Downdays Magazine, December 2014 (EN)

Remembering JP Auclair Night Powder Illuminated La Familia Explores Slovenia

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

FREESKI CULTURE – FOR FREE !

DECEMBER

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ERIC POLLARD Combine And Define With The Style Dial At anonoptics.com

M2

THOMPSON

Magna-Tech™ Quick Lens Change Technology Spare Low-Light Lens

Boa® Micro-Adjustable Fit System Fidlock® Magnetic Chin Strap Fastener

Photo : WARBRI CK

IS EVERYTHING U LT I M AT E S T R E T C H & b R E AT H A b L E M O U N TA I N W E A R f e at u r i n g 37, 5 m e m b r a n e - s a m fav r e t

MATTIAS FREDRIKSSON

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DROPPING 10

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DROPPING

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significant substance thickens at frontiers

these venutures have no end  1

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Seen here climbing a couloir on Troll Peninsula in Iceland with fellow adventurer Mark Abma, Andreas Frannson was one of these restless seekers of moments filled with substance and meaning. Never afraid to drop into the next adventure, Andreas had an unquenchable thirst for experience and fit more into his short time on this planet than many of us would in multiple lifetimes.

Thank you Andreas, for sharing your special moments with us.

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

the restless, the daring strive ever onwards absorbing the essence of moments on the edge

EDITORIAL

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“The world is so empty if one thinks only of mountains, rivers & cities; but to know someone who thinks and feels with us, and who, though distant, is close to us in spirit, this makes the earth for us an inhabited garden.”

Johann Wolfgang von GOETHE

DECEMBER

Sometimes it’s almost impossible to avoid truisms. This happens often during moments of heightened emotion, of which our lovely pastime has many. In most circumstances, the emotions are positive, that’s the reason why we all ski: to experience something that feels good – that makes us feel alive (here we go with the truisms). In moments of elation, after a powder-filled descent or stomping a new trick, it’s totally acceptable to revert to exclamations like, “I’m so stoked!” or, “That was fucking epic!” You’ve got to savor that moment.

Sadly, skiing not only elicits positive emotions; unfortunately there is another end of the emotive spectrum that we all face eventually, because occasionally things go wrong, leading to accidents, injury and pain. When things go tragically wrong, it is death we have to face. The death of a fellow skier, a friend, a hero, a legend, evokes emotions that can’t be described. When the news of JP Auclair and Andreas Fransson’s tragic demise broke, there were no words that felt adequate in describing the sense of loss. They were exceptionally talented skiers, pioneers and loved individuals: immense people who lived life to the fullest.

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

We pay homage to them in this magazine; however, to justly reflect on the lives of JP and Andreas would fill far more pages than we have. They were amazing humans; legends, whose influence on the ski community will be felt for decades to come. During a minutelong applause in celebration of JP’s and Andreas’ lives at iF3 Innsbruck, a complex mix of emotions filled the air; sadness over the loss, but also a sort of respect and gratitude for all that they achieved in their lives-cut-short. Our community will always remember and honor them and others who have left us; their lives inspire.

Freeskiers find inspiration in a great number of things, some are compelled by a hefty quad-kink rail, others by a 50° couloir. It’s part of what makes us special – we are all connected by this passion to seek thrilling moments. Part of what we do at Downdays is collect these moments to share with you, so that you can vicariously experience them and hopefully gain some inspiration, whether from urban escapades in a foreign land or a powder wonderland shredded to bits in the middle of the night. We also introduce interesting individuals, perhaps help explain some useful knowledge and hopefully induce some contemplation. The following pages are filled with words, images and stories that should inspire you further.

Enjoy and be safe out there, the snow awaits!

The Downdays Team

FREERIDE WORLD 2014 CHAMPION

NO S H O R TC U T S

You didn’t hike all this way up the mountain to just ski back down. You’ve been picturing your line all day.

It’s the only thing you’ve thought about. You’re not just here to befriend the mountain. You’re here to conquer it.

SCOTT-SPORTS.COM © SCOTT SPORTS SA 2014 | Photorights: www.freerideworldtour.com, Photo by Dom Daher

December Issue 18

Dialogue

22

Freshies

24

Gallery

42

Essentials

36

Brains

44

Creative

38

Gear

46

Thought

48

Talent

Markus Eder

First Response Resort Hustling Out of Bounds

DECEMBER

CONTENTS

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54

Light in the Dark:

62

Unknown Territories:

70

Tribute to a Legend:

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

Cover

Rider: Eric HJORLEIFSON Spot: Sentry Lodge, B.C. Photo: Oskar ENANDER

Andreas Fransson’s Writing Freeskiing’s Perils Sig Tveit Raphael Webhofer

Sweetgrass’ Afterglow Project La Familia’s Slovenian Urban Mission

JP Auclair

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Spray

80

History

82

Science

84

Crew

Olympic Judging Adventure Skiboarding Quality Control The Bunch

86

Insider

88

Destination

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Portrait

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Vibes

FWT Safety Guys Kitzsteinhorn Lofoten Jesper Tjäder Nipwitz

Contributors

DECEMBER

IMPRINT

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Oskar Enander

Elina Sirparanta

While he spends most of the winter amongst the mountains of Switzerland, Oskar has travelled across the globe to take mouth-watering photos of skiers in their element and his talents have earned the Swede countless accolades. His biggest challenge yet was shooting LED night skiing for the Afterglow project.

A philosophical approach to capturing images sets Elina apart as a photographer. Hailing from a small village in Finland, she is now based in France for most of the year. Elina plays with shadows and tones in ways that give her shots a dynamic personality; they are simply beautiful and profound.

Chris O’Connell

Ethan Stone

An impromptu trip to Riksgransen to shoot JP Auclair and JF Cusson in 1998 spurred a passion for freeski photography, an ongoing friendship with JP and an invaluable influence on the freeski community. OC is a founder of Armada and has contributed to all major ski publications as a photographer and writer for over a decade.

Since Johnny Mosley grabbed mute in 1998, Ethan has been infatuated with skiing. A writer, photographer, videographer, shaper, event organizer and more; he has influenced the freeski scene through his involvement in, among others, Newschoolers, Freeskier, Nine Knights, West Coast Sessions and most recently, Downdays.

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

Imprint PUBLISHER Distillery Concept & Creation GmbH Innsbruck, Austria

EDITORIAL STAFF Alexandra Engels | alexe@distillery.cc Kyle Meyr | kyle@distillery.cc David Malacrida | david@distillery.cc

EDITOR IN CHIEF Mark von Roy | mark@distillery.cc

ENGLISH TRANSLATION & CORRECTION Mark von Roy, Kyle Meyr

PRODUCTION MANAGER & PHOTO EDITOR Klaus Polzer | klaus@distillery.cc

MAGAZINE LAYOUT & DESIGN Floyd E. Schulze | hello@wthm.net

PHOTOGRAPHERS Jeremy Bernard, Adam Clark, Damien Deschamps, Oskar Enander, Mattias Fredriksson, Stéphane Godin, Grant Gunderson, Sverre Hjørnevik, Blake Jorgenson, Pally Learmond, Jason Levinthal, Ville-Petteri Määttä, David Malacrida, Kyle Meyr, Chris O’Connell, Klaus Polzer, Erik Seo, Elina Sirparanta, Ethan Stone AUTHORS Micah Abrams, Phil Casabon, Bruno Compagnet, JF Cusson, Johnny Decesare, Oskar Enander, Alexandra Engels, Andreas Fransson, Pep Fujas, Torkel Karoliussen, Ville-Petteri Määttä, David Malacrida, Kyle Meyr, Iselin Næss, Chris O’Connell, Glen Plake, Klaus Polzer, Daron Rahlves, Stefan Skrobar, Ethan Stone, Mark von Roy, Nick Waggoner, Jacob Wester

IMAGE PROCESSING & DESKTOP PUBLISHING Klaus Polzer PRINT HOUSE Mayr Miesbach | www.mayrmiesbach.de ADVERTS & MARKETING Simon Kegler | simon@distillery.cc HEAD OF DISTRIBUTION Ben Burnett | ben@distillery.cc If you want the Downdays Magazine in your shop, chalet or bar, please send us a mail!

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 & German.

Downdays is also a website: www.downdays.eu Downdays social media: www.facebook.com/downdays www.instagram.com/downdays_eu www.downdays-eu.tumblr.com The magazine and all contributions are subject to copyright. Duplication, publication or any other re-utilisation, 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.

erdmannpeisker / Robert Bösch

Maturity Check.

Think you‘re a high-flyer? Make sure you‘re not heading for a fall! All seasoned performances start in the mind: are the external conditions right, is the equipment safe and reliable? All check?

Only then are our Pro Team athletes ready to cut some powder at Val Acletta! With the new Mammut Freeride collection, it’s not just our riders who look great – you do too. Find out for yourself! www.mammut.ch

DIALOGUE

18

Jack-of-all-Trades From demolishing gnarly Alaskan faces to stunning runs on the gigantic Olympic slopestyle course, Markus Eder has most definitely had a busy year. We managed to snag the somewhat media shy lad for a bit of a chat to find out more about this European multi-talent.

GRANT GUNDERSON SEWARD, AK

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

MARKUS EDER

Interview: Mark von ROY

Haha, lets see if that story makes it

As a child of the Internet generation it must have been difficult to be separated from the web, but was it also kind of refreshing to get away from it all?

I’m not really that addicted. We could still post on facebook and write messages and all that, but it was still refreshing to not be constantly connected all day.

After one month you are pretty happy to be in normal civilisation again.

Nowadays the Internet and Social Media plays quite a large roll for professional skiers. To have an active and large following is almost as important as riding ability for some sponsors…

Yeah I guess it also makes sense from the perspective of the sponsors. But that same topic existed even before Social Media. There were always riders that shined through their shredding, and some that promoted themselves better. I hope I can continue pushing it hard on snow cause my media skills aren’t really the yoke of the egg.

