Downdays Magazine, Winter 2018 (EN) by Downdays Magazine

FREESKI CU LTURE

WINTER 2018

TRAVELING CIRCUS: A DECADE ON THE ROAD ABRUZZO: EUROPEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SECRET FREERIDE STASH THE BUNCH: LOVE IS IN THE A IR

SAM ANTHAMATTEN

Photos: Clayton Boyd, Tero Repo

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Louis GARNIER Skier

Julien LANGE

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A GUIDE TO EDITORIAL SKI-CHÉS THE COMMENT-ON-THE-TIMES EDITORIAL In crazy times like these, we need skiing more than ever. While the news media bombards us with daily reports of mankind’s impending doom, these few pages dedicated to the simple love of skiing remind us that blissful ignorance of civilization’s downfall is just a few powder turns away.

THE TIE-ALL-THE-CONTENT-TOGETHER-CLEVERLY EDITORIAL Freeskiing is all about gatherings, destinations, crews, stories and above all, people. People chasing their passions, like Sam Anthamatten (p. 16) and Lisa Zimmermann (p. 92). People who tell stories, like Michelle Parker (p. 46), and join up in crews, like the Traveling Circus (p. 52) and The Bunch (p. 70). People and crews who tell stories about destinations like Abruzzo (p. 62), Riksgränsen (p. 84) or Loser (p. 88), and about going to gatherings like Back on Track (p. 82). See how they’re all interconnected? Almost like we planned it that way. THE VARIETY-OF-THE-SPORT EDITORIAL What is freeskiing? It is a cornucopia of disciplines, bonded together by the love of creative expression on skis—it’s everyone but punters and racers, pretty much. Though the bonds holding it all together may at times seem distant or even completely fabricated— what the hell does BC touring have to do with halfpipe skiing, anyway?—they, like, definitely totally exist. We all are bound together by the love of sliding on snow. The love, man, the love.

THE VALUE-OF-PRINT EDITORIAL With the net-waves cluttered up with those kids and their darn Snapsnatch these days, it’s good to sit back, relax, and take your mind off it all with some good old-fashioned ink on paper. Feel that authentic grain under your fingertips, enjoy the rustle of the pages and the finely curated stories within them. You spend enough time already swiping your device—time to get back to the basics. THE IMMERSIVE-FIRST-PERSON-STORYTELLING EDITORIAL As soon as I click into my bindings, I feel the sweet lure of gravity calling, and let it take me. Seconds later, I’m cannonballing out of control down a steep, icy mogul field, my limbs flailing about wildly. I feel the crisp mountain air nipping at my cheeks, and the sudden rush of adrenaline as I am launched off of a cat-track into a catastrophic yard sale. Yep, it feels just as good as the first time. THE BRAI NY-BUT-STILL-INCORPORATING-SCATOLOGICAL-HUMOR EDITORIAL Have you ever heard of the enteric nervous system? It’s your gut’s own nerve center, and it’s one of the reasons why, in moments of extreme anxiety, such as might be induced by attempting to perform any of the activities on display in this magazine, you get so scared that you literally shit your pants. Advance with caution. THE PERSONAL-CONFESSION EDITORIAL I blame it all on Jonny Moseley. There I was, 14-year-old me, in the prime of my youth, my whole life before me. Then he had to go and grab mute on national television, and now almost two decades later here I am, writing this list of ski magazine editorial clichés.

THE KEEP-IT-REAL EDITORIAL It’s a ski mag. We made it, we like it. Hope you enjoy it too.

CMJ

SCOTT-SPORTS.COM Â© SCOTT SPORTS SA 2017.18 | Photo: Pally Learmond

INTERVIEW: SAM ANTHAMATTEN

FRESHIES: GALAAXY, SNOWBUDDIES.CH

GALLERY

DETAIL: BARRYVOX, PRO TREK

Q&A: TOM RITSCH VS TOM GRANIER

GEAR: MEN’S & WOMEN’S KITS

MEDIA: SEEKING NIRVANA

THOUGHT: LONGEVITY OF A SKI CAREER

CREATIVE: NICO VUIGNIER

LINE TRAVELING CIRCUS

A DECADE OF “KEEPING SHIT CRAZY REAL”

ABRUZZO

OFF THE BEATEN PATH IN EUROPE’S UNDISCOVERED POWDER STASH

THE BUNCH

LOVE IS IN THE AIR TONIGHT

SPRAY: THE CARVE

EVENT: BACK ON TRACK

DESTINATION: RIKSGRÄNSEN

STASH: LOSER

SCENE: THE POWER OF ONE

PORTRAIT: LISA ZIMMERMANN

VIBES: KIMBOSESSIONS

APRÈS: FAKE FRESHIES

CONTENT

CONTRIBUTORS

Alric LJUNGHAGER

Neil WILLIMAN Whether it’s playing board games, refining his disc golf game or skiing— whenever Neil Williman find something that he enjoys, he’s going to obsess about it. An ex-Freeride World Tour competitor and native New Zealander who spends much of his time in and around Innsbruck, Neil still enjoys delving into the occasional freeride contest. In this issue he shares his recently-discovered new favorite event with us: the under-the-radar free-touring event known as Back on Track in Austria’s Montafon region.

The unofficial official photographer of the influential Swedish ski crew The Bunch, Alric Lunghager’s vibrant, idiosyncratic images provide an answer to the challenge of documenting this group’s unique take on skiing. From Kashmir to Canada Alric has accompanied The Bunch on their various exploits, transmitting the crew’s aesthetic in photographic form to an appreciative international audience. His photos form the backbone of this issue’s somewhat unconventional feature on a very unconventional group of skiers.

Ilanna BARKUSKY

Bene HÖFLINGER As co-founder of Innsbruck’s legendary Freeski Crew, Bene Höflinger is no stranger to crazy adventures, usually involving camper vans. Whether ascending 6000-meter-plus volcanoes in Ecuador or chasing Japanese powder, for Bene the mountains are his home—a place to push his physical and mental limits, but also a source of peace and inspiration. Last season saw him undertake yet another camper-van excursion with a few Innsbruck mates to one of Europe’s lesser-known ski destinations: the Abruzzo region in Italy. Their report on this unusual powder hunt can be found in our features.

A native of Vancouver, Canada, Ilanna Barkusky grew up with a love for outdoor sports and photography. In fact, her hometown is often featured in her ski photos, thanks to the great city views from nearby Grouse Mountain. From the mountains outside town to the summer parks of Whistler-Blackcomb, Ilanna has found time to document the thriving local freestyle scene while completing a university degree in Political Science and International Relations at the University of British Columbia. In this issue, Ilanna provides some insight on Mike Henituik’s Seeking Nirvana webisode project.

ON THE COVER SKIER

Colter HINCHLIFFE

Photographer

LOCATION

Guy FATTAL

Whistler/BC, Canada

IMPRINT Publisher Distillery Concept & Creation GmbH Innsbruck, Austria Editor-in-chief Ethan Stone | ethan@distillery.cc Managing Editor Mark von Roy | mark@distillery.cc Production Manager & Photo Editor Klaus Polzer | klaus@distillery.cc Editorial Team Klaus Polzer, Christian Stadler, Ethan Stone, Mark von Roy Online Editor Roy Kittler | roy@distillery.cc Photographers in this issue Daniel Amman, Martin Axell, Niklas Blom, Rachel Bock, Elmar Bossard, Florian Breitenberger, Dan Brown, Jeff Cricco, Anton Enerlöv, Guy Fattal, Ruedi Flück, Mattias Fredriksson, Louis Garnier, Ben Girardi, Dominik

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Hadwiger, Blake Jorgenson, Blake Kimmel, Pally Learmond, Alric Ljunghager, Mason Mashon, Shane McFalls, Takahiro Nakanishi, Klaus Polzer, Christian Pondella, Tero Repo, Lou Staub, Ethan Stone, Jake Strassman, LJ Strenio, Stephan Sutton, Tatsuya Tayagaki, Simon van Hal, Cristophe Vaury, Jamie Walter, Will Wesson Writers in this issue Ilanna Barkusky, Leo Björklund, Kim Boberg, Bene Höflinger, Jason Levinthal, Robert Maruna, Shane McFalls, Sämi Ortlieb, Konstantin Ottner, Michelle Parker, Andy Parry, Klaus Polzer, Ethan Stone, Jake Strassman, Mark von Roy, Will Wesson, Neil Williman English Translation & Copy Editing Ethan Stone, Mark von Roy Art Direction & Design W—THM Büro für Gestaltung | www.wthm.net

Layout Floyd E. Schulze | hello@wthm.net Image Processing & DTP Klaus Polzer Print House F&W Druck- & Mediencenter | www.fw-medien.de Adverts, Marketing & Distribution Christian Stadler | christian@distillery.cc Do you want to get free copies of Downdays Magazine for your shop, chalet or bar to hand out? Please don’t hesitate to contact us!

Publishing House & Editorial Address Distillery Concept & Creation GmbH Leopoldstrasse 9 6020 Innsbruck Austria Tel.: +43 (0)512-307 811 Fax: +43 (0)512-307 812 info@distillery.cc www.distillery.cc Downdays Magazine is published in English, French and German. Downdays is also a website: www.downdays.eu Downdays Social Media: www.facebook.com/downdays www.instagram.com/downdays_eu

The magazine and all its contributions are subject to copyright. Duplication, publication or any other re-utilisation, in analog or digital form, as a whole or in part, is only allowed with prior written consent from the publisher. The publisher and the editorial team accept no responsibility for text or images submitted for appraisal.

saalbach.com

INTERVIEW

FREERIDING, ALPINE-STYLE

TEXT

Klaus POLZER PHOTOS

Tero REPO

HE’S SORT OF LIKE THE SWISS ARMY KNIFE OF FREE RIDING, BUT NOT SIMPLY BECAUSE HE COMES FROM THE FOOT OF THE MATTERHORN. SAM ANTHAMATTEN CAN RIDE THE GNARLIEST BIG-MOUNTAIN LINES, REACH THEIR STARTING POINTS WITHOUT EXTERNAL HELP AND CORRECTLY ASSESS THE RISKS ALONG THE WAY. HE DOESN’T JUST DESCEND LINES, BUT RIDES WITH SPEED AND STYLE, SOMETIMES EVEN WITH A FREESTYLE TRICK TOSSED IN FOR GOOD MEASURE. HIS FIRST PASSION WAS CLIMBING, WHERE HE’S ALSO ACCOMPLISHED NOTEWORTHY FEATS, THEN HE FIRST FOUND HIS WAY TO FREESKIING AS A FREESTYLER. IN THE MOUNTAINS SURROUNDING HIS HOME OF ZERMATT, ALL OF THESE INFLUENCES MELDED TOGETHER TO PRODUCE A RARE ALL-ROUND TALENT WHOSE SKILLS RANGE FAR BEYOND HIS MOUNTAIN-GUIDE CERTIFICATION. CONSEQUENTLY, EVEN AS HE’S OCCUPIED THE SPOTLIGHT AS AN ATHLETE ON THE FREERIDE WORLD TOUR AND FOR THE CAMERAS OF MAJOR MOVIE PRODUCTIONS, SAM IS ALSO OFTEN BUSY BEHIND THE SCENES. IN THE COMING SEASON HE’S FAR MORE FOCUSED ON PURSUING HIS OWN PROJECTS, AS HE REVEALS IN OUR INTERVIEW. SAM ANTHAMATTEN

Hi Sam, how was your summer? Did you go skiing as well, or just mountain climbing? This summer I was just mountaineering, since my winter basically lasted until the middle of July. I had a film project with The North Face in the works, skiing Ushba in the Caucasus, which took much longer than originally planned. My season lasted from mid-September until the middle of July and after that I’d had enough of skiing for a while. I spent the summer at home in Zermatt, which was really nice. I went climbing, mountain biked a lot, and also did some work as a mountain guide. In the fall I went rock climbing in America, because climbing is still very important to me, and I wanted to check off a few really good routes. Tell us about your Ushba project! Ushba is a beautiful mountain in Georgia. At around 4700 meters it’s not the biggest, but still one of the most spectacular mountains in the Caucasus. It’s similar to the Matterhorn from my home. We wanted to do a ski descent of Ushba, but unfortunately it didn’t work out. I’ve seen pictures where the mountain really had a lot of snow, but last winter the conditions were never quite right. We actually wanted to make an attempt in May, but there was too much bare ice. We delayed until June and finally said, “Come on, let’s just try it!” But it turned out that we were too late. The temperatures warmed up so fast that any new snow melted and turned into ice. But it was still a good project and I think it will be a good film as well. Has that project been checked off for you now? No, definitely not; not in the least because Georgia is simply a tremendous place. I’m definitely going to make another attempt at Ushba when the conditions are better, and I’ll undoubtedly be going back to Georgia on other trips as well. The mountains there are spectacular and the snow conditions can be fantastic. I was there twice last winter, the first time in late winter to explore the area and do some normal ski filming, both for the Ushba project and the “Steep Series” campaign for The North Face. The conditions were perfect, as good as Alaska but with a lot less going on. Also, Georgia is just a two-hour flight from Europe, so I’d rather fly there than to Alaska! You’ve already been in front of the camera for some major productions, including MSP, while traveling around the globe. Last season you

INTERVIEW

No stranger to exposure: Sam tackles a technical Georgian line.

