BOULDER, Colo. — An extreme skier who's won numerous X Games medals and been dubbed by ESPN "the most influential skier of his generation" pleaded guilty to possession of paraphernalia Thursday in Boulder County Court after police ticketed him for marijuana in December.
Tanner Hall, 25, of Kalispell, Mont., was caught performing "extreme ski stunts" with a group of people outside New Vista High School, 700 20th St. in Boulder, about 1:45 a.m. Dec. 11. When police approached the crowd in the parking lot, they reported smelling marijuana and asking who had the pot, according to Boulder police spokeswoman Sarah Huntley.
Hall stepped up and said he had it, Huntley said.
As part of Hall's plea agreement Thursday, he was given six months of unsupervised probation on a deferred sentence, said Carolyn French, a spokeswoman with the Boulder County District Attorney's Office. That means if he stays out of trouble for six months, the violation will be cleared from his record.
Hall, who couldn't be reached for comment, also must complete 16 hours of community service and pay court costs, French said.
His mother, Darla Hall, has told the Camera that she supports her son, calling him a "great kid" who's "done loads for the sport."
Hall has won at least seven gold medals at the Winter X Games, and he's starred in numerous ski films. In September, Hall held the world premier of his movie, "The Massive," at Boulder's Fox Theatre, and he starred in the 2007 Warren Miller film, "The Playground."
When Hall was ticketed in Boulder, his mother said, he was filming a movie with former professional mogul skier Johnny Decesare and Poor Boyz Productions. Police said people were using hand rails to perform ski stunts.
Darla Hall said in December that her son "has a lifestyle that's not everyone's lifestyle, but I back Tanner 199 percent."
"He's not the only athlete out there that smokes marijuana," she said. "They all do it."