BORN: 30th of November 1990 HOME: Luttach in South Tyrol, Italy HOME MOUNTAIN: Klausberg, South

SPONSORS: Völkl, The North Face,

Red Bull, Smith, Swatch, Marker, Dalbello, Jeep, F-Tech Snowparks

FAVORITE SKIER: Candide Thovex ESSENTIALS: Snow WEAK SPOT: Sweets

KLAUSBERG

KLAUS POLZER

Tyrol

different level. It was clear all the time and we had to wait for snow, totally unusual for that time of year. For almost four weeks we only had blue skies and it never snowed. It was just shit snow everywhere. I was there with Richie [Permin], Cody [Townsend] and the whole MSP production team; four filmers, Grant [Gunderson] the photographer and two heli pilots. We waited around in the lodge for almost a whole month. We weren’t even in a village, where you could at least find something to do. We had flown one and half hours into the wilderness on a small single engine airplane to a lodge in the middle of nowhere where we ended up being stuck for a whole month without really skiing much.

Oh shit, that’s far from ideal. What did you get up to in a hut in the middle of nowhere in Alaska?

to print. What else did you get up to, other than getting shit-faced?

There was a lot of just hanging out. We only had radio Internet, which was super slow and didn’t really work that well. I was kind of happy to be cut off from the outside world do something different for a while. The owner of the lodge had over twenty sledding dogs, so we went for a couple of rounds with them until we crashed the sled into a tree. So we also let the dog sledding be.

We had enough time to become Ping Pong professionals and chopped lots of wood to last us for a long time. We built a mini park in front of the house with a pump track and some jumps. We had a bunch of fun there and those were the only shots we got at the beginning. After dinner every evening we sat in front of the TV and nursed beers until we had watched every season of Game of Thrones. Although after the first night I

19 DIALOGUE

didn’t drink any beer for two weeks. We kinda just did things that you do when you have nothing better to do and finally after two weeks it started dumping.

And you push it in all aspects, which is awesome. You are pretty much the only rider that skis, competes and films in the park as well as the backcountry at the highest level. You don’t really need to do any self-promotion. Did you intend to focus on all aspects of freeskiing, or did that just happen?

It was pretty automatic. Whenever it snowed we went powder skiing, and when there was no pow, we skied in the park. At the beginning I always did park contests, but when I got back from a contest I always wanted to go freeriding.

When I got back from a powder trip I wanted to go shred in the park. I always did what I felt like doing; that’s how it worked and that’s still what I do now.

The one pushes the other; a self-perpetuating machine so to speak. That’s pretty ideal. So why did you want to go to the Olympic Games?

I am actually not all stoked on the Olympics, the IOC and FIS. Many other sports have gone down the drain in the past because of their entire system and I really noticed in the pre-Olympic

MARKUS EDER

On our first day we went heliskiing to find good spots and check the snow conditions. Right away we saw that the snow conditions everywhere were far from ideal; we knew we were going to have to wait for the snow before we went flying again. The forecast was for clear skies the whole week. So we got on the piss pretty heavily. Beer, shots and everything mixed very tastefully. Well, to make a long story short, none of us felt very good the next day. After that we decided to leave the drinking be.

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Yo Markus! Let’s get right into it.

Last season you were in Alaska for the second time, we all want to go there as well. What was the trip like?

Yeah I was there last season to film with MSP. The first time I was there we were both lucky and unlucky. The snow conditions were perfect and we only had to wait five days for good weather. Unfortunately the other two skiers got injured early in the trip. This year was completely different. Usually you always have to play the “Waiting Game” in Alaska, where you wait for the weather to clear, but this year the Waiting Game was on a

Even though you narrowly missed out on getting into the finals you surely made everyone back home proud. What’s the skiing actually like where you grew up?

MOVIE SEGMENTS: 2011: “Life Long” - Aestivation 2012: “In Space” - Junkies on a Budget 2013: “Satori” - Junkies on a Budget 2014: “Days of my Youth” - MSP

I grew up in a small village in Ahrntal in South Tyrol. It’s only five minutes to one ski area and ten minutes to another.

Klausberg is where I started skiing park because they have always had a decent terrain park, but outside of the scene no one really cared about that aspect until the Olympics came around. However, nowadays veteran racers approach me every now and then for a chat. I also grew up skiing powder in Klausberg and when I compare that mountain with Revelstoke for example, I actually think that Klausberg is much cooler. So many people in Europe think that Canada and Alaska are such powder meccas but without a Skidoo or a Heli, it’s not really that great. So many people freeride there so all the snow gets tracked really quickly. You can still find epic untracked runs even if it hasn’t snowed for a week in Europe, you just have to know where to look. I still enjoy powder skiing at home more than anywhere else!

Talking about powder, what actually happened at the end of your Alaska trip? Did you finally find good snow?

AWARDS & RESULTS 2010: 1st Nine Knights Big Air 2011: 2nd Red Bull Linecatcher 2011: Winning Team Swatch Skiers Cup 2011: 1st SFR Tour Slopestyle in La Clusaz 2012: 1st World Heli Challenge 2013: 1st FWT Event in Courmayeur 2013: Winning Team Swatch Skiers Cup

Yeah, we did get some fresh snow eventually. We had to search for quite a while to find the good spots that were protected from the sun. It was pretty decent but the good snow was always in the shade, and that isn’t ideal for filming.

We got a few shots, but I really hope that next year will be better!

Looking at the photos it really looks like you made the most out of it!

Dude, I really have to go take a piss, so let’s wrap it up. Thanks a bunch for the interview Markus and next time you are in Innsbruck the beer is on me!

I thank you Mark and the beer will be on me buddy!

KLAUS POLZER

phase that the federations and the IOC didn’t really care about the sport but more about how they could profit from it. They have no idea about our culture and don’t really want to know about it.

They try to bend and shape us into their preconceived mould, but I think we are strong enough not to be influenced by them and to continue on our own path.

Freeskiing is far larger and more diverse than other sports. I guess it was important for me to be a part of the first Olympic Games that our sport takes part in, to do my part in ensuring that it heads in the right direction. Of course it was really cool to be a part of the whole thing and experience all the other sports live, not to mention getting to shred the insane slopestyle course. In the end I even managed to land a run that I was super stoked on, and probably won’t be able to repeat like that for a while.

KLAUSBERG

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

MARKUS EDER

DIALOGUE

20

GRANT GUNDERSON

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

SEWARD, AK

MARKUS EDER

DIALOGUE

21

FRESHIES

22

Mammut Freeride Film Contest Calling all freeriders out there who capture their escapades with moving pictures, we have found the contest for you! Grab your POV cam, grab a mate and shove a DSLR in his hands, perhaps dig out your dad’s Super 8 camera and start getting creative on the mountain.

Film yourself shredding your little heart out and be in to win one of four complete Mammut freeride outfits including an Avalanche Airbag freeride backpack, not to mention a freeride weekend with the Mammut Alpine School at famous Arlberg. How it works: head on over to

DECEMBER

Downdays Freeride Missions Two days of personally guided powder excursions around an Austrian mountain gem, a quiver of new skis to shred, all the latest safety equipment on hand, great food and evening entertainment sorted, not to mention shredding with two legends of the sport: Eric Hjorleifson and Matt Sterbenz. Doesn’t that sound like a pristine weekend with your mates?

May we introduce the Downdays Freeride

www.mammut-freeride.ch and upload your creative and gnarly masterpiece, spread the word on social networks and collect votes. The community and a panel of

Missions, from the 13th to 15th of February 2014 at the secret freeride Eldorado of Kappl, in Tyrol. From Freeride World Tour venues and longer freeride routes, to more approachable faces for those getting their first taste for freeride adventures; Kappl – nestled in the Paznaun Valley, just before Ischgl – is the ideal venue for a freeride weekend. Skiers attending will be split into groups according to ambition and skill, have their own guides and have the chance to get tips from Matt Sterbenz and Eric Hjorleifson. Thanks to the support of Arc’teryx, ABS, Ortovox and Sport Bittl,

expert judges decide the winners and the video with the most community votes also wins a freeride weekend with Mammut Pro Team athletes and all around freeride legends Loris and Nicolas Falquet. But there are no losers in this contest, every person who submits a video gets a Mammut beanie and all voters are entered in to win a Mammut Jacket. Get out there, get creative, get gnarly, but remember to be safe!

Entries are open for all skiers from Switzerland, Germany and Austria, for further information head over to www.mammut-freeride.ch.

all participants in the Downdays Freeride Missions will be equipped with all the latest safety equipment for the weekend and a fleet of freeride sticks from 4FRNT to try out. We’ve got everything sorted for you; all you have to do is sign up quickly, as there are only 24 spots. Find out more at www.downdays.eu/missions, your perfect freeride weekend awaits.

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

Making Safe Love Sexy

Ok wait, what did you just read? Perhaps one of the more important things that

you will read today, that’s what you just read. GummiLove, a non-profit organisa-

tion with the goal of promoting safe sex amongst all us action sports enthusiasts, believes that everyone has the right to express their sexuality and passion in their own way. Important is staying safe and healthy. Recently Swiss freeski phenomenon Elias Ambühl joined the cause as GummiLove ambassador to help spread the word. While taking calculated risk may be a somewhat unavoidable part of the sport that we love, it’s simply not worth taking risks when making love. A sentiment echoed by Elias, “Risk may be an occasional factor on the mountain, but should never be a factor when things heat up off the mountain.” Put a lid on it, rubber up, sheath your thing; or just to be clear: wear a condom! Find out more at www.gummilove.com and help spread the word. Make safe love sexy!

