William Mathews Brooks: Commander of Land and Sea

What do the American Mountain Guides Association, Ski Guide Cards, aviation world records and a 6 meter yawl named Dorade have in common? William Mathews Brooks. Born in 1951, Brooks is an aviator, sailor and owner of Brooks-Range, a mountaineering company which manufactures products for outdoorsmen and guides.

In the 1990s, Brooks was preparing to take the Certified Ski Guide exam. While he was gathering the needed equipment, he determined that the current selection was inadequate. So, he began designing equipment which would be better suited for guides in challenging terrain. One of his first creations was an Emergency Ski Sled. However it was the popularity of a set of Ski Guide Cards that prompted him to launch Brooks-Range in 1995. The company sells products such as jackets, clothing, tents and other equipment a guide would need.

In both 2005 and 2006, William Mathews Brooks set distance and speed records in aviation. He is the holder of several aviation pilot licenses, the first of which he received at the age of 13. He is also an experienced sailor, and currently owns Lucie, a 6 meter yawl which has won several world cups with Brooks as her captain, and Dorade, which Brooks is currently sailing in an attempt to recapture the titles boat won in her heyday.

When Brooks isn’t flying by or sailing past mountains, he’s climbing them. William Matthews Brooks has been a ski and mountain guide for over 30 years and sits on the President’s Council of the American Mountain Guides Association. He is also a recent recipient of the 2012 AMGA Lifetime Achievement in Mountain Guiding award.