Hart has logged a jaw-dropping 11,419,961 vertical feet, skiing nearly every day from fall to summer.
“It’s like this awesome dream that hasn’t ended,” Hart told Deseret News shortly after wrapping up his season at Mammoth Mountain in California. “It just feels fantastic. It’s a number that I didn’t think was possible, but anything is possible. I’m living proof that encouragement by other people really works.”
This season, he was determined not to hold anything back and he didn’t. By late spring, he had already crossed the 10 million mark. By the time Mammoth shut down operations on June 15, Hart had tallied over 6,100 lift rides and 208 ski days, with only three missed days all season.
His motivation has been a pure love for the sport. “People act like I’m not having fun,” he said, “but it couldn’t be further from reality…it’s just so much fun.”
A typical day for Racer Tom starts early, often before 4 a.m. He packs two hard-boiled eggs and a peanut butter and honey sandwich, hits the mountain for first chair, and skis all day with minimal breaks. At Mammoth, he averaged about 60 runs a day and waxed his skis nearly every night.
When Snowbasin, his home resort, closed in April, Hart headed to Mammoth, one of the last resorts open in North America. His story has resonated far beyond the Wasatch and Sierra. Ikon Pass and Mammoth Mountain celebrated his milestone with social media shoutouts, drawing thousands of likes and hundreds of comments. Despite some skeptics, Hart says the experience has been nothing but joyful and inspiring.
And he might not be done yet. With the Southern Hemisphere ski season just getting underway, Hart and his new “Mammoth family” are already tossing around the idea of heading to Chile in August to keep the turns going. Whether he goes or not, his story, and the sheer volume of vertical, will leave a mark.
To put it in perspective, 11.4 million vertical feet is the equivalent of skiing down Mount Everest 393 times or stacking over 6,400 World Trade Centers end to end. It’s a staggering feat of endurance, commitment, and pure love for the mountain.
Hart’s record-shattering season isn’t just about numbers, it’s about passion, discipline, and the joy of chasing something big simply because you love it. His achievement stands out as a reminder that drive and dedication don’t come with an expiration date. Whether or not he ends up skiing in Chile this summer, he’s already carved out a legacy that will inspire skiers for years to come