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

DECEMBER

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rider CHRIS RUBENS spot NISEKO photo GRANT GUNDERSON

DECEMBER

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rider CAM BOLL spot LEWISTON, ME photo ERIK SEO

DECEMBER

rider SAGE CATTABRIGA-ALOSA spot JUNEAU, AK photo BLAKE JORGENSON

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rider THIBAUD DUCHOSAL spot JURA photo STEPH GODIN

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spot MADESIMO photo OSKAR ENANDER | spot SAN MARTINO photo MATTIAS FREDRIKSSON

Fin

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rider PÄR HÄGGLUND spot LYCKSELE photo DAVID MALACRIDA

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rider DANE TUDOR spot REVELSTOKE, B.C. photo ADAM CLARK

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rider BEAU-JAMES WELLS spot ABSOLUT PARK FLACHAUWINKL photo KLAUS POLZER

When things go wrong…

bebeautiful environments in ed ck wi ly ib ed cr in but let’s doing something This lifestyle is great, ’. m People envy us for the ea dr e th ng vi ‘li e them we ar down due to this acgo n ca at th it cause social media tells sh e th risks and contemplate talk about the inherent . tivity we all partake in R Text: Stephan SKROBA

SAM FAVR ET

CHA MON IX

DAM IEN DES CHA MPS

FIR ST RES PO NS E Know the use your phone’s GPS. ple) and know how to number of the re sto 2), mber (11 European emergency nu er of a local cue team and the numb the local mountain res r batter y also know how long you taxi ser vice. You should y power how to conser ve batter lasts on the mountain and time. Some phones, your estimated return t pas ts las it so ngs go in cold temperff you can do before thi notorious for turning off are es, on iPh like First, let’s talk about stu s k. e or two thing asing an extra batter y pac lows is obvious, but on atures, so consider purch wrong. A lot of what fol mode ne pla er: air eth to tog h itc m sw the d, so let’s repeat your phone off or oke rn rlo Tu ip: ove be o-T l (Pr stil ght mi are at a harging process when you , to speed up the rec on ati situ che lan ava rself on the hut.)

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WN DAY S SEASON 14/15 MA GA ZIN E

BR AIN S

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So your mate just got him pickle.

Stay calm. Always!

king life your buddy without ris If possible, try to get to ely saf reach cious time. If you can’t and limb or wasting pre phone, yodelthe injured person via them, get in touch with on with everyconstant communicati ling or similar. Being in d in ensuring icking is the best metho one involved and not pan wise decisions. ssible. tain rescue as soon as po Alert ski patrol or moun as be to try location of the accident When giving them the injuthe ut untain rescue will ask abo specific as possible. Mo don’t t (bu nt me give some sor t of assess ist ries, so be prepared to ass so r, cto lihood you are not a do stress about it). In all like are you depending on how well your injured colleague trained.

large involves a surprisingly Helping a hurt buddy es uri are not mon sense, so if the inj amount of healthy com warm and comtry to keep him or her visibly life-threatening s. for table until help arrive

HEL PFU L RES OUR CES :

ww w.firstaidinaction.net

ww w.diebergstation.at

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nd(s). and digging out your frie Get started on locating ght be mi w no t?” ow exactly do I do tha If you are thinking, “H ng ini tra and s avalanche awarenes a good time to book an course.

r logistics. Ask where you When help arrives, think erel e ng cha by mountain rescue. Ex friend is being taken to the orm Inf . ary lend money if necess ivant phone numbers and fam the to g first point when talkin family and remember the ly. Stay calm. inndations apply to skiing These general recomme area ski a h wit venturing out of bounds bounds, in the park or t ou g din hea proximity. When you are or town in the general nt sta con t ou ith neering adventures (w for multi-day mountai more deneed to contemplate a cell-phone reception) you re thormo es This obviously requir tailed self-help scenario. re you mo e Th . ropriate equipment ough training and the app train you re mo ios in your head, the play with possible scenar , get you e enc s, and the more experi s for emergency situation ng thi en wh ng m and do the right thi the easier it is to stay cal do go wrong.

5

danger.

FIR ST RES PO NS E

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food, waurn. Bring a little extra are to be expected to ret w long ause you never know ho ter and warm clothes, bec r-shaped. untain if things go pea you will spend on the mo

GEAR

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Resort Hustling There is a certain pleasure about finding little jib nooks and jump crannies in hidden parts of a resort. Linking them together in one run and then sharing your secret line will gain you mad props, as will looking like a boss…

DECEMBER

FULL TILT | DROP KICK 99 mm Last & Medium Flex Shock Absorber & Rubber Heel Performer Wide-Toe Liner Ratchet Buckles & Adjustable Cant

O’NEILL | INTEL JACKET David Wise Pro Model Jacket 3M Thinsulate Firewall Insulation Snow gaiter & Pant Connector System Critically Taped Seams & Armpit Vents

UVEX | DOWNHILL 2000

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

Oversized Frameless Construction 100% UVA, UVB, UVC protection Double Lens Spheric Direct Frame Ventilation

O’NEILL | STEREO PANT

FACTION | CANDIDE 2.0

BERN | WATTS WUTANG

Slim fit with 10k/10k Waterproof/Breathability Pant Snow gaiter & Jacket Connector System Articulation & Critically Taped Seams Waist Adjuster & Pant Reinforcement

Dimensions: 132-102-132 mm Lengths: 166/172/178/184 cm Large Tip & Medium Tail Rocker Symmetrical Shape with Carbon Reinforcement

Wu-Tang Logo for bonus steeze Certified Thin Shell Construction EPS foam and Ultra Thin ABS Shell Outdoor Tech Wireless Audio Compatible

GEAR

40

Out of Bounds There are many things to consider when venturing away from the ski area. After the usual precautions and preparations of backcountry missions, the safety, functionality, comfort and of course playfulness of your equipment should be at the top of the list…

ANON | RODAN In-Molded Polycarbonate Shell BOA Powered Fit System Fidlock Magnetic SNAP Helmet Buckle Soundby Skullcandy Audio Compatibility

DECEMBER

PLANKS | YETI HUNTER From the New Planks Outerwear Line Ride Dry 20 Fabric – Durable and Lightweight 20k/20k Waterproof/Breathability Large Chest Pockets and Removable Powder Skirt

ANON | M2 Integral Clarity Technology Visible Light Transmission Lens Tech Magna Tech Lens Swap System Wall-to-Wall Low Profile Frame

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

LINE | MAGNUM OPUS Dimensions: 148-124-146 mm Length: 188 cm Super-light and Nimble Cloud Core Early Rise and Taper Symmetric Flex and 5-Cut Sidecut

MAMMUT | ALYESKA GTX PRO REALISATION PANTS Integrated Certified Climbing Harness Robust 3-Layer GORE-TEX Pro Material Hidden Safety Loops and Removable Elastic Bib Perfect Ski Touring and Ski Mountaineering Pant

DAKINE | ABS SIGNAL ABS TwinBag Technology Retractable Ski Carry System 25L Volume with Tool & Shovel Pocket 3.65 kg Including Activation Unit

Pics: Hansi Heckmair

San Martino di Castrozza, March 2015

Bjรถrn Heregger Pic: Sepp Mallaun

CLIMB TO SKI CAMP

Applications starts in December: climbtoskicamp.salewa.com

in collaboration with:

salewa.com

DECEMBER

ESSENTIALS

42

Marker: KINGPIN

The Kingpin, Marker’s new PinTech touring binding is this season’s game changer.

The sturdy and responsive Kingpin, is the binding that big mountain rippers like Stian Hagen rely on a daily basis, even for gnarly and technical lines in deep pow – the kicker: it weighs less than 700 grams! (650 g without brake, 730 g with brake). It’s the first frameless PinTech binding that has the same performance, and safety of conventional bindings. It is also the first PinTech to get TÜV ISO 13992:2007 certified.

It’s got everyone talking.

Two Kingpin models are available; one has din 10 the other 13. The heelpiece is reminiscent of alpine bindings and offers direct power transmission through wide contact points on the ski. The toe piece sports six springs, as opposed to four, holds the boot firmly in place and with adjustable guide points it is far easier to click into. Changing from climb to ski mode is done by flipping sturdy levers and adjusting the climbing aids can be done with a ski pole. And there is no heavy bracket! Add to that a variety of break and crampon sizes, wide mounting hole patterns and solid anodized gold parts and you’ve got a touring binding that ticks all the boxes.

Basically, the Kingpin is the binding of choice for skiers that want usability and weight-saving on the tour up, while retaining control and performance on the way down. With over six decades of experience, and many innovations under their belt, it’s safe to say that Marker know what they are up to and have just added another accolade to their list of industry leading accomplishments.

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

Ortovox: FREE RIDER ABS A solid and reliable backpack is just as important for safety while freeriding as a transceiver, shovel and probe. Recent studies have confirmed that avalanche airbag systems are very effective emergency devices.1 The Free Rider ABS from Ortovox is the go to backcountry backpack.

After strapping it on the first thing you notice is comfort; the bag is super light and fits snugly. At further inspec-

tion, you find a removable SPS PRO back protector that molds onto your back. There are 24- and 26-liter versions for different body heights and both come stacked with adjustable features.

The tried and tested ABS Twinbags and shovel/probe pockets ensure utmost safety. The ABS Twinbags have been thoroughly tested, are designed to the strictest safety standards and are even removable. The multiple straps, Vel-

cros and clasps ensure that the bag fits perfectly and that skis, poles, helmets and other equipment can be attached in multiple ways. There is little doubt why this TÜV certified backpack won Gold at the ISPO Awards, the designers and manufacturers at Ortovox simply know what a Freerider needs.

1

www.slf.ch “The effectiveness of avalanche airbags”

The Beauty of Choice and the Depth of Now

MATTIAS FREDRIKSSON CHAMONIX

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

ANDREAS FRANSSON

CREATIVE

44

Andreas Fransson

* April 15th 1983; † September 29th 2014

45 CREATIVE

On the 3rd of November 2013, Andreas Fransson lost his good friend Magnus Kastengren while they were skiing Mt. Cook in New Zealand.

