Snowboarding pioneer and former Soldier Mountain GM Paul Alden passes away at 89
OREM, Utah (KIFI) — The snowboarding world is mourning the loss of Paul Alden, one of the behind-the-scenes architects of competitive snowboarding and former General Manager of Idaho’s Soldier Mountain Ski Area.
Alden passed away peacefully on April 9, 2026, in Orem, Utah, surrounded by his family. He was 89.
Soldier Mountain leadership said in a news release: "Snowboarding has lost several of its earliest pioneers in recent years -- among them Jake Burton in 2019 and Tom Sims in 2012. Paul Alden's death adds another name to that list -- one of the people who were present at the creation, who made the calls, attended the meetings, and did the structural work that turned a fringe hobby into an Olympic sport."
A Catalyst for the Industry
Alden’s journey into snowboarding began through his son, David Alden, a Burton Snowboards team rider in the 1980s. Paul worked closely with Jake Burton from 1984 to 1990, serving as a vital "catalyst for all things in the snowboard industry."
One of his earliest and most impactful contributions was his work with Jake Burton to convince insurance companies to cover snowboarding. This moved the sport from 40 resorts in 1984 to 476 resorts in 1990, providing the legal and financial footing for the industry to explode.
In 1986, Alden was part of the effort to convince Breckenridge Ski Resort to host the World Snowboarding Championships and accept the halfpipe as a legitimate competition format.
In 1987, Alden headed up the North American Snowboard Association the day after the second Breckenridge World Championships. The organization eventually partnered with European counterparts to create the first unified international World Cup circuit.
Finally, in 1992, Alden worked behind the scenes on merger negotiations between snowboarding associations and the U.S. Ski Association in an attempt to bring snowboarding under the established Olympic sports umbrella.
"Back then, I thought he was wasting his time," his son David recalls. "Little did I know."
Though those negotiations ultimately failed, his efforts laid the groundwork in the long process that led to snowboarding’s Olympic debut in 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Snowboarding has been included in every Games since.
A Legacy at Soldier Mountain
In his later years, Alden brought his expertise to Fairfield, Idaho, serving as the General Manager of Soldier Mountain.
"He took great pride in working with a close-knit collaboration of owners, management, and staff that included his son David and grandson Dan Larkin, along with a group of longtime friends and colleagues," states the release.
Paul Alden is survived by his wife of 66 years, Sharon; five children; 25 grandchildren; and 37 great-grandchildren.
A viewing will be held on Friday, April 17, from 6-8 p.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse at 135 East 2000 South in Orem, Utah. Funeral services will follow Saturday, April 18, with a viewing before the 11 a.m. services from 10-10:45 a.m. Afterwards, Alden will be laid to rest in the Alpine City Cemetery.