also filmed at home in Zermatt. Is it easier to film on your home turf? I filmed together with Johnny Collinson for the Faction movie This Is Home. At first we were at Johnny’s home in Utah where he showed me his mountains, then he visited me in Zermatt and we rode some lines there. That was an interesting concept. I’ve filmed in the mountains around Zermatt a lot before and I always felt that it was more stressful than going on a trip, because I feel so much more responsibility for what gets done. It was particularly hard last season since we had a very bad winter and never had really good conditions. Of course, I’m not stoked when I’ve got Johnny Collinson as a guest and I can’t show him the best lines because the snow isn’t there. Additionally, when working at home I’m usually involved in the organization. I basically led the

shoot with Johnny, which meant quite a bit of work on the side. On the other hand, it’s cool when you can show the world how great your home is. The mountains of Zermatt, and the Alps in general, are the best place in the world to go skiing; at least when they’ve got snow. You really don’t need to go anywhere else. As a mountain guide you’re often involved in projects not only as an athlete, but in other functions such as line-picking and safety. La Liste with Jérémie Heitz as well as the Freeride World Tour come to mind. Doesn’t that make it more difficult to focus on your performance? First and foremost I see an advantage in being a mountain guide, because due to the training and experience working as a guide, I have a better grasp on risk

management in general. That helps me as an athlete as well. On the other hand, it’s definitely a double burden. You always see the risks when you’re out with someone, and as a guide you can’t just push those concerns to the side. The problem is that even when I’m filming with an experienced skier like Jérémie Heitz and something happens, then the responsibility always falls on me as a guide, unless there happens to be another guide there who’s specifically responsible for safety. Because of that, I’m increasingly cautious about who I go filming or even just skiing with. It has to be people who behave responsibly and aren’t a liability for me. That’s also why I’ve decided not to ride in any contests this season. If something like the Skiers Cup happens again, maybe I’ll do it spontaneously, but it’s not planned. I’d rather focus on my own projects this winter. Can you give away any details about your coming projects? I have a few ideas for the coming winter, but I need to talk about them with sponsors first, so I can’t say anything yet. But I can say that I’m planning a new pro-

FIRST AND FOREMOST I SEE AN ADVANTAGE IN BEING A MOUNTAIN GUIDE, BECAUSE DUE TO THE TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE WORKING AS A GUIDE, I HAVE A BETTER GRASP ON RISK MANAGEMENT IN GENERAL. THAT HELPS ME AS AN ATHLETE AS WELL. ON THE OTHER HAND, IT’S DEFINITELY A DOUBLE BURDEN. YOU The Skiers Cup is simply a great concept. It’s the best event that I’ve seen so ALWAYS SEE THE RISKS WHEN YOU’RE OUT WITH SOMEONE, AND AS A GUIDE YOU CAN’T JUST PUSH THOSE CONCERNS TO THE SIDE.

ject with Jérémie Heitz that will span three years. The idea is similar to La Liste, only we’ve looked for mountains around the world this time; some 5000-

and 6000-meter peaks, all with a pyramidal form and great descents. For that we’d go to Peru, China and also to the Caucasus, to name a few. But we’re still involved in locking down the financing, so it might be a while until the action in the snow gets started. You said that you’d do Skiers Cup again, but that you don’t want to do the Freeride World Tour. Why not?

far. If there was a chance that it would happen again, I’d love to be there. I can also imagine doing the Freeride World Tour again in the future, but I’ve done that now for four years and need a break. I also think that the Freeride World Tour needs to reassess their concept somewhat… but the organizers are already doing that, anyway. For example, I think it’s good that Japan is a new part of the tour this season, although—

Despite the old mountaineering rule of always keeping touch to the ground, Sam really enjoys catching air.

SAM ANTHAMATTEN

The big faces around his hometown Zermatt are a natural theater for alpinists and hardcore freeriders. Here, Sam charges down the Hohberghorn.

or maybe because—the terrain there is a lot smaller than something like the Bec des Rosses. Sometimes the contest windows drag on for too long and I don’t understand, when the conditions at the Wildseeloder are terrible, for example, why we don’t move to less extreme, more varied terrain where we can put on a better show. I think that more people would identify with the contests if they weren’t so extreme. The Skiers Cup was a very good compromise and was also very well received. How do you see the future of freeriding in general? I think that the sport is developing in a good direction, even if the boom isn’t as big as it was three or four years ago. There are more people going out into natural terrain, but the accident numbers are declining, which is a good sign. The current trend is going in the direction of free touring, which I like a lot. It’s closer to nature and the quality of the experience remains intact, even if you’re not doing anything extreme. I think that our sport has a great future ahead of it, particularly here in the Alps. Where else can you access such great descents so easily, and have such in-depth information about avalanches,

INTERVIEW

routes and weather? I notice that most of all when I’m traveling in a faraway place like China. We’re spoiled here in the Alps and honestly, I think we have a real paradise right on our doorsteps. With all your achievements, have you become something like a celebrity in Zermatt? Zermatt is a small place, so everyone knows everyone anyway. I wouldn’t know when one becomes a celebrity; my social environment is important to me and I always greet everyone that I

know. Naturally it’s nice when you receive recognition for what you’ve been doing all winter, but what means the most to me, at times like when I’m at a film premiere and see that I can inspire people. I definitely don’t need to be portrayed as a hero. At the end of the day, I pay for my beer just like everyone else, and that’s the way it should be.

Birthdate: 28th of September 1986 Home: Zermatt, Switzerland Favorite music: Wolfmother, Led Zeppelin Summer activities: Climbing, trail running, mountain biking Motto: Do what you want, but do it right! Sponsors: The North Face, Swatch, Faction, Julbo, Bayard-Sport, Komperdell Movie appearances: Superheroes of Stoke, MSP Days of My Youth, MSP White Noise, Timeline Missions La Liste, Timeline Missions Degrees North, Timeline Missions This Is Home, Faction Collective Tsirku, The North Face/Sherpas Cinema Ushba, The North Face/Timeline Missions

Results: Freeride World Tour 2011 2nd Overall 1st in Sochi 2nd in Kirkwood Freeride World Tour 2012 3rd in Courmayeur Skiers Cup 2015 & 2016 Member of Winning Team (Europe) Alpine accomplishments: Matterhorn North Face Anthamatten Route, first ascent Jasemba (7350 m, Himalayas) First ascent South Face Mount Hunter (Alaska) North Buttress-Moonflower Cerro Torre (Patagonia) Mont Blanc Peuterey Integral El Capitan (Yosemite, California) Freerider (5.12d)

# L A A X I S N I C E Y O

LAAX’S “SPACE STATION” GETS A RENOVATION

The Swiss are known for their unusual takes on mountain architecture, and Laax’s iconic Crap Sogn Gion station is no exception. Completed in 1969, this

round, retro-futuristic top station has long dominated the skyline of the FlimsLaax-Falera area, looking like a spacecraft out of 2001: A Space Odyssey that’s landed in the mountains of Graubünden. Despite its futuristic appearance, the Crap Sogn Gion station was more than ready for a facelift after nearly 50 years in operation. Laax’s Weisse Arena Group has decided to embrace the space theme and is renovating major parts of the station under the motto “GaLAAXy.” The goal is to give the building’s outdated trappings fresh look with an extensive interior redesign. With new features like: a movie theatre, alternative culinary offerings in the 360-degree restaurant and quirky design elements like neon signage, a vintage dance floor and an old soda machine repurposed into a bathroom door, Laax wants to launch its aging space station back into the future. After a soft opening in December, the reimagined station will officially reopen on 13 January 2018.

Space station: digital camouflage edition. Photo: LAAX/Daniel Amman

SNOWBUDDIES:

DIGITAL DISRUPTION FOR SWISS FREERIDERS

“No friends on a powder day” is a theory that has been thoroughly debunked. Extensive research shows that the opposite is true: friends only make powder days better. Whether they’re hauling you out of a tree well or just sharing the stoke, friends are in fact indispensable. And when you’re exploring a new area, a local friend who’s in the know can make the difference between a mediocre day and an all-time powder romp. A new website debuting this winter in Switzerland aims to connect you with an online network of buddies to achieve all of the above and more. SNOWBUDDIES.CH is a platform devised by Andi Müller and Silvan Poltera, two Swiss skiers who saw the opportunity to toss a bit of digital disruption into the freeride scene. “The idea grew out of a problem we had ourselves,” explains Poltera. “Not everyone has the same hobbies or the same timeline in life. Sometimes your friends, the people in your private network, aren’t available. We thought there must be a tool somewhere where you can find people to go shredding together. We saw there was nothing in the market, so we decided to create the platform ourselves.” The result of their brainstorming is SnowBuddies, a website designed to

FRESHIES

facilitate a wide variety of interactions among freeriders. The options run the gamut from a “ride-sharing” board where members can post their freeride plans and find partners, all the way to booking professional guides and even VIP ski partners. A feature of particular interest is “Local Buddies,” who can offer freeride tips for regions that they know well. With an intuitive map view to find Buddies and freeride trips across Switzerland as well as an integrated payment system to simplify transactions between members, SnowBuddies has the potential to become a valuable resource for the freeriding community.

An additional perk is the BuddyCard, which offers members discounts at about a dozen ski resorts across Switzerland. The goal, Poltera says, isn’t just to get people skiing together, but also to encourage them to visit smaller, “locals-secret” resorts that offer better value and less wait time in the lift line. Müller and Poltera plan to launch a summer version next year, and hope to eventually extend the network beyond Switzerland.

Silvan Poltera and Andi Müller. Photo: LNDA Photography

PHOTOGRAPHY: Â© XXX

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Will WESSON PHOTOGRAPHER

Stephan SUTTON

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GALLERY

LOCATION

Helsinki, FINLAND

SKIER

Daniel LOOSLI PHOTOGRAPHER

Lou STAUB LOCATION

Laax, SWITZERLAND

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GALLERY

SKIER

Henrik WINDSTEDT PHOTOGRAPHER

Mattias FREDRIKSSON LOCATION

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SKIER

Fabi LENTSCH PHOTOGRAPHER

Pally LEARMOND LOCATION

Haines/AK, USA

GALLERY

SKIER

Wiley MILLER PHOTOGRAPHER

Blake JORGENSON LOCATION

Bralorne/BC, CANADA

SKIER

Magnus GRANÃ&#x2030;R

GALLERY

LOCATION

PHOTOGRAPHER

Quebec City, CANADA

Jamie WALTER

SKIER

KC DEANE

PHOTOGRAPHER

Ben GIRARDI

LOCATION

Pemberton/BC, CANADA 31

SKIER

Keegan KILBRIDE PHOTOGRAPHER

Blake KIMMEL LOCATION

Denver/CO, USA

GALLERY

SKIER

Nico ZACEK PHOTOGRAPHER

Klaus POLZER LOCATION

Stubai Glacier, AUSTRIA

GALLERY

SKIER

Tom RITSCH PHOTOGRAPHER

Ethan STONE LOCATION

Laax, SWITZERLAND

BARRYVOX S TECHNOLOGICAL INTUITION

he evolution of avalanche rescue began around 200 years ago with intuition. On the Great St. Bernard Pass, a dog from the local monastery was known for seeking out lost travelers on his own initiative, sometimes saving them from avalanches. This was the start of organized avalanche searches using dogs, which quickly became standard on this important Alpine pass, and soon afterwards throughout all of the Alps. About fifty years ago manmade technology joined in. Various avalanche search devices using radio signals—beacons for short—were developed over the years. One of these beacons, produced by Mammut for the Swiss Army, was named Barryvox in honor of the legendary dog of the same name from the St. Bernard Pass. Since these first developments, a lot has happened in the world of avalanche beacons. More antennas for stronger send-and-receive capabilities regardless of conditions, digital signal analysis with incorporated directional guidance for the searcher and technology that’s more reliable and efficient overall. Throughout all these developments, the 25-year-old Barryvox line has remained one of the market leaders. New for this winter, the Barryvox S keeps pushing the standards higher with a 70-meter search strip width and automatic guidance even during fine search. The signature feature of the Barryvox S isn’t the improved technology alone, however. “The Barryvox S is the first avalanche beacon that supports the searcher with clear instructions from

the beginning to the end of the search. The display is easy to understand, even for users of other devices,” explains Ilari Dammert from Mammut. It could be said that the device teaches intuition. “In order to accomplish this, we’ve worked together with psychologists and product designers,” continues Ilari. “Even in the stressful situation of a real avalanche, the searcher will be led safely and efficiently to the buried parties.” The critical span of time before a buried person is recovered often depends more on the efficiency of the searcher than on the technology of the beacon being used. Although many freeriders practice using their devices now and again, how well they’ll handle them in a real-life scenario is another question entirely. A beacon that offers optimal support and eliminates doubts is definitely of great value. How good the Barryvox S is in this aspect can’t be thoroughly evaluated with words alone, holding it in your hand explains this intuitive handling far better. In any case, Mammut are confident that they’re offering the most cutting-edge avalanche beacon currently available. “The combination of an intuitive user interface with an unmatched search strip width can significantly reduce rescue time,” concludes Ilari Dammert. About that search strip width: this is dependent on various factors, and according to old-school dogma is set at around 20 to 30 meters regardless of device, to cover all eventualities. Even so, Mammut guarantees a 70-meter

width for all correctly functioning devices—something that can be easily checked with the integrated group check function before heading into the backcountry—including those that have seen a few years. Learn more at mammut.com.