Tragically, Andreas was fatally taken by an avalanche in Chile just ten months later. His philosophical reflections, written on his blog a few months after the passing of his friend, may help us all…

I don’t want to dwell, nor do I want to teach. I just have a few tiny concepts that I’ve learnt or maybe relearnt these last months. They have been growing on the side of my thought stream just like moss grows on the old murky logs next to a forest trail. We have to get on with our lives whatever happens. It sounds so definite, and sometimes we want to respect others by choosing to feel bad, but that is a choice, nothing more and nothing less. I have, during many parts of my life, been in incredible pain and even though I scream like a newborn baby, I just have to deal with it. There is nowhere to hide and after a period of screaming the pain seems to fade away to the outskirts of attention and instead comes a peaceful space of nothingness. It’s like another level being glued upon this one. What I’ve learned is that whatever happens, we will deal with it. And, usually, how we deal with it, how we feel and what we think about it is a choice we can learn to make (although the cause and effect is in the reverse order).

ANDREAS FRANSSON

Word after word, situation after situation and feeling after feeling – life goes on like a continuous wave that we can be on top of, under or behind. Isolation from distraction seems like the best healer for my soul, and just letting the words come and the situations happen appears to stitch up the tiredness and those indefinable pieces of my soul that broke this autumn…

The second thing I’ve learnt is: where we are at this moment is the deepest and most sophisticated, beautiful and incredible place we can be. We can try to search for escapism, and when we are daydreaming that’s fine, but where we are now is amazing. And if it isn‘t, then change the opinion or the situation – both are most often extremely doable. You can choose to see a friend’s death as something tragic or something beautiful. You can choose to believe what you like about what happens after death. You can choose to create whichever reality you like. So then create a reality that you like!

During a traumatic experience crystals of life within get crushed and we need to heal. The words used are only lights to lead the way, but the message is subjectively true. We need to rest, we need friends and we need love. Then comes the dealing with thoughts and creation, and that is where we deal with choice, the crossroad of darkness and light.

I’ve learnt a few things the last few months; life goes on – how we want it to go on is a choice and even if we want to escape, there is nowhere to escape. So we might as well make right now awesome.

Andreas FRANSSON – February 13th 2014

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

We create whatever we want and we are totally free to do so. You are free to believe and think whatever you want about this short text. But it would be comically stupid if you created some negative thoughts around it. An interesting thing to think about is: If it happens to be so – that we are able to create our own reality – then the person that believes this and the person that doesn’t are both right.

THOUGHT

46

Risk and Reward Only a few other sports have as many fallen heroes as freeskiing. Is our sport too dangerous? What lies behind this woeful notion? Klaus Polzer, part of the freeski scene almost since its inception, weighs in.

The news shocked everyone to the core. JP Auclair and Andreas Fransson, two legends of our sport, lost their lives in an avalanche. The specific circumstances remained initially unclear, yet it was undoubtedly a tragic accident. The fact that both were immensely experienced and educated freeriders – that they knew what they were doing – makes this tragedy that much more unfathomable and depressing.

Doug Coombs, Shane McConkey, CR Johnson, Sarah Burke… These are only some of the better-known names, among many others, who lost their lives through their passion for freeskiing. Many were never well known or famous, yet most were talented and experienced in their field. Often avalanches were at fault, yet the dangers of freeskiing are numerous. Fatal accidents even occur in the freestyle realm, although the risks and number of incidents while freeriding are far higher. So is freeskiing too dangerous?

There is little doubt that freeskiing isn’t a safe endeavour. Looking at the numbers, particularly of serious or fatal injuries, freeriding is comparable to mountaineering. Not too surprising considering that both are done in the mountains, a potentially hazardous area with many objective dangers. One

can learn to evaluate and avoid them as much as possible, but one can never eliminate them completely. A similar situation exists in the freestyle world, although the dangers are more predictable and less influenced by uncontrollable factors. However, completely eliminating the dangers can only be done by not doing the sport in the first place, not really a viable option.

Some skiers are aware of the consequences, while many more repress the thought.

If it is obvious that freeskiing is dangerous, why are so many individuals drawn to it, just like mountaineering, snowboarding, mountain biking, skateboarding or surfing? Not just young people, who tend to be overly daring, have an affinity for so called Action Sports. The reason why these sports are so attractive to people of all ages is acutally quite simple; the constant and various challenges that these sports offer – regardless of skill level – are the draw card. In overcoming challenges, that are often extremely dangerous, one finds the motivation that many other sports only offer through competition. Most freeskiers don’t need traditional competitions to find fulfilment through their sport. Dealing with the elements, with gravity and personal goals is sufficient enough for a lifetime of challenges. Freeskiing never gets boring, because the challenges are ever-changing and adapt to one’s skill level. One can always find the balance between too difficult or too easy, between being bored and being frustrated. Finding “the Flow” or being in “the Zone”, even for an instant, is the ultimate goal of all these sports.

The difficulty – and where physical harm comes into play – lies in retaining the right balance. Starting out, it’s hard to find the balance, yet luckily the consequences as a beginner are not as dire and errors are not punished as severely. Over time one gains skill, experience and is able to judge each situation with more expertise. While it becomes easier to find the right balance, the dangers also increase. Therein lies the paradox of these sports. The experts are seldom in real danger, even if from an outside observer’s perspective they may seem to be almost continuously in risky situations. However, if things do go wrong, situations can turn deadly, particularly in freeriding where external variables – like avalanches – that can never be 100% outmanoeuvred, come into play.

Nevertheless, freeskiing is not as dangerous as some may think, so there is no need to loose faith. Analysing the statistics more precisely, many so-called traditional sports are just as, if not more, accident-prone. And most of us will in all likelihood never reach the level where personal fulfilment can only be achieved by entering life-threatening situations. One can find immense enjoyment in skiing, regardless of ability or the difficulty of one’s goals. Just never forget the dangers, particularly the uncontrollable ones like avalanches!

KLAUS POLZER

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

DANGERS OF FREESKIING

Text: Klaus POLZER

henrik windstedt in our new heli gravity. #justaddski

TALENT

48

Sig Tveit: Scandinavian Style Seeker HOMETOWN: Voss and currently Oslo HOME MOUNTAIN: Voss Resort

SUMMER JOB: Ski coach at What! Summer

Camps

HOBBIES: Skateboarding and Music SPONSORS: Line Skis, Jiberish, Full Tilt

How does filming with The Trashparty compare to Level 1?

The Trashparty is a lot less organized.

Actually no. It’s really hard to synchronize when everybody is spread all over town and nobody has a car. Filming with Level 1, we plan it a bit better, but we also put more money in to it.

What would be your ideal spot to film?

Street is my absolute preference to film, without a doubt. I’d love to film some natural take offs. But honestly I don’t really see that happening on a half-serious level unless I meet someone who is actually willing to touch a camera on a pow-

der day. I look at park more like a training facility almost; like a driving range in golf. Trying to film something there is just pointless in my opinion. You have to do street or backcountry.

go ski, haha. So I downsized a little bit.

At the same time I got really into snowboarding. Now, I think what defines me as a skier is which tricks I do as much as how I do them, thanks to snowboarding.

Do you let your style of skiing reflect your eclectic taste in music?

I don’t know how I would do that, and I don’t even think I know what I would want to reflect. On the other hand I think skiing, snowboarding and skateboarding are very relatable to music or art on many levels, when it comes to how we should view, compare and appreciate it. I think there is more to it than what you can judge with even the most complex FIS forms and formulas.

Do you have a five-year plan?

I’m definitely just going with the flow, taking one season at a time. There is so much changing and happening that is out of your control and you’re also supposed to try to stay on top. I could never set up and follow a plan like that. It would take the fun out of it!

When and why did your clothes shrink?

Haha, I don’t know. For a while I was just wearing big clothes out of habit. At one point I wasn’t at all wearing the same type of clothes skiing as I was off the hill and it felt kind of dumb to “dress up” to

FOLGEFONNA, NORWAY

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

When was your big break in freeskiing?

Haha. I don’t know if I ever had a big break, but the closest to it would be Jon Olsson Super Sessions in 2010. Level 1’s Superunknown was also a foot in the door to a production company I had been dreaming about filming with.

SVERRE HJORNEVIK

SIG TVEIT

BORN: September 6th 1992 in Voss, Norway

Interview: Kyle MEYR

TALENT

50

Raphael Webhofer: A Travelling Freerider BORN: August 2nd 1994 in Innsbruck, Austria HOME: Innsbruck, Tyrol

HOME MOUNTAIN: The whole Tyrolian Alps,

HOBBIES: Rock Climbing, Mountaineer-

SPONSORS: Völkl, Marker, Mons Royale,

wherever the best snow is

ing, Skydiving, Traveling, Surfing SUMMER JOB: Cook or Waiter

Douchebags, Komperdell, Chillhouse, Pieps, Obergurgl

Even though you’re still pretty young, you’ve already had a pretty impressive career. What fascinates you about freeriding?

I simply enjoy spending time in the mountains and as a Tyrolean you pretty much grow up skiing. I think I enjoy freeriding so much because you can be creative and every line is different. You have to adapt your riding to the terrain and not the other way around!

I heard you broke your pelvis in April. How did that happen?

I wasn’t concentrated. I misjudged the snow quality by a bit and tried to turn too aggressively. Then I started tumbling in an area where you don’t really want to fall. A rock crossed my path and I broke my pelvis. Luckily I recovered pretty quickly and was able to do anything I wanted about 6-7 weeks after the surgery.

Another hobby of yours is Skydiving. How do your parents cope with you doing such “high risk” sports?

My parents haven’t had it easy with me

from an early age. I’ve always been a wild one and had to try everything. So they’ve pretty much gotten used to it by now.

They trust me to know what I am doing and to look after myself, which I am very thankful for.

You’ve had your biggest success so far at the FWQ in Andorra, 2013.

What do you think about the FWT holding an event there this season?

I’m pretty excited. Andorra is an incredibly great country and the people there are awesome! The Pyrenees are so different to the Alps and I think it is good that the FWT stops are held at different mountain ranges. With Stops in Alaska, the Alps as well as the Pyrenees, the skiing will differ from stop to stop. And you can’t complain about tax-free beer can you?

area around Mt. Cook, where we filmed together with Kiwis Sam Smoothy and Fraser McDougall. We spent several days at the glacier and slept in self-supported huts. Those were our base camps to hike lines and to film. It’s an amazing place; from glaciers to rainforests, New Zealand has everything to offer.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

In ten years I’ll still be in the mountains with my skis and will have a lot more stamps in my passport. I won’t be living at my parents any more but probably with a nice woman somewhere in the Alps.

