Everest climber takes on a new mission: Luis Benitez tapped to lead state's outdoor recreation industry office.

• Author: Siebrase, Jamie
• Position: OUTDOOR INDUSTRIES REPORT

When Gov, John Hickenlooper carved out a spot for outdoor recreation under the Office of Economic Development and International Trade in 2015, Utah was the only other state with a similar governmental post.

"It sounds like one of those awesome dream jobs--and, frankly, it is," admits Luis Benitez, the director of the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, But don't let the outdoor czar's modesty fool you. His position stands to influence a massive--and growing--segment of our local economy.

In Colorado, outdoor recreation generates $35 billion in consumer spending annually. The industry accounted for 300,000 local jobs and paid out a whopping $4 billion in wages in 2014. While the Centennial State might be known for its slopes--we're ranked No. 1 in the nation for overnight ski visits --Benitez says, "Skiing represents only $5 billion in industry earnings." Beyond resorts, Colorado houses gear manufacturers, retailers and guides operating in a broad range of arenas, from hunting and fishing to biking, hiking, rafting and camping--even ATVing. "This isn't a part-time, seasonal thing," says Benitez.

And neither is his affinity for the great outdoors.

Benitez was "a really sick little kid," he says. His asthma was so bad he couldn't go outside regularly until he was 10 years old. But that didn't stop him from lending a hand at his grandpa's outdoor shop in St. Louis, where he stocked shelves after school.

Benitez's doctors encouraged him to swim indoors and spend time at altitude, too. His family started summering in South America--the elevation equivalent of living in Leadville --where Benitez stretched and strengthened his lungs hiking in the mountains. At 14, Benitez was healthy enough to climb 19,347-foot Cotopaxi in Ecuador, his father's homeland --and that was only the beginning. Benitez has made 32 successful attempts on the Seven Summits--six on Everest, He toured with Outward Bound before joining a New Zealand-based guide company in 2000, where he garnered a reputation as one of the most sought-after mountaineering guides in the world.

"For me, climbing has been a lifelong journey attached to health and wellness," says Benitez. The mountaineer's professional experience, though, is broader than that. Benitez has consulted for Vail Resorts, and when Gov. Hickenlooper called him, he was serving on town council in Eagle, working to expand the community's mountain bike trail system and develop a forthcoming white water park, among...