CASIO PRO TREK PRG-650-1ER

our smartphone can do a lot these days, but it can’t do it all. And even when you’ve got apps for seemingly everything, they won’t do you much good when your phone battery dies. That’s when a solar-powered, cold-resistant watch like the Pro Trek PRG-650-1ER really comes in handy. With a digital compass, altimeter, barometer and thermometer all built in, this watch packs a suite of useful tools into a compact housing, making it an optimal companion for your next mountain adventure. You can measure your uphill progress with the height gain

DETAIL

tracker and save up to 40 different sets of altimeter data in the watch’s data memory. Resistant to cold down to -10ºC, it’ll keep on ticking through the toughest conditions, and 10 bar water resistance means that once you get off the mountain, you can take your watch into the hot tub with you. Learn more at protrek.eu.

5th generation game changer

The new lofoten collection is in stores now - 15 years of uncompromising freeride perfection.

Welcome to nature

Now available in our selected partner shops: Schweiz Bächli Bergsport (baechli-bergsport.ch und in allen Filialen), Arena Sport (Buochs), Balmelli (Lugano), Kundalini (Zürich), Nanuk (St. Moritz), No1 Skirental (Verbier), Norbert Joos (Chur), Pie Freeride (Luzern), Yosemite (Lausanne, Vevey, Zermatt) Deutschland bergzeit (bergzeit.de – Gmund), Sport Conrad (sport-conrad.com – Garmisch, Penzberg), Sporthaus Schuster (sport-schuster.de -München), Sport Scheck (sportscheck.com sowie in allen Großstädten), Sport Bittl (sport-bittl. com - München Allach), Exxpozed: (exxpozed.de – Kempten), Warehouse One (warehouse-one.de - Düsseldorf), Biker - Boarder (biker-boarder.de – Chemnitz), Freeridershop (freeridershop.de – Hamburg), campz.de, bike24.de, outdoorworlds.de. Österreich Blue Tomato (blue-tomato.com und in allen Fililen in Skigebietsnähe), Jennewein pure sports (sport-jennewein.com – St. Anton am Arlberg), Sportalp (sportalp.at – Lech am Arlberg), Sport Bründl (bruendl.at – Ischgl, Karpun, Mayrhofen, Saalfelden).

norrona.com

ONE FROM FRANCE AND ONE FROM AUSTRIA; ONE IS TALL, THE OTHER SOMEWHAT SMALLER. THEY SHARE A FIRST NAME AND AN AUTHENTIC, NO-BULLSHIT LOVE OF SKIING. TOM RITSCH AND TOM GRANIER ARE BOTH ULTRA TALENTED SKIERS AND UNDERRATED. THEY ARE THE TOMS THAT FLY UNDER THE RADAR…

TOM GRANIER TOM RITSCH

TG TR

Photo: Cristophe Vaury

TOM GRANIER Born: 18th of December 1994 in Grenoble, France Sponsors: Dakine, Oakley, Ho5Park, LibTech, FullTilt

TG TR

TEXT

Mark von ROY

TG TR

Favorite Skier? Antti Ollila Tanner Hall Favorite Trick? Backflip Cork 360 Favorite Ski Movie? Mutiny by Stept Productions Yearbook by Matchstick Productions Favorite Austrian Food? Schnitzel mit pommes Schnitzel Favorite French Food? Tacos Crêpes Favorite trick that other Tom does? I’m in love with that bio 1080. Those switch 540s are beautiful.

Home Resort: Les 7 Laux

TOM VS TOM

Height / Weight: 165 cm / 60 kg

Q&A

Okay Tom G., your favorite French food is tacos? Really? Photo: Ruedi Flück Location: Crans Montana, Switzerland

TOM VS TOM TOM RITSCH Born: 21st of December 1993 in Mittersill, Austria Does Austria have a space program? Tom R. sends in his application. Photo: Klaus Polzer Location: Suzuki Nine Royals, Watles, Italy

Sponsors: Völkl, Marker, Dalbello, Snowpark Kitzsteinhorn, Hotel Active by Leitner, Lead Fabrics Home Resort: Kitzsteinhorn/Kaprun

TG TR

Describe the other Tom in one sentence! Tom Ritsch is a GOOD skier that likes food, smiles all the time and never says no to a beer. Tom Granier is a talented skier who lets his skiing do the talking; he can throw down in parks just as much as in the streets or the backcountry.

Height / Weight: 186 cm / 78 kg Photo: Rachel Bock

Last season’s highlight? Top-to-bottom project in Les 7 Laux with JR Ceron. “Man of the Day” at Suzuki Nine Royals.

What is the weirdest thing you did as a kid? Something that my mom will be disappointed if I tell you! Went to Italy, didn’t eat pizza. What is your biggest dream in skiing? Do what I'm doing until my death. I just want to enjoy every day of winter with my friends, around the world. Stay healthy and be able to ski for the rest of my life, because skiing brings me joy and makes me forget about everything else. You are stuck in a hut, with a huge snowstorm outside and no electricity, what three things would you want with you? Cheese, wine and all my friends. A flashlight, a sleeping bag and my favorite snack.

TOM VS TOM

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NIRVANA

SEEKING

…A CANADIAN FILM CREW GETS ARTSY

TEXT

Ilanna BARKUSKY

PHOTOS

Mason MASHON

he definition of “nirvana” will vary based on who you ask. For Canadian skier Mike Henitiuk, the driving force behind the video project Seeking Nirvana, it’s producing a ski film out in the mountains with his best friends. As Seeking Nirvana enters its third season of filming, the athlete-driven project has already achieved its initial aim of standing out in the current ski media landscape by drawing on some unusual cinematic influences.

Mike Henitiuk

MEDIA

Sticking with the old adage “The only constant is change,” don’t be surprised to see the Seeking Nirvana crew switch things up again this year. They’re even hinting at something in the works that completely deviates from anything they’ve done before, in a new form other than a video. “It’s scary switching up our style each year, as we aren’t sure if our viewers will like it or not,” says Henitiuk. “But it makes the process a lot more interesting for us. I hope it stays that way.”

Founded in 2015/16, now entering its 3rd season Home turf: British Columbia, Canada Members: Mike Henitiuk, Riley Leboe, Joe Schuster, Matt Margetts Supported by: Norrøna, EDGEtv, MEC, Tyrolia Watch here: www.vimeo.com/strangeadventures Forget skis, I’m going to shred this highway.

Henitiuk grew up skiing in Western Canada with a group of his close friends. After enjoying successful film careers with other production companies, they decided to team up out of a desire for change. He and his buddies wanted to produce something relatable to everyone, says Henitiuk—showcasing the lifestyle, camaraderie and teamwork behind the skiing, from hut trips deep in the British Columbia backcountry to skateboarding through the streets of Chile. The crew decided that their main goal would be to stand out by shifting the focus away from ski action. “The line and trick are seen as the end goal by lots of skiers, but it’s far from it for us,” says Henitiuk. “The conditions, scenery and jokes along the way are what make days memorable, and we want to show and explain to people the process of what we do.” This change of focus led the Seeking Nirvana team to seek inspiration from influences outside of skiing. The first season dabbled in the aesthetic of famed film director Wes Anderson (think The Royal Tenenbaums or The Life Aquatic), displaying an homage to his unique visual style and quirky approach to framing and complex scene blocking. Anderson-style narration also came into play courtesy of Colby James West and Henitiuk’s dad, Jay. After the breakout success of the first season, they decided to mix things up by channeling the stylistic approach of a different director, Guy Ritchie (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels; Snatch) in the second season, with dynamic, quick-cut character intros and a dark, moody color treatment. “If we just stuck to what we were recognized for thus far, then that would put us into the same category of filmmakers that we are trying to separate ourselves from,” explains Henitiuk.

SEEKING NIRVANA

Mike turns a tight drop into a work of art in the British Columbia backcountry.

MICHELLE PARKER HAS SPENT NEARLY HALF HER LIFE AS A PROFESSIONAL SKIER. FROM A CHILDHOOD OF CHASING HER HEROES AROUND THE MOUNTAINS OF LAKE TAHOE, CALIFORNIA, SHE’S GROWN INTO A SKI HERO HERSELF, ON A PATH THAT TRACED THE GROWTH OF WOMEN’S FREESKIING COMPETITIONS BEFORE EXPANDING INTO THE BACKCOUNTRY AND BIG-MOUNTAIN REALMS. WE ASKED MICHELLE TO TELL HER STORY OF BUILDING A CAREER IN SKIING, AND THE CHANGES SHE’S SEEN ALONG THE WAY.

THEN AND NOW:

LONGEVITY

SKI

OF A

CAREER TEXT

Michelle PARKER

Born: 10th of April 1987 in Truckee/CA, USA Sponsors: Anon, Red Bull, Black Crows, Mountain Hardwear, Squaw Valley, Arcade, Backcountry.com, Kicker 2017: 2016: 2015: 2014: 2013: 2012:

Michelle shreds big lines with confidence and style, and she also plays a mean ukulele. Photo: Jeff Cricco

2009: 2008: 2007: 2006:

THOUGHT

Movie appearances: Drop Everything, Matchstick Productions Ruin and Rose, Matchstick Productions Fade to Winter, Matchstick Productions Days of my Youth, Matchstick Productions Like There’s no Tomorrow, Warren Miller Entertainment Superheroes of Stoke, Matchstick Productions In Deep, Matchstick Productions Claim, Matchstick Productions Yeah Dude, Poor Boyz Productions Ski Porn, Poor Boyz Productions

Michelle Parker. Photo: Christian Pondella

t was your typical sunny California spring day at Squaw Valley. I was hanging with the boys and lapping the park with my first pair of twin tips, braid dangling out of my helmet, pants far too big and poles too short. I was fifteen and had recently decided not to be a ski racer anymore. I couldn’t justify spending my parents’ money on something that I was slowly losing passion for. I longed for powder days with my friends lapping Squaw’s KT-22 lift and the freedom to go wherever I wanted to on the mountain. The confines of the racecourse weren’t satisfying those desires. Growing up around Shane McConkey, JT Holmes, CR Johnson and many other sponsored athletes, it was hard not to fall under their influence. I’d chase them around the mountain at a young age and then go home and watch the latest Matchstick Productions film, eyes wide open in wonder and curiosity about the scene that was taking place around me. On this particular spring day, I was approached by a man named Jason Levinthal. He stopped me and handed me his business card after I greased the flat bar in the park and was speeding away for another lap. Jason Levinthal, it read, Owner of Line Skis. “Give me a call, I’d love to get you some skis,” he said. An insurmountable stoke started brewing inside me. A free pair of skis? He said he thought I was a boy until he noticed my braid. Jason groomed the road ahead for me by taking me to my first slopestyle competition, the US Open in Vail,

Colorado. I didn’t really even know how to do a 360, but I had rails on lock and quickly learned to spin before my debut slopestyle run. I left inspired to learn more with a reinvigorated passion for competitions. I followed that path for several years. I placed well and was invited to the first ever women’s freeskiing event at the X Games. Back then it was just halfpipe, which certainly wasn’t my specialty, but I gave it everything I had. I stood in the start gate with all of the lights, crowds, and the buzz around X Games, with CR Johnson next to me. He took me aside, asked me if I was nervous, and told me to just have fun, because that’s what it was all about. After hearing that, I dropped in with a massive smile on my face. I knew I wouldn’t win, but I was going to have fun. Near the end of the pipe, I pointed it into the left-side wall full speed, ready to send. I hit the lip and popped into an alley-oop flatspin, a trick I had never tried before. The crowd went wild, and even though I missed the landing, I burst into laughter because I was having the time of my life. It was simple back then. You showed up for competitions and did your best, attended the occasional photo shoot, and tried to luck out and join a crew that was filming. I started working with Poor Boyz Productions and began to love filming more than competing, although I still did both. There was time for it all. I was still young and felt invincible. At

eighteen I had my first knee injury, a clean tear of the ACL. That’s when it changed for me. I learned how to appreciate my health and my body. I took care of my knee and came back with a fire inside to win the first comp I entered, the Aspen Open. Women’s competition was growing: there were now far more than the usual eight or so girls to compete against. Slopestyle skiing was starting to feel like a real sport. Right after competing in the X Games, I finished high school early and asked my dad if it was okay with him if I took a year off before college. I wasn’t ready to go, and my focus was all on skiing. I had been making a little bit of money and it was beginning to feel like I could turn this passion into a viable job. One year turned into two and then three, and by that point it was a full-fledged career. Managing a career when you are young takes practice, trial and error. I admittedly dropped the ball at times, but I always took opportunities and still do to this day. Times have changed since then. We now have more opportunities than we used to as a result of social media. Fans have a direct link to their superstars through these platforms on our phones, and it’s our choice to reach out, engage and interact. We can choose how hard to work, how much effort we put in, and finding that balance has been key. Athletes like Cody Townsend, for example, propose social media trips where the athlete creates all of the content. These types of trips are driven by passion, and we get to be in charge of the content created and how we portray ourselves to our audience. It feels empowering and, as an athlete, there’s more opportunity to collaborate with brands and be creative.