You recently started filming with Legs Of Steel, what did you get up to?

I was in New Zealand in August for four weeks together with LOS. The main project of our trip was a glacier trip in the

TASMAN GLACIER, NEW ZEALAND

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

PALLY LEARMOND

RAPHAEL WEBHOFER

Interview: Alexandra ENGELS

ZIP-ON YOUR LIFE Whatever your plans are, choose the perfect volume for your activities. Zip-ons with a storage volume ranging from 8 to 50 Liter can be easily attached to 速 the ABS Twinbag system with a zipper.

Even more possibilities through ABS速 Compatible Partner.

W W W. A B S - A I R B A G. C O M

QPARKS s!

e in L ll a n o y t li a u .Q ..

s of other snowparks and heap 28 th wi t as bo n, sig de n nstructions and park The ‘Quality Parks’ ca ark for snowpark co dules of this winter. hm he d nc sc be ille dsk re an sh pe ’ 170 ro rs as Eu kie e ny es QParks, th rk in all fre ct that as ma fa ma e ed th fix n a ve t Gi ge d. ll wi lan er likely ion of the d Switz facilities which most and the implementat Germany, Austria an ce ly, an Ita en in int ge ma Rid e ily da pin ra e Al pularity of these fine rk designers cater fo be found alongside th dient for the great po on of experienced pa re isi ing rv pe nt su rta e po th r im de st un shapers ems to be the mo ts, quality indeed se sessions! sophisticated concep lik the way we e park tly ac ex ’s at Th . ds playgroun

tor!

uc tr s In r, e in a r T r, te o m o r ...P

big ll earned their reputation as boarders, QParks have we s’ ort of res ies the ser t oss tes acr con e ur nam ate gest am ried their The QParks Freeski Tour – big Not only their parks have car ne. , the sce ise yle ew est Lik . fre ers the com of advancement springboard for new nt ica nif sig a ing vid players in the support and pro s thu talented e sweep across 10 QParks, son, putting the spotlight on sea the t hou oug thr gs Europe – will for the fifth tim otin to sho ters in Austria ms around 200 film- and pho w that the QParks Headquar kno uld sho e On ne.

QParks Media crew perfor sce an ope ing a member of the crew ke their mark within the Eur rketing professionals. Becom freeskiers who want to ma ma of ens doz 2 the start of the h wit ncy n media age nt for shaper vacancies at me art dep nel son per also accommodate their ow ir the p craft r countless applicants swam , getting taught in the artful definitely pays, so no wonde for maintaining a snowpark you s ancing pay adv t e tha tim re e the sam out dly a job ladder, while at the eer car the up b clim season. Honestly, there’s har to es iliti s and rails with rich possib of the best angles for kicker your shred skills!

Feldberg, L

Diedamskopf, L St. Anton am Arlberg, L Pizol, M Schilthorn, L Gstaad, XL

Lenzerheide, M

Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis, L ,L Obergurgl, M Sölden Scuol, L Schöneben, XL

The Parks: Alta Badia 01 Snowpark Alta Badia | Dachstein Gletscher 02 Superpark Dachstein | st | Russbach 03 Snowpark Dachstein We | Diedamskopf 04 Pleasure Diedamspark rg | Feldberg 05 MINI Snowpark Feldbe stein 06 Snowpark Gastein | Ga ldeck Go | ck 07 Snowpark Golde Grossarltal 08 Fun Area Grossarltal | aad 09 Snowpark Gstaad | Gst | Mühlbach am Hochkönig 10 Blue Tomato Kingspark ark Kitzbühel | Kitzbühel 11 Mercedes Benz Snowp | Lenzerheide 12 Snowpark Lenzerheide yrhofen 13 Vans Penken Park | Ma ergurgl | Obergurgl 14 Quattro Snow Park Ob 15 Riderpark Pizol | Pizol

nai 16 Superpark Planai | Pla | Planneralm 17 Snowvalley Planneralm 18 Snowpark Rauris | Rauris mittenhöhe 19 Snowpark Schmitten | Sch öneben 20 Snowpark Schöneben | Sch 21 Snowpark Scuol | Scuol s-Fiss-Ladis 22 Fun Area Fiss-Ladis | Serfau | Sölden 23 Area 47 Snowpark Sölden 24 Snowpark Söll | Söll berg 25 stanton park | St. Anton am Arl racher Höhe Tur | 26 Snowpark Turracher Höhe | Steinplatte 27 Snowpark Steinplatte Waidring orn 28 SKYLINE SNOWPARK | Schilth

Russbach, M Dachstein Gletscher, XL Söll, M nig, XL Hochkö ch am Kitzbühel, XL Mühlba Planneralm, M Schmittenhöhe, S XL Planai, Rauris, S Grossarltal, M Mayrhofen, XL Gastein, L Steinplatte, L

Turracher Höhe, L Goldeck, L Alta Badia, XL

QParks Freeski Tour 2014/15 25.000 € prize money www.qparkstour.com

This season again, the transalpine contest tour for freeskiers will ramble across 10 snowparks in 4 countries in the search for action, talents and emotions. All freeskiers have the chance to show off their skills and compete with their peers in the categories men, women and rookies. And the bestest of it: participation is FREE. Next to fame and glory, there’s a prize money of EUR 25.000,- waiting to be won!

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

AFTERGLOW

FEATURE 54

FEATURE

light in the

55

From dream to reality – the creation of a transient magical moutainscape. As audacious as it was inspiring, the Afterglow project from Sweetgrass stunned everyone, showcasing Pep Fujas, Eric Hjorleifson, Daron Rahlves and Chris Benchetler shredding British Columbia backcountry and hustling Alaskan spines at night. The eclectic Sweetgrass people appear to have no limit to their creative genius and love of shining a new light on skiing – their latest creation an obvious testament to this notion.

AFTERGLOW

Photography: Oskar ENANDER

dark

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

PEP FUJAS

SENTRY LODGE, B.C.

3000+ LED LIGHTS IN LIGHT SUITS 4100+ KG GEAR 8 MAIN LIGHTING FIXTURES 24 COLOR LIGHT FIXTURES 8 GENERATORS 14 PERSON CREW 3 MONTHS PRE-PRODUCTION 6 WEEKS PRODUCTION 6 MONTHS POST-PRODUCTION 6 TYPES OF AIRCRAFT 4 SKIERS

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

AFTERGLOW

FEATURE 56

leys lit up in blue and pink and green, silhouetted tree tops; magic of some sort. And to see Hoji, Pep, Chris, and Daron ripping huge lines through that kind of environment made it even more surreal. I felt pretty lucky to see those faces lit up at night – I don’t think many people will ever experience that kind of gem in their lifetime.”

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

PEP FUJAS

SENTRY LODGE, B.C.

AFTERGLOW

“It was such a surreal experience. After months of imagining the lights, and reading photometric charts about how far their beams would throw, and questioning whether it would all work for cameras and skiers, and whether the generators were powerful enough, it was real. A bizarre candy-land of color and shadow all laid over the classic awe of deep winter. Entire val-

57 FEATURE

Nick Waggoner Producer & Director

FEATURE

58

Daron Rahlves Skier in AK stability issues and crevasses to deal with.Yes, I was scared. Skiing down the dark side of the spine was more about feeling than seeing. Before skiing we dug out a snow cave to stay warm on top and had to change into the suits up there. It was cold! Once they were ready we were given the orders to change into the suits and the anxiety ramped up quick.”

“Skiing in the dark is always a bit of a surreal experience mostly because your senses have to work overtime to figure out where you are in space. That coupled with bright lights, pillow terrain and an abundance of powder made skiing rather difficult. Every time snow would explode when we shot with the high-powered lights, we would be blinded from the

light reflecting off of the snow crystals. When the dust would clear, your eyes would have to re-adjust to the light or darkness. It was certainly one of the most intense shoots I’ve ever been on. As difficult and tiresome as it was, it was a trip I will never forget. There were so many enjoyable moments that left lasting memories!”

SENTRY LODGE, B.C.

Pep Fujas Skier in B.C.

ERIC HJORLEIFSON

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

AFTERGLOW

“I actually dreamed of skiing at night once. It wasn’t quite like this experience though. Lots of logistics went into skiing Alaskan spines in the dark. We flew in with the heli at 6pm, skied sometime around 2:30am and stayed out till 8am. The lines we picked weren’t the typical heavy lines you’d ski to film, but they were about as serious as we wanted to ski in the dark. We had

SENTRY LODGE, B.C.

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

PEP FUJAS

AFTERGLOW

FEATURE

59

“My biggest concern going in to this project was obviously to get enough light for still photography without using any flashes.

Without getting too technical, still photographers need quite a bit more light than the filmers do. The first night when we got out to the location and the lights got turned on I just stood there looking completely amazed. It was like you turned on the

sun in the middle of the night and you could choose what ever color you wanted to light up the snow. It was definitely my most challenging shoot I have ever done and I needed to push the limit of the camera every night to be able to freeze the action, but when checking the result on my computer every morning it was like Christmas all over again.�

SENTRY LODGE, B.C.

Oskar Enander Photographer

ERIC HJORLEIFSON

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

AFTERGLOW

FEATURE

60

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

CHRIS BENCHETLER & DARON RAHLVES (TOP) / DARON RAHLVES (BOTTOM)

TORDRILLOS, AK

AFTERGLOW

FEATURE

61

AHMET DADALI

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

SLOVENIA

FEATURE 62

FEATURE

63

Slovenia. Not many people could point it out on a map, and even fewer could tell you much about the country. To the Western ear, the name itself carries an air of mystery. Last winter Ahmet Dadali and a La Familia film crew ventured to Slovenia for three weeks, lured by a local freeskier’s invitation and the promise of untapped urban spots. What they found was a country so friendly that the word “love” is right in the middle of the name, with gnarly mountains and plenty of urban features…

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

SLOVENIA

Text & Photos: Ethan STONE

“Why do I still live in the United States?”, Ahmet asks himself only half-rhetorically, steam curling from the teacup in his hand.

