Jim McConkey's role as a highly respected alpine skier, ski instructor, and entrepreneur began in early childhood, in Barrie, Ontario, where he was born only eight years after the end of World War I. After dropping out of high school and being deployed to northern Saskatchewan with the Hudson's Bay Company, Jim found his true calling in the world of alpine ski instruction. A pioneer extreme skier in his own right, and the father-and teacher-of internationally renowned extreme skier Shane McConkey, Jim worked with some of the most prominent personalities in the world of downhill skiing in the western United States. He later became a significant figure in the establishment of Whistler, BC, as a major ski destination, and was elected to the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame. Every Day is a Bonus is the story of one man's life spent joyfully pursuing his passions, told in his words and the words of close ski industry associates.