For a film rider like Michelle hiking the backcountry is part of the job. Photo: Christian Pondella

LONGEVITY OF A SKI CAREER

Michelle is still shredding with her braid out, just like that fateful day at Squaw Valley so many years ago. Photo: Jeff Cricco

We have outlets for this creativity and a platform for our voice. More and more athletes are getting involved in political matters, standing up for the environment and using their voices to push for change. This was something that kept me going at the beginning of my career. At first I thought that this path was selfish, but now I’ve found purpose behind what I do, and it’s motivating. If I can use this platform to spread a positive message, inspire men and women alike, and speak up for issues that I am passionate about, then at the end of the day it feels like something of more value than just submerging myself deep into the mountains in search of endless powder. As athletes we have an opportunity to create a positive change, to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. As for myself, I co-founded an avalanche clinic with three other professional skiers, Elyse Saugstad, Jackie Paaso and Ingrid Backstrom. This event, called S.A.F.E.A.S., was created in an effort to spread the message of safety and avalanche awareness, and has included over 750 participants so far. We wanted to make a space for women in particular to learn in an encouraging environment. Others have been active as well: Chris Rubens and Eric Hjorleifson host similar camps and clinics in Canada, and over ten years ago Jeremy Jones founded Protect Our Winters, a non-profit committed to mobilizing the outdoor sports community about climate change. In September, several members of P.O.W.

THOUGHT

including myself traveled to Washington, D.C., to lobby and speak in person to our policymakers about climate change. As an individual in the action sports community, it’s deeply inspiring to know that we can make a difference. In my fourteen years as a professional skier, these changes have brought about a new direction in my career and in many others that I have witnessed. Being more and more involved as an athlete gives an added value for companies to work with you, so really it’s all in your hands to make things happen. Let’s not forget that skiing as a whole has progressed into a fascinating world of separate disciplines. No longer can you be the best at every aspect of skiing, or even just really good at many different avenues. I used to compete in slopestyle and halfpipe while filming on the side. Now I keep my focus on filming, as there is simply not enough time to do all of the above. While the youth is primarily focused on competitions, we live in two very different worlds. How do you bridge the gap? Sammy Carlson is an athlete that I admire for doing both successfully for a really long time. He’s morphed into a master at choosing natural terrain to trick off of. I had the pleasure of skiing with Sammy last year, and witnessed firsthand his incomprehensible level of skill. For the most part however, the film athletes will be found in the mountains fueled by the endless chase for deep snow and high peaks, and the

competition athletes are traveling the globe to competition after competition, staying sharp on the latest new doubles and triples. These two worlds—seemingly worlds apart—rarely cross paths, but when they do it’s still the shared passion of sliding on snow and catching air with style that brings us together. For me, my passion for skiing is constantly developing and always changing. I suppose that is what has kept it fresh, new and exciting. Gone are the days of lapping the park. Now my attention is on exploration, dreams of unskied peaks in far-off lands, and the means to approach these mountains in a safe and collaborative way with my team of mountain partners. I’ve found more depth, deeper bonds, and deeper snow in my new exploits, but I’m not saying that I don’t still love taking a few laps in the park. At the root of this passion, skiing and the feeling of freedom that it gives me is the same. While the world may change around us, it’s important to hold onto those fleeting feelings that keep the fire inside lit.

LIVE. SKI. REPEAT.

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IT’S ALWAYS TOUGH TO STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD, BUT THAT HASN’T BEEN A PROBLEM FOR NICO VUIGNIER, WHO ALWAYS SEEMS TO FIND A NEW ANGLE TO LOOK AT THINGS. IN 2016 THE 26-YEAR-OLD SWISS FREESKIER WENT VIRAL WITH HIS “CENTRIPHONE” EDIT, USING THE SIMPLE BUT GROUNDBREAKING IDEA OF SWINGING HIS SMARTPHONE AROUND ON A STRING WHILE SKIING. LAST SEASON, IT WAS “POOR MAN’S SELFIE DRONE,” MADE USING A MODIFIED “THROW YOUR GOPRO” FOAM FLYER. NICO’S LATEST SHORT ONLINE DROPS HAVE DISPLAYED INCREASINGLY MIND-BENDING EDITING TRICKS, AS EVERYDAY DESKTOP OBJECTS—PENS, COINS, BOOKS—SUDDENLY METAMORPHOSE INTO SKI FEATURES, JUST LIKE IN EVERY SCHOOLKID’S DAYDREAMS.

NICO VUIGNIER

ONE ODDBALL CLIP, IN THE STYLE OF A UFO SIGHTING, ZOO MS IN TO A STRANGE-LOOKING LINE IN A CLOUD, ONLY FOR A SKIER TO APPEAR AND SLIDE IT. IT SEEMS LIKE NICO SEES SKIING AND SKIERS WHEREVER HE LOOKS. WE CHALLENGED NICO, WHO USUALLY WORKS WITH MOVING PICTURES, TO CREATE A STILL IMAGE FOR THIS PAGE. THIS IS WHAT HE CAME UP WITH. CREATIVE

LINE TRAVELING CIRCUS

Sämi Ortlieb soaks up VIP life in the TC van. Photo: Jake Strassman

TEN YEARS AGO, TWO YOUNG AMERICAN SKIERS FROM CENTRAL NEW YORK STATE CAME UP WITH A SCHEME TO GO SKIING FOR THE WINTER AND MAKE SOME ONLINE VIDEOS TO HELP PAY FOR IT. LITTLE DID THEY KNOW, WILL WESSON AND ANDY PARRY HAD EMBARKED ON A JOURNEY THAT WOULD LAST FOR A DECADE AND RUNNING, ONE THAT WOULD TAKE THEM AROUND THE WORLD ON A SERIES OF BIZARRE SKI ADVENTURES, WHILE TURNING THE DUO INTO UNLIKELY HEROES FOR AN ENTIRE GENERATION OF SKIERS. THEIR CREATION, THE LINE TRAVELING CIRCUS, HAS GROWN INTO ONE OF SKIING’S MOST POPULAR WEBISODE SERIES, WITH MILLIONS OF VIEWS AND TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FANS ACROSS THE GLOBE. THE SECRET TO THEIR SUCCESS? ALWAYS KEEPING IT REAL. WITH AN ECLECTIC BLEND OF TECHNICAL PARK SKIING, FARFETCHED IDEAS AND THE G FY ANTICS OF THEIR MERRY BAND OF COLLABORA TORS, WILL AND ANDY HAVE WORKED THEIR WAY INTO SKIING’S HEART, ONE WACKY EPISODE AT A TIME. HERE’S TO TEN YEARS, AND HOPEFULLY MANY MORE, OF THE TRAVELING CIRCUS. COLLECTED BY

Ethan STONE TRAVELING CIRCUS

A DECADE OF “KEEPING SHIT CRAZY REAL”

PHOTOGRAPHY: © XXX

Andy Parry, Shane McFalls and Will Wesson. Photo: Dan Brown

Wizard master Andy Parry conjures his way across yet another unconventional jib. Photo: Shane McFalls

Rail robot Will Wesson, no stranger to DIY setups. Photo: Jake Strassman

TRAVELING CIRCUS

Humble Beginnings

didn’t have the greatest conditions growing up, so we wanted to keep that East Coast pride alive: we’ll ski anywhere in any conditions. It doesn’t matter how big or small, the feature, the resort, whatever. Wherever we are, let’s go skiing.

year. We both figured out that we needed to embrace the weirdness of some of the stuff we were doing in Traveling Circus. He started to integrate that into his street skiing; looking at things in a different way, but it still had to be cool. He has a very high standard for what’s cool and what isn’t. He developed a conscious way of doing things that are sustainable, technically hard and visually cool.

Andy and Will had been sending me their homemade videos of backyard skiing that we’d post to the Line Skis Youtube channel. After they graduated college, I think they freaked out realizing that they Will Wesson now had two options: get a job or find a way to get paid to ski. It was then that they called me up and told me they wanted to have a serious conversation Andy Parry about how they’d like to help make videos for me to use to promote my skis. The Wizard Master I told them to come over to my house and tell me about I met Andy in ninth grade, it. We sat on my front porch and we started doing a lot of for an hour and they backyard rail setups in the explained their predicament summer and winter for those of needing to get paid to four years of high school. finance their dream of traveAround his freshman or sophling and skiing, and to stop omore year of college he their parents from bugging started trying to do some of them to get a job. I remember the stranger grinds that peotelling them if we’re going to ple still can’t really wrap their do it, it needs to be a consistheads around. Andy found an ent thing, like a TV show, so Andy dreaming the ski-bum life on someone’s spare mattress. Photo: Will Wesson outlet in inventing ski tricks, people remember it and look and a lot of kids look up to forward to the next episode. For me con- Season One was a big year for us. It was him and follow him just for that. But he sistency was a really important part of the first time going out West for both of also has this sixth sense for ridiculous, making it successful. us, living far away from where we grew on-the-spot improvisation, making up Will and Andy claimed they were up. There was a lot of sleeping on other stuff out of nowhere. Because of that, serious and would come through, so we people’s couches in all different states. I instead of just being the kid doing the brainstormed the name Traveling Cir- remember being in Mammoth and not strange obscure tricks, he also kind of cus, and I offered to pay them very little, having enough money to get home, so I became the face of Traveling Circus. People like to call them “wizard something like $250 per episode. I was selling my outerwear online, just tryremember assuming that summer that ing to get any money that I could. I tricks” these days, and his name will they’d travel to Mount Hood and I’d remember vividly sending things out at come up if you see someone do one of never hear from them again, so I honestly the Mammoth post office and thinking, those tricks. Sometimes someone will kind of forgot about it for a couple of “Sweet, now I can get home.” I went just fall in a weird way, like stepping over months. Then one random day they sent back, tried to make as much money as I in a weird way on a rail, and someone me the first episode and we released it, could, and it started all over again the will say, “Oh, you’re doing an Andy Parry trick.” He can do a lot of other tricks too, and people loved it! To my surprise each next season. which people overlook sometimes. month they sent me another episode, Andy Parry Everybody has the thing that they’re continuing with the same formula. Over known for, but it’s almost never the only time it became more consistent and thing that they’re good at. He’s definitely more popular, just like we all had hoped, a victim of that. The wizard tricks, that’s but it’s 100% because of their hard work! what people remember. It took a ton of focus to stay with it year after year, but it’s that consistent momenWill Wesson tum that made it so strong. Jason Levinthal (Line Skis & J Skis founder)

The Early Days We didn’t expect it to last more than a year. We just wanted to go on a big road trip for a year and have the excuse to tell our parents that we’re going to do this for a ski company. Obviously it lasted a lot longer than that, and the message of “keeping shit crazy real,” as Andy might say it, kept going. From the start our idea was to be a bit more relatable to the average skier. We’re from the East Coast and

Will Wesson. Photo: Jake Strassman

The Rail Robot Will used to be a little shy and awkward when we were meeting kids or staying at someone’s house. He’s way more outgoing now—like an actual human being. As a skier, he’s developed at a computer robot-like pace. He gets better every

A DECADE OF “KEEPING SHIT CRAZY REAL”

Andy Parry. Photo: Will Wesson

Shane surveys his handiwork. Photo: Will Wesson

Something out of nothing The style of the videos is really similar to the whole “make something out of nothing” thing that Andy and Will had been doing for a long time already on the East Coast. You work with what you have, right? We weren’t able to afford a crazy camera, but we also didn’t feel like we needed one. And it was more fun that way. I didn’t even have a tripod—I was a “professional filmer” for eight years and I didn’t even own a tripod! Our style came from the skate style of wanting to keep it fast, fun and easy—partly out of necessity, and partly because that’s the look we were going for. Shane McFalls

Which way to ze Autobahn?