There are eight of us on the roof – Ahmet, his four-deep film crew, our two local guides and me – setting up a closeout somewhere in the outskirts of the Slovenian mountain town of Jesenice. We are all sipping boiling-hot cups of tea.

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

Ahmet is asking this question because in his US home this scene could never take place. Our Slovenian buddy Agron is shoveling snow onto the roof for an in-run, I’m trampling somebody’s backyard bushes to make a landing, and Agron’s friend Androz has been going at the rusty rail with an obnoxiously loud electric grinder for the past ten minutes. A concerned local resident watching this scene unfold had just decided to take action.

In the United States, that action would have been a call to the police and a quick boot from the spot. But here in Slovenia, this woman chose instead to serve us tea on a tray, with lemon slices, sugar cubes and cups for the whole crew. This friendliness, combined with the country’s abundant urban features and backcountry potential, is enough to make an American freeskier ponder emigration.

*** Nestled between Austria, Italy, Croatia and Hungary on the southeastern arc of the Alps, it’s hard to tell whether Slovenia lies in Central, Eastern or Southern Europe. Once a part of Yugoslavia and the Eastern Bloc, Slovenia secured national independence in 1992 with a quick and relatively painless TenDay War. While the rest of the Balkans descended into war and

ethnic conflict, Slovenia was joining the European Union and the United Nations, and actively disassociating itself from its war-torn neighbors in the former Yugoslavia.

Twenty years later, other countries in the region still endure the legacy of those times. War crime trials, unexploded land mines and shattered economies are still what come to mind in the popular conception of the Balkans.

Slovenia, on the other hand, managed to completely divorce itself from this unsavory legacy. Granted, it had a leg up over the rest of Yugoslavia: geographically and culturally closer to the West, its independence was quickly accepted by the rest of Europe, and its economy had always been stronger and more Westernized than the rest of the region. The differences are so great that many modern commentators don’t consider Slovenia to be a Balkan country at all, but rather a part of Central Europe, together with the likes of Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.

Not really Balkan, but not entirely Western either, Slovenia is still an undefined place on the map. While its neighbors have developed more specific reputations, whether for balmy Adriatic beaches or for unexploded anti-personnel land mines, Slovenia has remained comfortably obscure in its niche.

*** It’s partly this obscurity that has attracted the Colorado and U.S. Midwest-based ski crew La Familia to Slovenia. The Alps, Scandinavia, even the Baltic countries – by now these locations are mostly ho-hum for ski adventurers seeking the unknown.

So when Agron Emeri, a Slovenian freeskier and La Familia

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fan, started sending Ahmet Dadali pictures of the urban features in his country, the wheels starting turning.

“Agron contacted me on Facebook and told me that there’s a bunch of things in Slovenia that we should check out, a lot of our style type of things,” Ahmet says. “It sounded like an awesome idea to head out to a country that I haven’t heard of a lot of people going to.”

We are sitting at the dinner table in the apartment that Agron shares with his girlfriend Sara on the outskirts of Ljubljana (say it with me: lee-ooh-blee-ahh-naa), Slovenia’s pocket-sized capital. The apartment is currently packed to the gills with skiers and their gear. At Agron’s invitation, Ahmet has made the journey here along with four friends to scope out the Slovenian scene.

Our timing is unfortunate. A month ago a huge storm system blasted the Southern Alps with record amounts of snow. As Agron tells it, even the urban features in low-lying Ljubljana were all good to go. But, while neighboring Italy enjoyed a oncein-a-decade powder rush, Slovenia was then hit by an ice storm even more ferocious than the snowstorm that came before. Most of the snow in the cities melted, and what was left was rendered unskiable under a thick layer of black ice. Over a quarter of the country was left without power as ice-coated tree branches and power lines came crashing to the ground. So did our hopes for street skiing in Ljubljana and backcountry shredding in Slovenia’s jagged mountains, where the snowpack was all but ruined.

*** Instead of jibbing Ljubljana, we now have to drive an hour north to the town of Jesenice – the town where we get served tea on our first day out – and we begin to realize that we are pretty much free to hit anything we want without fear of getting busted.

After stopping at a kiosk for burek – the meat, cheese and potato-filled pastries that are the Slovenian version of fast food – we start off the day at a down rail to a quick jump over a hedge into somebody’s backyard. The owners’ son comes out briefly, chats with Agron and Androz, and watches a few skiers crash into his family’s backyard bushes without comment. Ahmet

The next spot is a nearby closeout on a roof, where a woman serves the whole crew tea as we set up the spot. The friendliness of the locals, and their openness to our pursuits, is becoming ever more evident.

The dangerousness of those pursuits is also becoming more evident. The rail is sticky, with a narrow concrete staircase on one side and a big drop to the landing. Agron gets close to stomping it once, then catches a tip on the closeout and flips ass over teakettle off the end of the rail, five meters down to a dusting of snow on hard concrete.

He lays there motionless for a minute as we run towards him, fearing the worst. But he promptly pops up, eyes wide, and shakes off the hit. The dude is well over six feet tall – somehow he was able to stretch halfway to the ground and lessen his impact upon arrival. It’s physics.

SLOVENIA

Agron has arranged for the crew to rent a spare apartment in the building, but since the accommodations are smaller than expected and the crew larger, he’s graciously allowed the visitors to take over his own apartment as well. While Sara bustles around the kitchen, cooking up a huge, traditional Slovenian meal for her guests, the skiers crowd around the dinner table, scouring nearby areas with Google Street View in the hunt for features.

needs only a few tries before he nails a lipslide to Lincoln loop hand drag over the hedge.

Unfortunately, hard hits are starting to look like the theme of this trip. Already we’re down to only three healthy skiers. Both Giray and Mike managed to show up in Slovenia with sprained ankles. Mike insists he’ll be able to ski in a few days, but for now the active list is limited to Agron, Androz and Ahmet – and even he is grimacing in pain with torn cartilage in his ribs from a crash a few weeks ago.

Battered in body, but emboldened by the positive response from the locals, we set out the next day to hit a tall and steep triple kink next to a small business complex, right in front of the local post office. I think the spot is too open – there’s no way we’re going to pull this off. But Ahmet is determined to check this feature off the list, and besides, we don’t have lights to come back at night. Within minutes he’s bouncing down the steep kinks and airing off the flat of the rail to find tranny against a concrete ledge at the bottom of the steps.

Amazingly, nobody has called the cops yet. Mothers with babies in strollers walk by without batting an eyelash while an old man shuffles by giving us the evil eye, only to reappear, beer in hand, to watch the action from a curb.

Unofficially given the green light by the community, we proceed to make short work of several different spots around

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Filmer Kevin Perron is here to film for Ahmet’s new solo web series entitled Flip The Script. Along with Kevin, Ahmet has enlisted a small group of friends for this trip from La Familia, a crew with a penchant for hip-hop culture and no-nonsense street skiing. There are the brothers Mike and Frank King, two robust, all-American boys from Michigan, and Ahmet’s brother Giray. This is “La Familia” indeed – all we’re missing to have three full sets of siblings is Kevin’s brother Brady.

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that most Americans have never even heard of. The man’s got the pioneering spirit – there’s no doubt about that.

This becomes more evident with each new day that we head out in search of new features. Many spots that appear promising to me – classic double-kinks and quad kinks, for example – we simply drive by, without anyone in the car uttering so much as a word. I’m beginning to realize that this is not your average rail trip.

Ahmet sets out every day with the goal of skiing the urban landscape in a way that’s never been done before. The common tricks and, more importantly, the common features that occur repeatedly in today’s ski media are of little interest to him and his crew. We are on the search for that next-level shit.

“I’m not about trying to find rails that I can do tricks on,” Ahmet explains during one drive through Jesenice. The feature itself is supposed to be the trick, he points out: the goal is to do something that no one’s ever thought of before; or at least to find a feature so unique and difficult to ride that just getting to the end of it unscathed is shot-worthy.

SLOVENIA

*** Just a few miles from the Slovenian border, the small Italian town of Tarvisio offers more urban features and a deeper snowpack. It’s also attracted more attention, and we find ourselves competing for space with two different snowboard crews as we set up spots among the drab, slowly decaying buildings of this economically depressed corner of Italy.

Jesenice in the next few days. On the third day we set up a launch over a basketball hoop outside a sports center, and Agron slips out on the take-off and slams brutally into the backboard. He’s carted off to the hospital, luckily without any broken bones, and the gym director, who’s been watching the whole thing, shrugs and tells Ahmet that if he still wants to keep hitting it, he’s welcome to try.

***

Ahmet has started down a new pathway in his ski-film career this season. Like many of his contemporaries – including Tom Wallisch, Parker White and Chris Logan – Ahmet has stopped filming segments with Level 1, opting instead to pursue his own solo web series, which he’s aptly dubbed Flip The Script. “I’m changing up my whole world,” he says. “Going away from what I’ve been doing every single year, and evolving my skiing my own way, instead of relying on other people.”

He’s hired a filmer and is producing the web series by himself, cutting out the middleman – Frank Lucas would be proud. And because he’s Ahmet, he’s not content to film Flip The Script in the comfortable confines of his home base in Summit County, Colorado. Instead, he’s planned increasingly far-ranging trips, first to the French Alps, and now to a country

AGRON EMERI (TOP) / AHMET DADALI (BOTTOM)

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Over six years of filming with Level 1 Productions, Ahmet Dadali has become an experienced world traveler as well as a respected name in the freeskiing scene. But this trip is different: It’s the first one that he’s organized by himself, on his own budget and with his own crew.

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“We’ve been blowing it!”, Mike King exclaims. It’s almost true — if the conditions had been better, we could have had great skiing here… I snap a few photos, but today is mostly a shred day; after weeks of the urban struggle, the whole crew is ready to let loose and ski hard and fast — no time to set up shots. It’s a fitting end to our Slovenian excursion.

