Legendary Taos Ski Valley Instructor Bernard “Dadou” Mayer has sadly passed away, according to Taos News. He was 82 years old.
Dadou is the brother of Jean Mayer who built the iconic Hotel St. Bernard that sits slope side at the Taos base. The brothers left the French Alps in 1958 for jobs at the rapidly-growing Taos Ski Valley.
Coincidentally, we posted an article yesterday about how Taos Ski Valley has purchased the St. Bernard, and their plans to demolish and reconstruct a new hotel in Jean Mayer’s honor. You can read that here.
Jean passed away in October of 2020.
Dadou Mayer was equally important to the history of Taos Ski Valley in his own right. He was an instrumental member of the Taos Ski Instructor team for decades, and owned the original Hotel Edelweiss. Dadou was inducted into the New Mexico Ski Hall of Fame in 2016 for his impact on Taos Ski Valley.
Need further proof that the Frenchman could rip? Just check out this clip of him still teaching how to ski bumps at the spry age of 75.
RIP to Dadou. Our thoughts and condolences are with his family, friends, and everybody at Taos Ski Valley.
Featured Image Credit: International Skiing History Association