The RVs got destroyed. There was a lot of plastic and cheap wood inside, and almost every handle and every edge in the interior got broken. The inside of the RVs were like saunas. We wanted to keep it warm enough to survive, but were all soaked after every pow day. So we were basically living in the most humid environment in the Alps, inside these RVs with four dudes in each one. There were wet clothes everywhere. I felt like I was going to get a tropical virus. Will Wesson

Van Misadventures We were driving from Salt Lake City to Lake Tahoe and decided to go to the Great Bonneville Salt Flats, a dried-up lakebed where they set the land speed

record with a rocket car. We wanted to drive the van out on the salt flats and get some shots, maybe tow behind it on skis. We were having a great time, driving off into the desert, four friends with no responsibility in a giant yellow van, and suddenly we started slowing down. Everybody started yelling, “Turn around, turn around, turn around!” Halfway through the turn we bogged down and lost all traction. We tried pushing, we tried shoveling, we tried using pieces of wood, I think we even tried skis. No matter what we did, we just dug a deeper hole. Finally we called a towing company and they said they would “bring the mud cat out.” We were all like, “What’s a mud cat?” We waited, picked up pieces of salt and karate-chopped them, and waited longer. Finally we saw the mud cat in the distance. It was literally an old snow cat— that’s what they use to tow vehicles that get stuck out in the salt flats. That ended up being a pretty expensive tow. Will Wesson

Couch Surfing We did so much couch surfing that it got to be like a science. We knew what to buy to keep people happy. I would always do everybody’s dishes—I’m an amazing houseguest now because of how much couch surfing we did. Like, you want me to stay at your house. People start to get annoyed when there’s four dudes in their living room, all on iMacs, your WiFi is super slow, there are wet clothes everywhere, people are constantly in the kitchen… not to mention there’s a bright-yellow van in your driveway that the whole neighborhood can see. When we’d come in, it would be like a swarm. Shane McFalls

The first time I met the Traveling Circus was filming for Season Four. We were skiing in Austria and Switzerland, and we pretty much skied pow every day. On that trip we had big RVs and got stuck a lot because of all the snow. Roy [Kittler] got pissed at the Americans on a daily basis because they weren’t great at driving and always took wrong turns. The trip ended with Shane driving one of the RVs into a ski bus and smashing the windshield. Line had to pay a ton of money to the rental company. Also on that trip, the driver’s-side window on my car got shattered, and Will and I had to drive from Austria to Switzerland with no window. Shit was cold. Sämi Ortlieb

No speed records were set on this day. Photo: Will Wesson

TRAVELING CIRCUS

Garrett Russell in Japan on a typical TC feature: you don’t know what will happen till you see it. Photo: Tatsuya Tayagaki

A DECADE OF “KEEPING SHIT CRAZY REAL”

Cole Drexler, trying not to miss his flight. Photo: Tatsuya Tayagaki

In China, the moguls must all look alike. Shane follows the party line. Photo: Will Wesson

TRAVELING CIRCUS

The Last Skiurai One of my all-time favorite trips was our first time to Japan at the end of Season Five when we found these crazy circle rails in a park. We got kicked out so we went skiing somewhere else, but we knew we had to go back and try the circle rail. On our last day, we woke up early and went there, super paranoid because someone had called the cops on us before. We spent a long time trying to get the rail, and a lot of time hiding behind snowbanks whenever someone walked by. We had a flight that evening and time was getting short. Luckily Rob [Heule], Cole [Drexler] and I all managed to get it, and we hopped in the car and started rushing towards the airport. Our flight turned out to be delayed, otherwise we would have missed it for sure. I got on the plane still in my sweaty ski clothes, smelling just disgusting. I think Rob changed his clothes in the check-in line. That’s how we left Hokkaido the first time. Will Wesson

A night with the Druids Going indoor skiing in the UK was way different. We would wake up at two or three in the afternoon, go skiing at 9:00pm, stop skiing at midnight, then drive to the next spot. It was definitely a weird trip, driving around the British countryside, going to these indoor resorts, skiing at super weird times on super weird snow. Indoor snow sucks— it’s almost like sand. That was another one that was just like, “What are we doing here?” Andy Parry

We went to Stonehenge one day, and the tickets were pretty expensive just to walk on a boardwalk and not get close to the stones. We started talking to this weirdly dressed guy with some sort of conspiracy-type sign, and he told us to come back next week. On every equinox and every solstice, they let everyone who shows up at 6:30am go up and touch the stones, and you get in for free. So we parked our RV there the night before, and there were all these Druid people there. We heard screaming women in the night, weird chants and dogs barking. None of us slept very well. We woke up in the morning and they all had body paint and swords and chain mail. They were singing and chanting. Like Andy says in the episode, I think that was the weirdest Monday morning of my life. Will Wesson

SO WE PARKED OUR RV THERE THE NIGHT BEFORE, AND THERE WERE ALL THESE DRUID PEOPLE THERE. WE HEARD SCREAMING WOMEN IN THE NIGHT, WEIRD CHANTS AND DOGS BARKING. Shane McFalls NONE OF US SLEPT VERY WELL. WE WOKE UP IN THE MORNING AND THEY ALL HAD BODY PAINT AND SWORDS AND CHAIN MAIL. THEY WERE SINGING AND CHANTING. I got really good at walking up to strangers and asking to film them. That’s an uncomfortable thing to do, and it took a few seasons of prompting me. They’d be like, “Shane, go talk to them,” and I didn’t want to. But by the end, I’d do anything—if you saw someone outside a gas station in a pizza suit, it was like, for sure we’re gonna go talk to them. Otherwise you’d be kicking yourself for the rest of the trip, like, “Damn, we should have gotten out of the car. We really needed that shot.”

Ross Imburgia: The Stuntman I hope he doesn’t hate me for saying this, but Ross is my stupidest smart friend. Or smartest stupid friend. He’s a genius with math and engineering, but somehow when he skis, he forgets all the physics he’s learned. Ross has done some crazy backflips in many different ways. One of my favorites is the switch backflip to the tree in Mayisode from Season Seven. I remember Andy said something like, “Dear baby Jesus, please don’t let Ross get hurt,” and right afterwards Ross took one of the hardest crashes ever. He went off the side off the jump and just slammed into the tree after doing half of a switch backflip. We knew he could do it, but we told him, “Ross, you’re too tired,” and convinced him to stop hurling his body towards a tree for the day. He got it the next day after a few more tries. Will Wesson

Season Eight: Filmer Change I watched TC religiously before I had any part in filming it. Like any good video the characters are entertaining, which makes the episodes especially fun to watch. One of the concerns I had joining the crew as the filmer was being able to capture the authentic moments that made it special. Shane had done a great job translating Will and Andy’s personalities into the videos; they all shared a long history together and had developed a close friendship and working relationship. Being comfortable around each other is very important when documenting personalities, and I hoped that a new guy behind the camera wouldn’t change

A DECADE OF “KEEPING SHIT CRAZY REAL”

the group dynamics. When it came time to film my first episode, Swiss Cheese Socks, I asked Shane for advice on how to make it all happen. Rather than any concrete tips, he offered up some simple but useful wisdom: “Avoid sharing a bed with Andy, and Will snores.” My first episode went smoothly and is probably still one of my favorite TC trips to date—spring skiing in the Alps, après parties, delicious cheese, Sämi Ortlieb’s secret park in the woods, skiing on an Italian fighter jet in Livigno. I don’t recall if Will snored, but I learned the reason to avoid sharing a bed with Andy was that he smells pretty ripe without a shower. I had ended up in the same room as Andy in our farm-country rental apartment, and the manure-scented mountain breeze I used to air out our bedroom was more tolerable than he was. After ten years, it’s gotten harder to come up with different ideas for episodes. It’s not uncommon for Will and Andy to remind me that “we already did that” when we’re brainstorming for the next episode. Keeping the standards high is a priority, which is likely why they’ve kept the series running for so long. To film a good episode sometimes means traveling to an exotic destination, but I still think some of the best episodes come from creative DIY rails and simple backyard-style sessions. It just so happens that hanging out with friends and getting weird on skis are some of the best times you can have. Jake Strassman

Will rides a Chinese wave. Photo: LJ Strenio

Reflections on a decade There’s definitely a generation of skier kids who were super influenced by these videos, just like my generation was influenced by Propaganda, Happy Dayz and Royalty. The Internet provides that now for a lot of people. Traveling Circus was their Propaganda, their early Poor Boyz Productions movies—which is really weird to me. I’m proud that we made a “ski video career” growing up in a little tiny town in central New York. The fact that Will and Andy are professional skiers, and I got to make a ski graphic for my favorite ski company—the high school version of myself would never have believed that would ever happen.

for free. That’s literally what it comes down to. Where can we go next? It doesn’t cost us anything to send an email and try to start a conversation. We don’t lose face if they say no, and if they say yes, then we end up somewhere in the UK, Japan or Australia. When we started doing international episodes, we just thought we’d see where we could go next—who would say yes to us—and we’re

still doing that today. Should we go to Norway? How are we going to pay for this? Who’s going to help us out? Okay, it looks like it’s going to work. Buy a ticket! Andy Parry

Shane McFalls

The amount of influence that we’ve had on kids is way more important to me than making it to ten years. If we go to any ski area that has a park, kids are going to say, “Look, there’s Will Wesson and Andy Parry,” and they’ll come up and talk to us. I don’t know why people enjoy watching us do what we do, because it’s weird and we’re weird, but people can relate to it. To this day, if anyone asks Will and I what we are doing, the answer is easy—we’re doing this because we like to ski and want to travel

TRAVELING CIRCUS

Where to go skiing next? “Mars, maybe Norway,” says Andy. Photo: Will Wesson

A DECADE OF DOING IT RIGHT. WITH WILL WESSON, ANDY PARRY & FRIENDS

LineTravelingCircus.com THE LONGEST RUNNING ONLINE FREESTYLE SERIES IN THE UNIVERSE

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OFF THE BEATEN PATH IN EUROPE’S UNDISCOVERED POWDER STASH FLASHBACK TO FEBRUARY 2015: WE’RE FAR FROM HOME IN SEARCH OF POWDER—IN JAPAN TO BE EXACT. IT’S WARMED UP UNEXPECTEDLY, AND AFTER AN UNSATISFYING SKI DAY WE ALL STARE RESIGNEDLY INTO OUR SMARTPHONES. BACK HOME IN EUROPE A STUNNING NEW SNOWFALL RECORD HAS JUST BEEN SET: 256 CENTIMETERS IN ONLY 18 HOURS! BUT NO “EPIC POW DAY” PHOTOS ARE TO BE FOUND IN OUR FRIENDS’ SOCIAL FEEDS. IT TURNS OUT THE TOWN OF CAPRACOTTA, WHERE THE RECORD WAS SET, ISN’T EVEN IN THE ALPS; IT’S EAST OF ROME, IN THE ABRUZZO REGION. AND SO, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE POWDER EL DORADO OF JAPAN, THE IDEA OF PAYING A VISIT TO CENTRAL ITALY IS BORN. TEXT

Bene HÖFLINGER PHOTOS

Florian BREITENBERGER Th

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EUROPEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S UNDISCOVERED POWDER STASH

preliminary mountain-bike visit to Abruzzo in the summer of 2015 confirmed our suspicions: even in July, the highest peaks and cirques of the region were still covered in snow. The topography of the central Apennines is similar to that of the Alps—only with an Adriatic view. We had to come back in the winter; that much was clear.

MILANO

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Why is this beautiful, pris- ONE RIDE ON THE tine region near Rome practi- GONDOLA COSTS cally unknown as a destination in skiing circles? I believe FIVE EUROS; that the Alps present a certain ALTHOUGH THE SKI imaginative impediment to us AREA WITH ITS TWO central Europeans. After all, LIFTS, DOESN’T we’ve got every thing we HAVE A WHOLE LOT TO need right here at OFFER. BUT THINGS LOOK home. People love their habits, and DIFFERENT WHEN YOU change them only ASCEND WITH SKINS TO when unusual cir- THE RIFUGIO DUCA DEGLI

ABRUZZI AT 2,388 M AND DISCOVER THE BACK BOWL: COMPLETELY ALONE AND FREED FROM THE TRAPPINGS OF CIVILIZATION.

cumstances demand a reorientation. Circumstances like three bad winters in a row in the Alps, for example. But somehow, and I’m no exception here, our alternative options bounce off the Alps and lead us directly to the nearest airport, from whence we jet to the last real snow-secure regions of the world—to Japan or North America. But time constraints meant that this wasn’t an option for us in 2017. The news of a dramatic avalanche brought our attention back to Abruzzo. There, where wolves and bears still bid each other good night, winter was apparently in full effect: a two-meter base and snow down to low elevations.

A weekend invasion of Romans at the gondola that leads up to Campo Imperatore.

ABRUZZO

The sprawling alpine plateau beneath Campo Imperatore.

It was easy for us to leave the Alps in February 2017, with no snow until the Brenner Pass and rain in the forecast. We, the modern climate refugees Flo Geyer, Torge Nagel, Flo Breitenberger, my brother Marinus and myself, loaded up our RV and pointed it south. Around Rimini it began to rain, still three hours away from our destination. Had we really made the right decision? The next morning brought certainty: we were right on the money! Beyond the windows of our RV in Fonte Cerreto at the foot of Corno Grande—the highest peak of the Apennines at 2,912 meters—a light snowfall abated and the clouds broke to reveal a view of the enormous Gran Sasso massif decked in fresh snow. We took the first gondola up to Campo Imperatore at 2,130 meters, tore across the small, deserted ski area, and enjoyed 30 to 50 centimeters of powder on a solid base, for the first time of the season. Abruzzo had us under its spell. The weather gods were playing along. For three days we explored the high plateau of Campo Imperatore. One ride on the gondola costs five euros; although the ski area with its two lifts, doesn’t have a whole lot to offer. But things look different when you ascend with skins to the Rifugio Duca degli Abruzzi at 2,388 m and discover the back bowl: completely alone and freed from the trappings of civilization. We scaled several faces and were continually surprised by the perfect conditions. The highlight at the end of the day was the descent down the avalanche path back to Fonte Cerreto, where our mobile home stood waiting right at the end of the run. This winter the avalanches thundered down the Grand Sasso massif with unbelievable intensity; avalanche debris lay meters high in the yards of many of the houses. Incredibly, the people of Fonte Cerreto were spared from tragedy—unlike on the other side of the massif, where in January 2017 a huge avalanche buried an entire hotel and claimed nearly 30 lives. On our last day in the Gran Sasso national park, we skied down the sprawling high plateau beneath Campo Imperatore,

where an idyllic lake pleases day-trippers from Rome in the summertime. Already on our first day we’d spotted some impressive spines on the east side that seemed to beckon us hither. The ascent was long but beautiful, up a ridge to the highest point. All of a sudden we were swallowed by a sea of fog. The group was now out of visual contact. Flo Breitenberger and I kept climbing; now and again the clouds parted to reveal the distant Adriatic. At the top, we sat next to each other in the fog. No sign of Torge, Marinus and Flo Geyer. Primed in the start gate—me strapped onto my skis, Flo with the camera—we waited until a brief window of sunlight allowed for a descent. Suddenly it was there: a light breeze whisked away the tattered clouds, uncovering blue sky. A dream! Down below I could see Marinus, Flo and Torge on the ridge. A bit later, after they too had skied down one of the many available lines and we all met up on the huge plateau, it became clear why the three had fallen behind on the climb: Marinus’ skins had decided not to stick to his bases any more. Geyer’s touring binding was broken and only worked in downhill mode. And suddenly we were plunged into high-alpine reality: the ascent back up to the ski area was no longer an option. From our previous trip in the summer, we knew that a road led back down to the village—23 kilometers away. We felt our way through the fog from marker to marker, the road buried in white. As darkness fell we finally arrived, exhausted but satisfied, at our mobile home, where warmth, comfort and pasta awaited us. The Gran Sasso massif had done us well: we had regained our trust in winter, in its beauty and endless possibilities. But it was time for us to move further south to the Majella National Park, which we’d also visited in summer. The plan was to ascend to the Carlo Fusco bivouac hut, to discover new terrain in total isolation and seclusion. The thousand-meter ascent was as long and difficult as expected, especially for Flo Geyer, who

EUROPE’S UNDISCOVERED POWDER STASH

Flo Geyer and Torge Nagel return from a good day in the deserted back bowl behind the Rifugio Duca degli Abruzzi.