MIKE KING

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We relocate to another spot with lots of different options.

Ankle thoroughly taped, Mike King grimaces his way into his ski boots and joins Ahmet in sessioning a down-flat-down, while Frank and I climb into a nearby abandoned building to shoot through the boarded-up windows.

Today our Italian friend Marco outdoes himself, and pulls up with an industrial-size grill in the back of his car. Right next to the rail we’ve been hitting, Marco starts grilling up a storm – marinated steaks, chicken, bacon, and spicy Italian sausage. This is hospitality on a whole new level. “I like my place,” he says in his broken English, gesturing at the rundown village surrounded by sheer, snow-caked peaks. “I want other people to like this place, too.”

ANDROZ SPAROVIC

Our last mission in Tarvisio is behind the town church, where Ahmet wants to wall-ride a centuries-old tower. Halfway through the operation the cops show up. One of them is irate; “É Sacro!” he tells us angrily. This place is sacred! We explain that we’ve got the permission of the priest, to no avail. While

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On our last ski day in Slovenia we decide to do some non-street skiing in the spectacular mountains that we’ve been driving past every day. Androz guides us to Vogel, one of Slovenia’s best resorts, and we are flabbergasted by the potential: wide-open, rolling Alpine slopes with jump spots everywhere we look.

“We’ve been blowing it!” Mike King exclaims. It’s almost true – if the conditions had been better, we could have had great skiing here. As it is, we have to search the whole resort to find pitches that aren’t icy sheets or bone-jarring sun crust, eventually finding a few shaded runs where the snow, amazingly, is still good. I snap a few photos, but today is mostly a shred day; after weeks of the urban struggle, the whole crew is ready to let loose and ski hard and fast – no time to set up shots. It’s a fitting end to our Slovenian excursion.

The next time you’re getting booted from an urban spot, or waiting in a huge lift line, just remember there’s a place out there on the edge of the map – a place where the skiing is gnarly, the locals are friendly, and if you’re open to the adventure, you might just get served tea or a full-fledged barbeque during your urban exploits…

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After two weeks of unfettered access, we finally get booted from a spot. An old man has had enough of crews sessioning a beautiful ledge in his front yard and calls the cops on us.

When we show up early the next day to give it another try, he dumps a bucket of ash all over the inrun.

the crew lays low, I walk around to the front of the church and realize there’s a funeral going on inside: pews full of mourners, an open casket, and the priest intoning in a deep purple robe.

Out back, right behind the stained-glass windows, we’ve been revving the winch and calling drops – oops. Eventually the funeral concludes, the cops leave with the hearse, and we hustle to get the shot in the bag.

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Still, the locals are friendly and it seems our “license to jib” is still good here. We set up a quirky gap to grass bank stall, then a large A-frame rail in the back of the town market. A large crowd gathers to watch, and a local guy named Marco strikes up a friendship with Ahmet and starts showing up at our features with packs of Heineken for the crew.

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* August 22nd 1977

† September 29th 2014

“There are a million things that can be said about JP as a skier – how he pioneered and transcended genres, and the indelible mark he made on the sport. But there is so much else. He was a genuinely good human. He was a great person to be around because he was hilarious and because he was kind.” – Chris O’Connell JP AUCLAIR

Photos: Chris O’CONNELL & Elina SIRPARANTA

NAME

“Skiing as we know it doesn’t exist without the contributions of JP Auclair. He was a true renaissance man and had one of the longest meaningful athlete careers in skiing.

His talents were as strong off the snow and behind the scenes as they were on the snow.

He was a brilliant skier who was continually reinventing himself. He was one of those people who just did everything really really well. Usually one would harbor just a touch of resentment for someone who was just so perfect. Instead you loved him because he was so humble and just so plain nice. He made you belly laugh every time you saw him. The guy started a non-profit that built orphanages in Kenya. Could there be a nicer person on the planet? When it’s said that no one ever said a bad thing about JP, that’s not just cliché in his passing, it’s truth.”

NAME

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Chris O’Connell

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Jacob Wester

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JP AUCLAIR

“I remember it like it was yesterday. It was December 1998, and I had just turned 11 years old. I had been snowboarding for about 2 years, and I wasn’t too interested in ever putting my skis back on. On Christmas day, my best friend called me, telling me about his new Christmas gift I just had to see. It was the Poorboyz movie Degenerates. We popped it in his VHS, and I soon knew my life was changed forever. I only really remember JP’s part, but after those two minutes and 20 seconds of backflips and mute grabs I knew I wasn’t putting my snowboard back on and now all I wanted was a pair of yellow skis with bent-up tails, aloha shirts, and a flight ticket to Whistler. I have no idea what I would have been doing today without JP.”

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Phil Casabon

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“I am hyper lucky to have lived, connected, and learnt from and with JP. He was the most innovative, spiritual, creative, intellectual, caring, thoughtful, loving and joyful type of person you could only aspire to be, at least for me. Being over a decade older than me, he was much wiser, he used his great experience to teach me values and principles of life that will always be engraved in my mind. He was a mentor and I am incredibly grateful for his uplifting presence in my life. His passage on earth will always be remembered in full positivity.”

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Glen Plake

JP AUCLAIR

“The New Canadian Air Force rekindled the smoldering ambers of the hot dogging revolution that had burned out in the 1980s.

Every great band has its ‘members’, JP and his charisma stood as the front man for them. We never hesitated to call each other, and a missed call was returned immediately. Travel, work, ski and free time were always modified so that time could be spent with each other, most often not planned; accidental random airport encounters lead to ski days. The diversity of my career seemed to parallel JP’s, me going backwards to rediscover my freestyle roots and him moving forward to discover his ability to ski beyond the ski area. He influenced me and I influenced him. This diversity attributed to our longevity in careers that most people believe is a small window of opportunity.”

“I first met JP during a Mogul Skiing World Cup at Mount Tremblant in 1997. Moguls were our first love, and we really wanted to change the jumping style of mogul skiing; JP, JF and I kind of made a pact that we would never stop mogul skiing, but obviously that didn’t happen. In the summer of ’98 we realized that we were on to something bigger. We talked a lot over the phone about our plans – how we wanted to push ourselves, and in 2001 we rented a place in Whistler for 3 or 4 seasons, bought a big truck and Ski-Doos. That is kind of where it all started. We filmed segments together, started Armada with all the others and developed skis – it was a really exciting time and JP was always keen to keep pushing all aspects.”

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Julien Regnier

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Julien Regnier

JP AUCLAIR

“With anything that JP did, he wanted to do it well, at the highest possible level. He had a very special aesthetic sense, from putting together his segments, or designing products or just skiing. Beyond all his athletic capacity, I think it was his aesthetic abilities and perspective that really made him unique. JP had a special outlook and view of life that made every moment with him special.”

Glen Plake

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“One of my JP souvenirs is a photo album from 2001 that he made for me; not some emailed link to some photo drop on the internet, but literally a handmade scrapbook photo album of a trip we took together. This attention and thought to detail was JP’s natural trait, it allowed him to ski the way he did, and more importantly, be the person he was.”

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Johnny Decesare “Sometimes JP would do the most random things that somehow made sense. Many years ago, he showed up at my house with this huge surfboard bag, when he unpacked it there was only one board in it; the rest was filled with multiple pillows and a blanket. The bag was more his bed than a board bag. It was silly and hilarious, but practical in his mind. He slept in it, in my kitchen, for over a month while he was editing, on multiple occasions. He became a super talented editor very quickly; he was so into making his segment perfect, often editing all night and then surfing in the morning. That’s dedication.”

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“With everything JP accomplished in his life, you would think he was a businessman and a workaholic, indeed he was, but he also managed to keep his inner child! Everything for him was a game, a challenge and a competition. He used his creativity and his artistic mind to turn everything into a game. Anything that JP touched would turn into gold. Whether it was skiing, partying, creating, playing or just a casual talk, it was always a priceless moment…”

JP AUCLAIR

JF Cusson

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JP AUCLAIR

Bruno Compagnet “I am one old steep skiing guy, and JP’s street segment in All.I.Can impressed me more than any other segment in the last decade. Everyone says that JP was a great person, clever, intelligent and brilliant in what he did: because it’s true. He was a true skier, with an unbreakable attraction to the mountains. When it came to skiing the steeps, he had a really humble approach; there was no pretentiousness in his skiing. He skied so well and calculated, it was amazing to watch. He was immensely engaged with this passion.Yet at lunch or dinner he could also talk with passion and humor about other aspects of life: cinema, art, graphics or anything really.”

JP AUCLAIR

“Guys with ideas and skills as vast as JP’s don’t come around that often, and when they do they’re more likely to be artists or entrepreneurs who cast a pretty wide net. JP could have quit skiing altogether after just a few years and his contributions to freeskiing – the tricks, the aesthetic, and the innovation that was Salomon’s Teneighty twin tip – would have made him a legend. That he chose to stay laser focused on skiing, while expressing his creativity from so many different angles for so many years, was more than remarkable. It was a gift that he gave to every skier, and one that none of us will ever be able to fully repay.”

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Micah Abrams

“JP developed the skill set to be able to ascend and descend steep and gnarly terrain with the world’s best in just a few years. Many didn’t know how good JP had become at ski mountaineering, as it takes time to be known in that arena. After a month long stint in Chamonix, JP commented, ‘It’s all calculated and you just ski one turn at a time, it’s a different kind of skiing, but it’s really fulfilling.’

That kind of skiing is the pinnacle of the sport and only for a few.”

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Chris O’Connell

SPRAY

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OTHER REWARDS Being a judge is a thankless job. There is little financial compensation and someone always complains. Unperturbed by this, the freeski judges of the Sochi Olympics found their rewards in other ways.

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OLYMPIC JUDGING ADVENTURE

Text: Mark von ROY

A group of friends that, together with others who shared their vision, helped bring freeskiing to the Olympics. A bearded Kiwi, a loud Frenchie, a Swiss freerider, a Swedish rocker, an American and a Canadian legend. The freeski judging panel at the Olympics could hardly have been better suited for the job.

