Skip Rapp - Fighter pilot, marketing exec

Skip Rapp died unexpectedly on January 28, in Boulder, Colorado, of complications after multiple surgeries for knee and gall bladder issues. He was 87 years old.

Born in Schenectady, New York, Rapp attended Nott Terrace High School and won a track scholarship to Princeton University. He majored in political science and joined ROTC. On graduation in 1959 he joined the Marine Corps and became an A4 Skyhawk ground-attack fighter pilot, rising to the rank of captain. While in the reserves he took an MBA in marketing at Stanford University, and in 1965 joined TWA.

Two years later Rapp moved to Boulder and landed at the start-up Hanson boot factory. That led, in 1980, to two years at San Marco boots, and then Sport Obermeyer, and Skyr, in Boston. In 1984 he returned to Boulder, where he met his wife, Mari Madeira, and in 1985 founded the innovative technical skiwear company Hard Corps.

Rapp served on the board of the nonprofit Leave No Trace. He was an avid cyclist and rode every Saturday for 40 years with the Gut Grinders club. They toured in Italy, Spain, France and around the southwestern United States. He is survived by his wife Mari Madeira Rapp, daughter Alexandra Rapp, son Adam Rapp, stepson Ashton Fitchtl, sister Judy Jellinek, and dozens of ski industry friends and admirers.