Bon appetito! Dinner in the Carlo Fusco bivouac hut.

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Flo Geyer rides one of the “Alaska Spines” above the Campo Imperatore plateau.

EUROPE’S UNDISCOVERED POWDER STASH

Skiing with Adriatic views: Flo Geyer on a hip in Majella National Park.

Between the snow and the sea: base camp at Majella.

ABRUZZO

hobbled his way roof into our faces. A bottle of wine would do wonders right ON TOP AT 2,793 METERS, upwards in his now — why did we leave it in the RV? WE PAUSED FOR A locked-out touring As we opened the door to the Majella massif and greeted MOMENT TO ADMIRE THE binding. The rest the new day with its first warming rays of sun, the torturous INCREDIBLE PLACES THAT of us fared little night was quickly forgotten. We stuck our skins onto our skis SKIING BRINGS US TO: THE better, laden down and climbed with easy steps the last few hundred meters of veras we were with tical up to the peak. On top at 2,793 meters, we paused for a METROPOLIS OF ROME TO heavy backpacks, moment to admire the incredible places that skiing brings us sleeping bags and to: the metropolis of Rome to the west, the Adriatic to the east, THE WEST, THE ADRIATIC and below us a gentle slope coated in powder— TO THE EAST, AND BELOW US A GENTLE SLOPE unforgettable! We chose the direct line back to the COATED IN bivouac—no adrenaline kick or jumps, only big, food for two days. sweeping turns and pure enjoyment. POWDER— Upon arrival at the Back at the RV, with one day left on the trip, spring was UNFORGETTABLE! WE CHOSE THE making its first marks, even here in Europe’s current powder DIRECT LINE BACK TO THE BIVOUAC— haven. It got warm, and the powder quickly turned to slush in the central Italian sun. We spent the day with kicker sessions, NO ADRENALINE jibs and cappuccino—and celebrated the end of this special trip KICK OR JUMPS, ONLY BIG, SWEEPING in our comfortable mobile home, with meter-high snow walls TURNS bivouac, an incredible outside the windows and below us, quite close, the MediterraAND PURE ENJOYMENT. evening vibe and nean. Bella Italia!

Adriatic views more than made up for our troubles. Our accommodation for the evening was a yellow metal can, buried deep in the snow at 2,455 meters elevation underneath a ridge. Few people find themselves in this place in the wintertime. The approach is long, a constant up and down across increasingly steep and rocky terrain—no pleasure in the ascent here. But beyond the bivouac one of Europe’s most pristine national parks, a skier’s paradise, lay before us: slopes in all expositions, chutes, cliffs, a solid base and 30 centimeters of powder lit up yellow-gold and untracked in the evening sun. The night was close and cold. Water dripped down persistently from the tin

Dear Abruzzo, we’ll be back. Remaining in memory is not just a perfect ski trip with powder, sunshine and the best crew; no, other impressions linger, ones not so easily collected in the Alps. We puzzled over strange markings in the snow that later proved to be bear tracks, felt the “dolce vita” with vino and pasta, and enjoyed life beyond the beaten paths of the Alps.

Swallowed whole by solitude: a night in the Carlo Fusco bivouac at 2,455 meters.

EUROPE’S UNDISCOVERED POWDER STASH

THE BU NCH: PHOTOS

Alric LJUNGHAGER

THE FOLLOWING PAGES CONTAIN THE UNFILTERED, UNTRANSLATABLE, VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF

THE BUNCH.

ENJOY.

TEXT

Leo BJÃ&#x2013;RKLUND

LOVE IS IN THE AIR TONIGHT

THE BUNCH

THE BUNCH IS IN THE AIR WITH SKIS OR NO SKIES. SKILLED TO THE BONE, CARRYING THE LOAD OF A WARM TREMULOUS FEELING. NAMELESS AT THE GROUP GATE. EVERY ELEMENT WAS AN OPPOSITE. OPPOSITE THROUGHOUT THE CONNECTION. BODY BROS. WHILE WATER IS COLD FIRE IS HOT. STILL, FIRE CAN FEEL LIKE ICE AS WATER CAN BE BOILING. THUS, THE MATERIAL WORLD, COMPOSED BY THE INDEFINITE AND BOUNDLESS. LOVE IS IN THE AIR TONIGHT. LOVE IS IN THE AIR TONIGHT. THE BUNCH IS IN THE AIR WITH SKIS OR NO SKIES. SKILLED TO THE BONE, CARRYING THE LOAD OF A WARM TREMULOUS FEELING.

THE BUNCH

LATER ON PASSING THROUGH AS AN EXPLORER. THE TEMPTATION TO SHARE YOUR JOURNEY. DOES THE TEMPTATION CHANGE WHILST SHARING IT WITH AN OLD FRIEND? TO LAY ALL THE COLOUR PAINTED DAYS ON THE SAME TABLE. PLENTY SMALL WINDOWS IN AN OLD, BOUGHT, ASSURING MILITARY TENT. STEP OUT AND YOU BECOME THE WINDOW. STEP INSIDE AND CHILL OUT. SURPRISED BY THE TINTED LIMO WINDOWS. THE FIRE BURNS AND NEEDS MORE FIREWOOD, CRACKLING SOUNDS FROM THE CORNER OF THE OCTET SHAPED TENT SAYS MONEY DOESN’T GROW ON TREES.

PLENTY STARS OUTSIDE THE CITY SHEETS COVERED WITH OIL, SAID THE OCEAN IN A WAST AND UNTAMED MANNER OF SPEECH. TELL US SOMETHING WE DON’T KNOW, SHOULD BE QUITE EASY.

THE BUNCH

WHEN TIME REACHES THE DESTINATION OF SPEECH, FRIENDS ARE GOOD TO HAVE. WITHOUT THEM TIME CAN ONLY SPEAK TO TIME. AND TIME KNOWS THE HEAVY BURDEN OF KNOWLEDGE, TIME KNOWS THAT KNOWLEDGE IS FLEETING AND STUCK FLEEING FROM TIME ITSELF. KINDLY GESTURED IN SUCH POWERFUL CHOICES. THE POWER OF CHOICE, YES, ALWAYS THERE, ALWAYS WANTING TO PLAY THE HARMONICA OR CLARINET. MOSTLY THE CLARINET. MOSTLY GETTING HOME WHILE STUCK IN A SNOWSTORM BLIZZARD, CANADA. NEEDLESS TO SAY WHEN NEW DELHI ARRIVES. BUT YOU SEE, WE’VE BEEN ON A JOURNEY, AN EXPEDITION IF I MAY, AND WE ARE NOT WEARY NOR TIRED, ONLY SCRAPED AND INJURED AND WE ALL KNOW SOUP CAN FIX MOST THINGS. THE SIMPLEST SOUP COULD PROBABLY STOP A GREAT WAR. BRING BUNCH MORE SOUP ON THE NEXT ADVENTURE. NEEDLESS TO SAY WHEN MATTERHORN RISES. THANKFUL WHEN THE COOK APPROACHES HAPPILY. DETERMINATION IS USEFUL WHEN ROCKS ARE HEAVY AS SHIPS AT SEA. FLOAT IS ONE WAY, REACQUIRES A CERTAIN VAST, HOLLOW, BOWL SHAPED MIND. FLY IS ANOTHER, THE DREAMERS POINT. FORMATTING INTO A SEA TURTLE IS A LONG AND LIFE APPROACHING PROCESS, FULL OF SHELLS AND SHIELDS.

THE BUNCH

FREEDOM IS ANOTHER WAY, FREEDOM OF SPEECH, SURFING, PACE, TASTE, HAIR COLOUR, TIGHTS, SOFAS, NOT DOING ANYTHING, DOING EVERYTHING, COUNTING, WAITING, LIFTING, HELPING, TAKING, GIVING, TRAVELING, SEEING, EATING, MATING, NO IRONY, LOVE, SELLING, SENDING, CREATING, CONVERSING, SINGING, PAINTING, EDITING, PLAYING, TELLING TRUTH, DWELLING, CONCENTRATING, DRINKING, PARTYING, THINKING, LINKING, BUILDING, SMOKING, DIGGING, SHAPING, BREAKING, SLEEPING, SKIING, SKIING, PREACHING, TEACHING, KEEPING, WARMING, WARNING, CONFUSING, CHOOSING, AMUSING, LOOSING, WANTING, WINNING, SINKING, HACKING, CUTTING, BURNING, LEARNING, TURNING, GROWING, ATTENDING, STANDING, TALKING, LOOKING, BARKING, FILMING, CARVING, PACKING, CARRYING, UNPACKING, LAUGHING, DECIDING, DISTANCING, SHIPPING, CLOSING, OPENING, DANCING, COOLING, STRETCHING, LATCHING, BORROWING, RETURNING, MOVING, ENTERING, PASSING, ASKING, WORRYING, ASSURING, READING, CONCERNING, FORGETTING, DENYING, TRYING, DEVOTING, FEELING.

THE BUNCH

SO MY POINT IS THE BUNCH IS WHAT EVER YOU WANT IT TO BE.

THE CARVE …OR WHAT REALLY COUNTS TEXT

PHOTOS

Klaus POLZER

Takahiro NAKANISHI

hat in the world is going on in these photos? If you don’t get it immediately, don’t worry—I didn’t see it at first either. Then I realized just how much this Japanese telemark skier is enjoying what he’s doing. These are just two of a whole series of images of crea-

tive carve ninja Takemitsu Ueno, seemingly defying physics while arcing through fresh corduroy, his body suspended mere centimeters above the snow. There’s no posing and nothing is faked; this is pure unadulterated fun with centrifugal forces.

SPRAY

I wonder if Takemitsu had any role models to inspire him? It’s hard to know. His turns remind me of photos from back in the day, of snowboarders laying out similar carves. The “euro carve” it was called back then, but that was half an age ago; in the last two decades, many other trends have taken over snowboarding’s definition of cool. With two planks and normal alpine bindings, similar manoeuvres are seemingly impossible, at least not without breaking your legs. Nevertheless, Takemitsu Ueno is exploring new possibilities with his tele gear, entirely independent of current snow sports trends—and in doing so, has achieved something that inspires me. When we stand on two skis, we have no obligations. In contrast to our ancestors, who used wooden planks for hunting and later for military reasons, the modern version of the ski serves only one purpose: fun. Even if our social spheres—the real ones or the virtual ones— often try to restrict what is acceptable or cool behavior on skis, the only limits a skier has are the ones that are self-applied. If you allow these societal influences to curb your imagination, you’ve got nobody but yourself to blame. Of course, maintaining mental freedom is often easier said than done. Last season, as the European winter decided to remain far drier than it should, my desire to go skiing diminished even further among the flood of footage from the bottomless powder that graced Japan and North America. Yet whenever I managed to strap into skis and push any expectations aside, the fun returned instantly. This kind of open-mindedness to conditions and terrain— the common thread that runs through freeskiing in all of its modern forms, from free touring to urban skiing—has become my goal for the coming season. If, for the sake of variety, a real winter decides to show up, then it’ll all be good anyway. But if not, I’ll probably be pulling out my on-piste skis for the first time in years… who knows, maybe even with some telemark bindings mounted. The point is: don’t let anyone or anything steal the fun, no matter when, where, how, and why you you choose to put your skis on!

