Alan was an alpine racer in high school and college and then continued an alpine coach, but took up cross country when alpine got too cold. He’s raced in cross-country marathons all over the world. He was cross country ski coach at the University of Utah and spent many years grooming at Mountain Dell near Salt Lake City. Eventually he retired and moved to the Methow Valley in Washington, where he is Nordic director of the Pacific Northwest division of US Ski and Snowboard and coordinates instruction for the Methow Valley Nordic club.