By Carol Britton Meyer

Northeast Surfing founder Ronnie Lees, who was seriously injured in an accident while skiing the back-country in the Utah mountains on Feb. 20, is the embodiment of the well-known saying “You can’t keep a good man down.”

RONNIE LEES OF NORTHEAST SURFING FACES A LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY AFTER BREAKING BOTH HIS LEGS IN A SKIING ACCIDENT IN UTAH. [COURTESY PHOTO]

While skiing at 10,200 feet with his daughter Emma and other experienced skiers, high winds and fog rolled in suddenly, obscuring their view.

After the group tried unsuccessfully to head back down and get underneath the fog and winds, Emma managed to ski to safety, but Lees suffered a bout of vertigo as he was trying to slow down and was blown off the trail, sustaining severe injuries to his lower body, including two broken legs and a broken kneecap.

The decision was made to take Lees down the mountain by sled because it was too foggy for a helicopter rescue.

Lees was rushed to a Salt Lake City hospital, where he underwent two successful operations. Now he and his family are trying to find a way to install a ramp, bring him home to Hull, and get him into the house while also tracking expenses and paying insurance deductibles.

“We’re working on the transportation part now,” he told The Hull Times.

“I’m grateful to be alive,” said Lees, who has been skiing roughly 60 days per season for 40 years. “It was a close call.”

His cousin, Chris Lees, with whom he has shared many adventures and is like a brother to him, remained by his side during the first several days, which were the toughest.

“When I thought I was losing hope, he would be sitting on the couch in my room, silhouetted against the beautiful sunny view of a mountain range through the window, and just knowing he was there got me through another day,” Lees said. “He is a big skier, too, and worked on YouTube skiing videos of New Hampshire and Maine in 1998, which started off the film production part of Northeast Surfing.”

In addition to the physical injuries, which portend a long road to recovery, the accident is also causing emotional strain on Lees and his family.

Lees, who is known as a lover of extreme sports, has received “thousands of messages from the surf and ski communities” wishing him well in his recovery, his son, Matt, told The Hull Times.

HULL’S RONNIE LEES IS KNOWN AS A SURF INSTRUCTOR AROUND HERE, BUT IS ALSO WELL-KNOWN AS AN ACCOMPLISHED SKIIER. [Courtesy photo]

An avid surfer and skier who is well-known in both the ski and surf sports industries worldwide, Lees has been in the news over the years.

Off-season, once summer activities wrap up, Lees usually travels far and wide, skiing different resorts in Utah and other locations. Another facet of the business is filming ski resorts all over the country for TikTok.

“It’s a big profit-maker, because we get millions of views,” he said. “Emma is an expert skier who is well-known on TikTok.”

The business has operated in Hull since 2001 and has given back to the community in many ways, from sponsoring sports teams to donating to various causes in the community. Lees even operated an ice cream shop at one point.

“In 2013, my father filmed a television show episode for the Lifetime network promoting our beautiful town,” Matt said.

“I’ve given my life savings and my heart to the Town of Hull, and now the community is giving back to me through a show of support following my accident,” Lees said. “While I battle my injuries, I’m feeling the love I’ve given to the town returned.”

One Hull resident, who has never met Lees but has seen him around town and, along with her kids, follows his adventures online and enjoys the Northeast Surfing production company’s videos even though they don’t surf or ski, sent him an email message when she heard of his injuries, saying she was thinking of him and all the things he has down for the town and that he is loved.

“It was pretty amazing,” Lees said.

Lees has been advised by his medical team not to walk for the next three months, and will undergo physical therapy.

Despite recent challenges, Northeast Surfing’s popular surf camps at Nantasket Beach will be offered as usual this summer. The available spots, mainly filled by Hingham and Cohasset residents and a few Hull kids, are already nearly 80 percent sold out.

Lees’ daughter Hannah will run the camp as usual, while Lees – who expects to be fully walking again by that time following two months on crutches – will be on the beach every day as camp director.

“I will be forgoing my salary this summer to allow us to create more instructor jobs,” he said. “It’s important to have enough staff on the beach so our customers get the very best we have to offer, even though I will still be on the mend.”

Matt will also be involved three days a week as a lifeguard.

“We hire surf instructors from Hull, Cohasset, and Hingham,” he explained.

In addition to offering the surf camp, Northeast Surfing rents bikes, paddleboards, and surfboards and offers online surf education, surf sports information, 24/7 surf cams so people all over the world can see conditions at Nantasket Beach in real time.

“This helps promote our local businesses by giving viewers a glimpse of our beautiful beaches to people all over the world,” Matt said.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Lees with his medical bills. For information and to make a donation, visit https://tinyurl.com/2p895kvp.