BACK ON

IMAGINE A DIFFERENT KIND OF FREERIDE CONTEST…

TEXT

Neil WILLIMAN

TRACK

magine that there was a locals-only spot in Montafon—in the Vorarlberg region of Austria—that only existed because of a hydroelectric dam that needed a gondola and shuttles to transport workers. But contrary to a “locals only” mindset, they open up the gondola and shuttles to the public for ski-touring access. How rad would that be? Imagine that when getting off at your preferred shuttle stop, the mountainous silence is so resounding that all you can hear is your own breath, your friends’ chatter and the sound of the shuttle receding around the bend. The terrain rises around you like pillars to a temple

of freeride that just keeps going up until it hurts your neck to look. Shall we put an alpine hut at the end of the first valley, after an easy tour in, where you can to soak up the surroundings and scope access to the gnar? That sounds good, and let’s kit it out with bunkrooms, lovingly pockmarked wooden tables and a bar, staffed by friendly* locals with an exotic dialect that reminds you: this is far from a ski resort. Now consider what you'd do if you knew this place existed and it was in your backyard. Would you have a big enough heart to share it? Would you go so far as to organize an event—half contest, half group hangout shred-fest party—so that more people can discover it? I imagine that if you did, it would be a tough balance between keeping it among friends of friends and making it big enough that you could get adequate sponsorship for it to happen. I imagine it would feel like thankless work. But what if you did organize that, and only good people turned up, the weather

and snow cooperated and the competitors dropped bombs with the focused disregard of Americans in the Middle East? And the contest was rider-judged post-event using drone footage while drinking beer and enthusiastically stoke-heckling in multiple languages? Sounds like a party, with prizes ranging from skis and skins to a huge hunk of bacon for the biggest crash. While we're at it, why not make the next day bluebird spring-pow, with everyone still stoked and motivated enough to go and ride the ridiculous glaciated lines surrounding the hut. Then anyone holding a camera can just park up on the deck, alongside those partaking of hair-of-the-dog remedies, and watch the frothers good-naturedly one-up each other until you're basically watching a live ski movie. Going somewhere like this might change your perception of “locals only” secret spots, and put your opinion of competitive big mountain riding “back on track” in a positive way. Imagine that.

Next event: 23-25 March 2018 Website: http://bot-freeride.at/ BoT thanks its sponsors: Intersport Montafon-Rankweil-Dornbirn, Arc’teryx, Jones Snowboards, Black Crows, Pieps, Illewerke Tourismus, Montafon Tourismus, Contour, SP

The glaciated peaks of the Litzner-Seehorn group provide a perfect venue for a free-touring contest. Photo: Dominik Hadwiger

EVENT

Ice? What ice? Hanno Sperger goes full-send mode. Photo: Dominik Hadwiger

BACK ON TRACK

THE SCANDINAVIAN BIG MOUNTAIN CHAMPIONSHIPS IN RIKSGRÄNSEN, SWEDEN IS THE MOST TRADITION-STEEPED FREESKI CONTEST IN EUROPE, BUT IT’S NOT THE ONLY REASON THAT SCANDINAVIAN FREERIDERS AND FREESTYLERS MAKE THE PILGRIMAGE TO THE FAR NORTH EACH SPRING. THIS SMALL SKI AREA WITH BIG BACKCOUNTRY HAS ITS OWN SPECIAL KIND OF MAGIC. GERMAN FREERIDER KONSTANTIN OTTNER LEARNED THIS FIRSTHAND LAST MAY, WHEN HE WON A DOWNDAYS AND PEAK PERFORMANCE VIDEO CONTEST FOR A FREE TICKET TO THE SBMC. HERE’S HIS ACCOUNT OF THE JOURNEY NORTH OF THE ARCTIC CIRCLE.

RIKSGRÄNSEN A VERY SPECIAL Text

Konstantin OTTNER

DESTINATION

SKI AREA Photos

Niklas BLOM

he last contest in the Freeride World Qualifier series was behind me, along with all of the pressure and fear of getting injured while shredding. Spring was in full effect, the best time of the season for me. Powder turns or slush sessions in the morning on the mountain, followed by afternoons chilling in the sun in shorts— could anything be better? Valentin Walther and I had just returned from a day like this on the Hintertux Glacier when we saw the Downdays/Peak Performance video battle on Instagram. The winner would get the chance to travel to Riksgränsen for the Scandinavian Big Mountain Championships; just submit a short “Spring Edit” with the hashtag #peakperformancespring, and we’d be in the running. Since we’d been filming anyway, and a trip to Sweden sounded great, Valentin got right to work editing our footage from the day. Our clip must have made the right impression, because exactly three days later we found ourselves in an airplane heading for Stockholm, where we met up with the guys from Peak Performance. Together we continued to Kiruna in northern Sweden. Kiruna is a city of 18,000 inhabitants and is located above one of the world’s largest iron-ore mines. By 2040, the entire city is supposed to be relocated to the east due to the expanding mining activity—a quite astounding undertaking when you consider that entire houses are simply being picked up and transplanted. From Kiruna we set out on the last stage of the journey along the train line

RIKSGRÄNSEN

that was built long ago to transport ore to the Norwegian coast. Riksgränsen, which means “National Border” in Swedish, is the border station of this route to Norway; today it’s the home of a small, but nevertheless renowned ski area. A good distance north of the Arctic Circle, it’s one of the world’s northernmost ski areas. The two-hour drive through the sparsely inhabited landscape—about every 20 minutes a lonely house would appear—offered one-of-a-kind scenery. A big part of the journey runs alongside a large lake, where even in May there’s plenty of snow. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen so much snow… Our hotel, the only one in town—of course red and white like almost every other building in northern Sweden—is right next to the ski area, and is reserved the whole week for contest participants. Sweden feels different than Germany or Austria. You’re allowed to brap around everywhere on a snowmobile, and occasionally some Sami, the indigenous people of the Scandinavian north, come by on dogsleds to sell their fresh ice-fishing catches. Oh, and it doesn’t get dark at this time of year. It was this latter point that literally kept us awake at night. Counter intuitively it was after dinner that we went to scope the qualification face for the Scandinavian Big Mountain Championships, together with some locals. Who could have guessed: in the evening chill, it was extremely icy! Luckily, some fresh snow was in the forecast. The Scandinavian Big Mountain Championships are the most renowned freeride

championships in the Nordic countries. The scene has been gathering here since 1992, and the level of riding, whether on alpine or telemark skis, is extremely high. The hard conditions didn’t seem to bother these Northmen and -women much or at all, sending drops up to 12 meters high despite firm-as-can-be landings, not to mention the telemarkers tossing backflips all over the place. Many riders gambled it all in their runs, because if you want to get to the front of the pack, you’ll need to get past more than a few big names. The format of the SBMC is different from Freeride World Tour contests and qualifiers. After a qualification run on the first day, there are two final runs on different faces that demand a lot of the competitors. It’s no longer a mystery to me why so many Swedes are in the top rung of the international freeride scene. Unlike other events, the competition face could still be ridden even on the contest day, so you could get a clean look at the takeoffs and landings. Despite the fierce competition there was no lack of fun, with live music, barbecue and beer at the finish area. After the contest runs, the rest of the resort was thoroughly explored, with parties in the hotel, featuring ping-pong tournaments and free beer thanks to Peak Performance picking up the tab. Despite its modest size and comfortable, somewhat aged chairlifts, Riksgränsen doesn’t need to humble itself before more well-known areas. Not only freeriders but park shredders can also get their money’s worth here. There’s no officially designated terrain park, but the

cious conditions, Riksgränsen is definitely worth a long ski trip to explore its possibilities. We both immensely enjoyed our time “up there,” and we’ll definitely be back! The Scandinavian Big Mountain Championships 2018 are already marked in my calendar. The organizers would be very excited to see an influx of riders from other European countries and the wider world—so come check it out, it’s worth it!

entire resort serves as such; with numerous windlips, perfect kicker spots, natural quarterpipes and blank granite faces that seem to be made for jibbing. Beyond the ski resort boundaries, a freerider’s paradise awaits. Interesting lines, cliffs and chutes, all accessible via short boot-packs within an hour, can keep even experienced riders chomping at the bit for days. Those who want to journey further up or out should avail themselves of a snowmobile. You’ll see many locals blasting around the backcountry on these toolsturned-toys. Of course, it’s not always icy. Riksgränsen is known for its slush, which due to a more stable temperature somehow seems better than the heavy spring slop

DESTINATION

we’re familiar with in the Alps. And even late in the season in May and June, there are still days with fluffy powder and perfect snow conditions. Before you plan a visit, make sure that the resort is even open: the official season opening for 2018 isn’t until the 23rd of February! Before this date there are few hours of daylight, and it’s almost too dark for skiing. The payoff comes later in the season with seemingly never-ending sunny days—don’t forget to bring lots of sunscreen! Even so, the weather can change in seconds; it might be sunny one minute and storm-snowing the next. The reason for this is the nearby Atlantic, which influences the weather in the area. But despite, or maybe because of its capri-

Valentin documented his and Konstantin’s journey to Riksgränsen with a short video that’s posted on downdays.eu. Get more info on Riksgränsen at riksgransen.se, and on the Scandinavian Big Mountain Championships at bigmountain.se.

a qp . ww

o s.c k r

SNOW PARKS COUNTRIES

9 QPARKS FREESKI TOUR STOPS 7 GIRLS SHRED SESSIONS 5 SHRED POKER SESSIONS

Pics: Patrick Steiner, Martin Herrmann, Roland Haschka, Felix Pirker, Marco Joerger, Katja Pokorn (all QParks)

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A NOSTALGIC JOURNEY

LOSER TEXT

Robert MARUNA PHOTOS

Simon VAN HAL

THEY MAY NOT HAVE THE CLOUT OF THE BIG SKI REGIONS, BUT THEY MEAN MORE TO US THAN MANY A MEGA-RESORT. SMALL SKI AREAS WIN US OVER IN MANY WAYS: SOMETIMES WITH PLENTIFUL SNOW, SOMETIMES WITH TERRAIN, SOMETIMES JUST BECAUSE THEY’RE RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. WHATEVER THE PARTICULAR PERK MAY BE, THAT TRUSTED OLD ATMOSPHERE—THE ONE THAT GIVES OUR DAYS IN THE SNOW SPECIAL MEANING—STAYS THE SAME. ROBERT MARUNA EXPERIENCED A FEW DAYS LIKE THIS DURING LAST SEASON’S MODEST WINTER AT LOSER, A GEM OF A MOUNTAIN IN AUSTRIA’S AUSSEERLAND THAT’S RIGHTLY KNOWN AS A POWDER HAVEN. STASH

Saturday morning in January 2017; Simon and I roll into the parking lot at Loser. I’m not sure if it’s my morning grogginess or the thick wall of falling snow, but I can’t see any more than four other vehicles around us. It’s snowed a good 40 cm overnight and the clouds are still shaking out their bounty. Coffee first, the lift doesn’t open for half an hour. We struggle into our ski boots, wind and snow whipping around our ears. It’s damn cold—a miracle that my car even started this morning. In the small bar next to the lift we’re given a warm welcome. The espresso tastes just like it should—not always the case in ski resorts outside of Italy. I watch the snowflakes through the window as they fall, and pray to god that at least the lifts underneath the tree line will open up. Loser—a 1838-meter-high mountain at the northwest point of the Steiermark region—benefitted from more than a few healthy northern storms in 2017. By the end of the winter it counted among the snowiest regions in the Alps, which for Loser isn’t an exceptional feat. What luck, that this relatively quieter corner of the Alps happens to be one of my old stomping grounds. Simon shakes me out of my thoughts: the Loserfenster will stay closed, but Loserjet 1 and the Sandlingjet are opening up. 500 vertical meters of the finest tree runs, just for us! One of the reasons why I don’t have a steady job; not the worst reason either. At quarter to five we’re back at the car, the adrenaline

LOSER

still bouncing through our veins like Ping-Pong balls, laughing like little kids. We tank up on the drive home; diesel for the car and a double espresso for the driver to fight against the oncoming tiredness. Simon falls asleep after half a beer and I lose myself in my thoughts again. The snowfall has died off overnight and a Sunday-morning sun warms our tired bodies through the windshield as we pull up to the parking lot and the procedure begins again: boots on, find gear, pound down an espresso before the crowds arrive. The only surprise is that the crowds don’t arrive. Only the local crew around Sebastian Hirsche and a few scattered touring groups share the mountain with us today. The detachable chair of the Loserfenster glides uphill, while below us a view to make any snow lover’s heart beat faster opens up. Wind-lips as far as the eye can see, cliff drops without end, hip-high white gold glittering in soft light. Our chair arrives at the top station and the humming of the lift cable tears me from my daydreams. Now we face the choice: charging to the right into the steep bowl towards the reservoir, or taking a few mellow warm-up laps on the flatter terrain to the left. The only track leading towards the bowl has caused a large fracture and—since Simon and I have no desire to end up on the front page of the local newspaper—we decide to go left. Further memories are lost in clouds of spraying snow, and if Simon

hadn’t been taking pictures, it could have been just another daydream. When we chase our dreams long enough, we’ll find a place where illusion and reality meet. Loser is one of those places.

Despite just four chairlifts, two T-bars, and a thousand meters of vertical, Loser counts among the few hidden treasures of the Alps’ skiing geography. It’s always worth a visit; especially on the good days. More information at loser.at.

