28 | JULY 6 • 2023 

S

ol and Eli Cogan are 
big mountain skiers.
They embrace 
extreme skiing on off-piste 
terrain, meaning terrain that 
has not been prepared for 
skiing.
“Typically, that means 
starting at the top of a 
mountain, and enduring 
slopes with more than a 
45-degree pitch that include 
cliffs, crevasses and other 
natural conditions that 
most people would find 
treacherous,” Sol said.
“It’s the way nature 
created the run. The great 
frontier. Out of bounds. Back 
country.”
Sol and his son Eli have 
gone snowcat and heli-skiing 
(skiers take a snowcat that’s 
normally used to groom ski 
runs or a helicopter instead 
of a ski lift to the top of a 
mountain) and conquered 
Corbet’s Couloir at the 
Jackson Hole Mountain 
Resort in Wyoming.
Corbet’s Couloir has been 
called “America’s scariest 
ski slope.” One reason is the 
entrance. It’s a steep, narrow 
chute that drops nearly 30 
feet straight down.
Sol and Eli were at the top 
of Corbet’s Couloir a few 
months ago. They watched 
several skiers decide not to 
tackle the slope and leave. 
Other skiers just watched 
those fearless enough to take 
the plunge.
Eli decided to try it.
“I didn’t have any 
alternative but to follow,” 
Sol said. “It was a rush of a 
lifetime for both of us and 

the best part is Eli skied it 
better than I did.
“We’ve had an incredible 
season. I crossed three things 
off my bucket list: snowcat 
and heli-skiing and Corbet’s. 
And I did all that with my 
9-year-old son. What could 
be more special than that?”
Whoa! His 9-year-old 
son? Yep. Young Eli is a big 
mountain skier who recently 
finished third grade at Lone 
Pine Elementary School in 
West Bloomfield Township.
“I couldn’t be prouder of 
Eli,” Sol said. “I’ve been an 
avid skier most of my life. Eli 
has pushed me beyond what 
I thought were my limits. 
He’s smart beyond his years. 
He’s an old soul.”
“Old? I’m not old,” Eli said 
incredulously after hearing 
what his father said about 
him.
Sol quickly explained that 
being called an old soul is a 
compliment. By definition, it 
refers to a young person who 
demonstrates a maturity, 
understanding or seriousness 
typical of someone much 
older.
Armed with that 
knowledge, Eli resumed 
being interviewed and said 
he loves skiing because 
there’s always something new 
to do.
Eli has done a lot on the 
slopes for someone whose 
age hasn’t hit double digits.
He began skiing just after 
he could walk. He’s already 
accomplished what many 
adult skiers normally do, he’s 
been a regular visitor to the 
slopes in Park City, Utah, 

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Ski Do

Meet 9-year-old Eli Cogan, 
who conquered ‘America’s 
scariest ski slope.’

SPORTS
ON THE COVER

Eli Cogan soars 
during a ski 
camp on Mt. 
Hood in Oregon.

SOL COGAN