THE POWER OF ONE HOW LIVIGNO BECAME A FREERIDE HOTSPOT

TEXT & PHOTO

Klaus POLZER

here are many places in the Alps that are perfectly suited for freeriding. Some have become hot spots in the scene while others slumber in obscurity. What’s the cause of this disparate development? It’s often due not to a huge marketing campaign, but rather the enthusiasm of a select few that tips the scales. Sometimes just one individual is enough to change things. That’s what happened in Livigno. Livigno is among the highest places in the Alps. Surrounded by craggy peaks and expansive slopes with plenty of lifts, it’s a natural freeride paradise. But for a long time, there was a catch: classic offpiste skiing wasn’t allowed at all in Livigno until a few years ago. Of course, people went anyway—most not even aware of the rule. But it remained a constant grey area, and for those who wanted to promote freeriding in Livigno, the situation was a real problem. The cause for this unusual state of things lay in the particulars of the Italian legal environment and the high-alpine terrain around Livigno. In order to avoid taking on any liability for themselves, local officials issued the ban on off-piste skiing. And for a long time, nothing changed… until Fabiano Monti arrived. Fabiano is not a famous freerider and

SCENE

doesn’t even come from Livigno. He’s from Como at the foot of the Italian Alps, and he picked a career with a connection to his passion: Fabiano Monti is a recognized expert on snow and avalanches. After several years working at the Swiss Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research in Davos, he started a company with two colleagues that offers snowpack-development predictions worldwide with the help of a proprietary computer model. The company is called Alpsolut, and counts transportation agencies in Norway and Austria among its many clients. But Fabiano wanted to do more than sit in front of a computer; he also wanted to satisfy his passion for the mountains. That’s why there’s a base for Alpsolut today in Livigno. Fabiano Monti developed a concept that was met with enthusiasm in Livigno. The central feature is a daily avalanche bulletin that Fabiano creates especially for the area—making Livigno the only town worldwide with a completely independent avalanche warning service. About a dozen automatic measurement stations were installed around the valley for this purpose, and Fabiano works hand-in-hand with the local guides. An avalanche forecast just for Livigno makes sense, because conditions here often

vary markedly from the rest of the region, which receives an avalanche bulletin from Lombardy. The local situation is more similar to that of the nearby Engadin valley, but the Swiss bulletin has no legal force in Italy. Fabiano therefore cooperates with both of the bordering organizations, SLF and ARPA Lombardia. Together with a few guides—in particular Giuliano Bordoni, Davide Spini and Alberto Marrazzi of White Line Guides—a freeride concept with designated off-piste zones was developed for Livigno. Within these zones—depending on the daily avalanche bulletins—regular piste rules apply, making freeriding finally legal in Livigno. A heli-skiing operation is also part of the concept, with the end goal not to commercialize freeriding, but to finance Livigno’s own helicopter. This has major advantages for rescue operations as well as avalanche control, since before this development, the nearest helicopter was based in Sondrio, and wasn’t always available. After just three years, the winds of change can be felt in Livigno. Today there are regular information sessions for freeride guests, various guided offers and free instruction for locals on how to move in off-piste terrain. The local scene has blossomed; there are noticeably more people off-piste with the proper equipment and even a few high-level freeride contests have been held. But there’s an even greater benefit: with improved estimates of avalanche danger and control via helicopter, closures for roads, cross-country pistes and trails can be reduced. So in this regard, Livigno has become more free and accessible, in multiple aspects. It’s Fabiano Monti alone who’s had to sacrifice a bit of freedom. Creating a daily avalanche bulletin before the lifts open, means a very early rise to collect and analyze all the information. But the continuing development of this new freeride paradise is worth it for him, and he’s already training new employees to help spread the workload. Then Fabiano too will finally be able enjoy the fruits of his labors more.

Livigno’s avalanche bulletin appears daily on the website livigno.eu. More information about Fabiano Monti and Alpsolut can be found at alpsolut.eu, and about White Line Guides at whitelineguides.com.

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THE PORTRAIT

ZI MMER MANN

ENIGMATIC

Photo: Klaus Polzer

LISA

TALENT 92

SHE WON AN X GAMES GOLD MEDAL LAST SEASON AND COULDN’T FIND IT ANYMORE A FEW WEEKS LATER. SHE’S ONE OF ONLY A FEW FEMALE FREESKIERS EVER TO LAND A 1260, BUT SHE CAN’T REALLY DO 360S. SHE PARTIES HARD, BUT DOESN’T DRINK ALCOHOL. HER SOCIAL FEED IS JUST TOO MUCH. WHAT FOLLOWS IS AN ATTEMPT TO UNDERSTAND THE PARADOXES OF THE TALENTED AND SOMETIMES CONTROVERSIAL CHARACTER THAT IS TEXT

LISA ZIMMERMANN.

W Born: 2nd of March, 1996 in Nuremberg, Germany Sponsors: O’Neill, Red Bull, Pistenbully, Atomic, Tyrolia, Lifeproof, Haibike, Kiku Apples Results: 1st X Games Big Air, Aspen 2017 1st FIS Big Air World Cup, Milan 2016 1st FIS Big Air World Cup, Boston 2016 1st FIS Slopestyle World Championship, Kreischberg 2015 1st FIS Slopestyle World Cup, Gstaad 2014 1st FIS Slopestyle World Cup, Silvaplana 2014 1st Suzuki Nine Queens Big Air, Serfaus 2013 & 2015

hile many skiers have heard of her, most people don’t know who Lisa Zimmermann really is—what makes her tick—and those who think they know are probably wrong. I sure as hell can’t figure it out. But after witnessing her land a clean double cork 1260 at Suzuki Nine Queens in 2013, then a switch double cork 1080 two years later—both firsts for women—it became clear that Lisa had the most raw talent and audacity of any female park skier I’ve seen. Underneath this natural talent lies an unrestrained, hilarious and smart personality that, above all, allows Lisa Zimmermann to do whatever Lisa Zimmermann wants to do—much to the confusion and consternation of some observers.

Mark von ROY

To find out more, I met with Lisa in Innsbruck, where we both live. Our paths have crossed here and there over the years—most hilariously, as ski ballet partners for Red Bull’s Generation of Freeskiing project—but we’ve hardly had a proper conversation before. Unfortunately, I had to begin our chat with a confession. As a member of the X Games selection committee that declined to invite her to the Slopestyle competition the previous season, I felt guilty. While I had meekly tried to argue her case, the other selectors seemed impervious to her talent and drive, stating that “her consistency wasn’t there,” or some bullshit along those lines. After failing to receive an invite to the most prestigious

Lisa flying high over the Suzuki Nine Queens castle. Photo: Klaus Polzer

LISA ZIMMERMANN

contest in the sport, Lisa made a pretty funny jibe towards X-Games on social media—“Again, Xgames made the decision. Women slopestyle level is too high to have a spot for me”—after which a few statements of “her attitude isn’t right” made the rounds on the committee. Yuck. Fortunately Lisa was still invited to the X Games Big Air—which she promptly won in massive style. While I am lamely trying to explain and make excuses about the weird situation with the selection committee, Lisa interjects lightly. “It doesn’t matter, I don’t really care about the X-Games,” says the first German to win an X Games Gold medal. “I wasn’t personally offended that they didn’t invite me, because if they didn’t want me there, then so be it.” There was no hint of harshness; it was quite evident that Lisa meant it. She really doesn’t care—but like, in a good way. For Lisa, simply going skiing and learning new tricks has always been far more important than competitions, even the one with five multicolored rings. Sure, she would be happy to win Olympic gold—but if she doesn’t even make the finals, she won’t be bummed about it afterwards. And she will definitely not pretend to be bummed to please the media. As a medal hopeful for Germany at the last Games, a bizarre thing called “the expectation of a nation” descended upon her: official governing bodies, national news and mainstream fans all started caring about the decisions she made. Mainstream-media interviewers were flummoxed by her seemingly blasé attitude; “You have to stay chill,” she’d often answer to questions about her competition prep. Unlike others thrust

thing: going skiing as much as possible, and doing hilarious, fun things in general the rest of the time. After winning X Games Big Air on her debut appearance, Lisa tore her ACL and MCL a short while later at the FIS World Cup at Mammoth Mountain, California.

PORTRAIT

“I didn’t want to go to Mammoth,” she reflects. “I actually wanted to go to Costa Rica, so I was kind of happy about the injury because I could take a break from competition.” Nobody really understood why she was in such a good mood—with

to Germany, Lisa decided not to get her knee operated. This was a risk, a decision that many people, including the national federation, called into question. After stressful meetings in which a lot of pressure was applied, Lisa essentially told everyone to leave her alone, and

AS A MEDAL HOPEFUL FOR GERMANY AT THE LAST GAMES, A BIZARRE THING CALLED “THE On course at Mammoth Mountain, moments before blowing her knee. Photo: Elmar Bossard EXPECTATION OF A NATION” DESCENDED UPON HER: OFFICIAL the Olympics looming the following season, this was a serious injury to reckon GOVERNING BODIES, NATIONAL NEWS AND with. But Lisa, adept at letting bygones MAINSTREAM FANS ALL STARTED be bygones, promptly disappeared to Costa Rica for a few months. into the spotlight, CARING ABOUT THE DECISIONS SHE While there, the 21-year-old delved Lisa shrugged off MADE. MAINSTREAM-ME DIA into alternative medicine, researching the expectations I NTERVIEWERS W ERE FLUMM OXED BY the outcomes of knee operations and and just kept on possible alternatives. When she returned doing her own H ER SEEMINGLY BLASÉ ATTITUDE.

started focusing on her rehab. “A few years ago I would have said, ‘Fuck you all, I am not doing contests anymore’,” she reflects. “Now I’ve realized that I want to make the most of this so-called career. I am very thankful for it all. If I can compete at the Olympics, I will. If I get invited to X Games, I’ll go there.” But she'll do it on her own terms. Let’s hope she proves all the naysayers wrong, and the decision to not operate pays off. All this doesn’t mean that Lisa doesn’t have ambition or goals. She does, and she’s achieved a lot of them already, many of which we’ll never know about. While she may not be the biggest fan of contests, Lisa still turns up the heat when she’s feeling in form. Winning the Olympics isn’t a dream of hers, but to compete in a SLVSH match up—perhaps even against a guy—is a goal for sure. “For me it’s not about beating a guy,” she says. “It’s about forcing myself to do tricks that the guys do.” She’s watched almost every SLVSH game—the competitive format that is easily the most representative of our sport—and draws inspiration for new tricks from the guys, a habit that began when she first started skiing with her brother. “I started skiing because it was so fun to go up the hill with friends and learn new tricks,” she says. When she started concentrating on contests, she stopped learning new tricks, and even unlearned a few: “The contest scene is shitty like that.” During her tropical

break from skiing, Lisa realized that she wanted to get back to skiing like she did back in the day. As Lisa dreamily recounted her days in Central America, filled with meditation and relaxation, it became clear to me that she has turned into quite the self-assured young lady. But perhaps she’s been like this all along, and only now have I realized her realness. This realness, at least in terms of skiing, is still limited by the fact that she has never gone powder skiing properly. “It’s pretty embarrassing,” she admits. “But

shredding pow is definitely very high up on my list!” While I still don’t really know what makes Lisa tick, nevertheless, the future is very bright for this talented and idiosyncratic woman. One thing I can say with certainty: I can’t wait to see what Lisa will do with fat skis on her feet and a powder kicker waiting below.

Top: Lisa gets in touch with her ballet roots for Generations of Freeskiing. Photo: Klaus Polzer Bottom: Grabbing for X Games gold in Aspen. Photo: Christian Pondella

LISA ZIMMERMANN

KIMBO

S ESSIONS

IMAGINE YOU HAD A CLOSED RESORT IN SWEDEN ALL TO YOURSELF—THEY GIVE YOU THE KEY TO THE LIFT—WITH PLENTY OF SNOW TO SHAPE INTO WHATEVER YOU WANT, AND ALL YOUR FRIENDS COME TO SHRED AND SHOOT. WHAT PHOTOS COULD BE BETTER THAN THAT? ADD A METAL BAND CALLED Martin AXÉLL MECAINIAX SLAYING HARD FOR THE CLOSING PARTY AND IT’S PRETTY MUCH A PERFECT SET-UP.

e started doing bigger spring shoots at my home resort of Kläppen a few seasons ago. They were super supportive and everyone involved loved it, so there was no doubt that we had to continue and expand. Then my friend Fredrik, who works for Monster, convinced them to get involved, and that’s how the Kimbosessions were born. Monster was super down with the concept of free sessions without any rules or time schedules. It’s not easy to pull it all together when you have hundreds of different ideas of features to build. Snowcat

VIBES

operator Kristofer Olsson was as stoked as me about the event, and really helped it become what it is. His skills with the cat and passion for building are something else. I thought that we would have to hand-dig for days, but this dude did everything with the cat—it was unreal. Everything he built worked exactly like we envisioned it when were putting features on paper. We were almost 50 people, skiers and snowboarders, and from the T-bar you could see, straight-up, the most fire shredding ever! It’s difficult for me to describe it; you kinda had to be there to

feel the vibe of the event. So many new tricks got laid down those few days, many that no one had even thought of before. With all the World Cups dominating the season and so many skiers focusing on comp runs, we need sessions like this to remind us what skiing is really about. Massive shout out to Monster Energy, Kläppen Ski Resort, Oakley, Xtravel and SLVSH for making all this possible! TEXT

Kim BOBERG 96

This page: Pär Hägglund butters into the sunset. Opposite page: SLVSH filmer Charlie Lasser enjoys some well-deserved shred time.

KIMBOSESSIONS

FAKE

FRESHIES

Skiers

Oscar SCHERLIN, Carl REGNÉR and Olle REGNÉR PHOTOGRAPHER

Anton ENERLÖV APRÈS

Location

Disentis, SWITZERLAND 98

KN IGHTS AN D QUE E NS ARE H ISTORY LONG LIVE TH E AUDI N I N ES

SÖLDE N

14.04.2018 SÖLDEN

WWW.AUDININES.COM

Paddy Graham is wearing the Frozen Wave Anorak and the Bib Pant. Find them at www.oneill.com

Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;NEILL RE-ISSUE Light years ahead of its time.