The first three days of the Olympics were a joyous occasion and naturally they had to celebrate. Shots flowed freely on the first night – vodka, what else? The tone for the following days was set. Things escalated during the opening ceremony on the third night. Really, the open bar was at fault. With all FIS officials and much of the world watching the slow proceedings, the open bar was empty and ripe for the picking; instinctively some of the judges decided to liberate it. Liberally. The viewing area itself was relatively silent during the opening ceremony.

Understandably everyone cheered a little for their home nation, however when Team Jamaica entered the stadium, the cheer erupting from the judges’ area made all other celebrations pale in comparison. The show dragged on and started to feel like a bizarre never ending Pink Floyd concert, so parched judges returned to the bar. As they filled their pockets with beer for the ride home, Russian Army men sang a creepy Daft Punk cover in the background. Only in Russia.

As is often the case with free alcohol, someone had too much. As the desperate soon-to-be alcohol victim pleaded with the bus driver to pull over during the long drive to the Alpine Village, the most common Russian response: “Niet”, was of little solace. In a hot sweat he vomited on the bus, the rest of the judging posse in tears, containing laughter while 40-year-old FIS officials slept on, temporarily oblivious to the wretched smell. Finally arriving they realized something was seriously amiss, as did the freeski judges; one of them was missing! The other casualty of the free bar only appeared the following day, with no shoes on, after paying a friendly Russian to drive him back to the hotel; 75 kilometers away. The head judge paid the culprits a visit shortly after, politely urging them to tone it down in preparation for the competition days. The lull in their, let’s call it: “celebration of freeski culture” was short lived.

The crew debriefed after the epic Slopestyle finals at the hotel, with beer in hand as is only proper. Elation about the overall outcome of the competition was only briefly interrupt-

ed by a short discussion about whether Henrik Harlaut could have received a perfect 10. Had his hand not dragged on landing the last hit of his ludicrous run it may have a been a possibility, according to some. Letting bygones be bygones, they drank to Henrik and to Joss. Then someone picked up a massive flowerpot and smashed it on the floor of the hotel lobby.

After another debauchers night another judge was lost only to be found the next morning, snoring and non-revivable on a couch in the middle of the hotel breakfast lounge. Carried out by the hotel manager and his helpers – still on the couch in front of confusedly chortling FIS officials – he was delivered directly into his hotel room. At which point he woke up, blearily looked at everyone, gave two thumbs up exclaiming: “Wunderbar”, and went back to sleep. It was at that moment the freeski judges became friends with the hotel manager, who wasn’t the biggest fan of rigid FIS geriatrics and later invited them all back the following year to be his personal guests.

Being a freeski judge may not be the most lucrative or appreciated job, but it’s the little things that make it all worth it. While none of the mogul ski judges were allowed to bring skis to Sochi, the freeski judges made the most of their time in Russia and got plenty of face-shots on the epic faces of Rosa Khutor between contests. That’s the spirit. Yes, they also had their fair share of Russian spirits, but when it came down to the wire they did a phenomenal job under immense pressure and made the right choices for our sport. Thanks judges!

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HISTORY

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The dark

past?

With today’s constant progression of style, materials and the industry itself, many people celebrate certain aspects of our sports history, while completely ignoring other slightly more embarrassing realities of our past.

While skiing on “normal” skis was still following its course on racecourses and in mogul fields, pioneers like Jason’s friend Mike Nick were throwing cork 900s, misty 720s and grinding rails. That year, Jason and Mike both took podium spots at X, while the one and only Eric Pollard came in 13th! Mainstream magazines reported about events and riders became famous; skiboarding was all the rage. Even in Europe big contests were organised and big wigs like Nico Zacek picked up their first sponsorships on short planks. Freeze magazine published the first ever cover photo of a skier on a rail in December 1998, it was of Levinthal on skiboards.

Around the same time Line joined forces with Kris Ostness and developed their first full length 193 cm twin tip, which landed him the first ever twin tip cover on Powder Magazine in 2000.

The year 2000 also marked the decline of skiboarding. Not only Line, but many other companies had adapted the twin tip principle to full-length skis.

By 2001 skiboarding wasn’t part of the X Games anymore and while many pro skiboarders had lost their forum, almost all of them went on to become professional freeskiers and kept competing in the newly established Ski Slopestyle events at the X Games. Even though Line kept producing skiboards, the demand dropped and in 2007 production ceased.

While we in no way advocate the use of skiboards nowadays, this era is an undeniable part of our sport’s history. It was on skiboards that the first rails were slid as well as the first cork 900s, switch spins and rodeos were landed. Think of it as our pre-adolescent phase, where we were just awkwardly discovering our identity. It’s ok to think back on it and have a little chuckle about it now.

JASON LEVINTHAL

It’s an undeniable fact that freeskiing as we know it was influenced by skiboarding, an ancestor many either disregard or mock. Skiboarding was the brainchild of Jason Levinthal, an avid skier who enjoyed all things action sports and grew up skiing the US East coast. There was just one issue: while all other sports seemed to evolve during the early 90s, there was little to no innovation within the ski industry. The way skis were built hadn’t changed much since the 60s: They were just long, thin, straight sticks with a pointy nose, and compared to the ever-progressing new fad of snowboarding, skiing was simply uncool. Well, that is until Levinthal decided to finally put his product design degree to good use.

Using his snowboard as a reference, he designed a short pair of skis with equal height in tip and tail, a decent flex and a deep side cut.

While many of the skiers who push the sport today were still wearing diapers, he produced the first ever ski that would be used for something other than Daffies, Cossacks and other tricks that 90s’ freestyle skiing was defined by. Although he admittedly wasn’t the first to build a twin tip ski – cameramen as far back as the 1920s were already known for using skis with a higher tail in order to ski backwards to keep the subject in frame – he was the one who had a new vision for skiing.

In the winter of ’96 Jason set up the one-man ski factory that would later become famous as Line Skis. After he had tested his prototype and was able to pull tricks no one had ever even thought of, he set out to attend America’s biggest wintersports tradeshow, SIA. While at first it seemed like nobody would be interested in his invention, two weeks later he received a fax (so 90s!) from a Japanese company ordering 1000 pairs of his new skis. Levinthal and his friends went from producing one pair a day to 15 and at the next trade show they weren’t alone anymore. Salomon and other bigger companies had come up with their own, sometimes rather frisky versions – even the non-twin tipped and bizarre creation Big Foot was having a resurgence. As with every new invention, people didn’t know what to call these new kinds of skis and most simply referring to them as Skiboards.

Only two years later, at the 1998 X Games, Skiboard Slopestyle was established as the first ever slopestyle ski event.

MIKE NICK

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SKIBOARDING

Text: Alexandra ENGELS

SCIENCE

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Testing the Limits The difference between a good and an exceptionally good product is more often than not due to its reliability rather than its functionality. Only when function is guaranteed in all relevant extreme conditions, can a product reach the upper echelon of acclaim.

The R&D department of a sports company sounds like fun: conceptualising, improving, and of course testing new products. Just as important, if not quite as alluring, is quality control. It is immensely significant, as in some cases it can mean the difference between life and death. Why have great functionality if it fails over time, particularly in critical situations?

Avoiding failure is a huge challenge. Often the fault doesn’t lie in the product itself, but in delivered materials.

Testing needs to be diverse and thought-out, going beyond just trying out a prototype in natural environments. A great example of successful quality management can be found at the headquarters of Gore. The brand name Gore-Tex has become almost synonymous with functional clothing, even though they only produce a few specific clothing items themselves. However, focusing mainly on functional material doesn’t make quality guarantees any easier – as the reliability of a jacket is also determined by its design and production methods.

A meticulous licensing process employed by Gore, ensures that only brands that use Gore certified materials and methods (in zips and seams for example), as well as thoroughly test the finished product, are allowed to use Gore-Tex materials. Built specifically for this purpose, the prominent rain tower of Gore simulates intense rainfall in all wind conditions. A jacket that keeps you dry in that rain tower will easily do the same in all natural environments. Yet not just the rain tower suffices; a product must pass over a hundred different tests, some of which run over a long period of time, to become Gore certified. It’s crucial that the functions of Gore-Tex materials remain over time in all weather conditions, and samples are put into special abrasive washing machines for days on end as well as folded and stretched in freezing temperatures, before undergoing usual functionality tests.

Wind- and waterproofness, as well as breathability – the most important factors of a functional material – are tested in the most intense conditions, and sometimes the numbers can be kind of confusing. A material is generally considered waterproof when it can withstand the pressure of a 1.3 m water column. A 10 m water column is equivalent of 1.0 bar pressure, or 100 kg pushing on a surface area of 100 cm2 (e.g. a large person with all weight on one knee) and a material certified under this pressure gains a 10,000 mm water resistant label (which is, of course, 10 m water resistant but often is abbreviated as 10k). Gore-Tex materials need to withstand pressures equivalent of at least 23 to 28 m depending on type, thus they remain waterproof not only in rain but also under high pressure and will easily keep you dry even during a prolonged ride on a wet chairlift. The pressures that materials undergo during testing become evident when one pierces the membrane with a needle, resulting in a fine water jet spraying out vigorously.

Not only the basic characteristics are analysed during quality control, however; if the functional material is not infused properly, the outer layer can still soak in water, which cools all the other layers. While human skin doesn’t actually have receptors for moisture, this coldness is interpreted as moisture - even though the material is still 100% waterproof.

Basically the perfect functional material really needs to have water repelling characteristics on the outside as well as being waterproof.

Evidently, quality control is complex business, and we haven’t even grazed the surface of it. Needless to say, it’s obvious why some materials are simply better and have their appropriate price. In the end, the human body is the best tester and the difference can most definitely be felt. Accordingly, human eyes inspect every meter of Gore-Tex material, before leaving the factory.

© GORE / KLAUS POLZER

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

QUALITY CONTROL

Text: Klaus POLZER

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CREW

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Finess A crew with such a diverse interpretation of skiing is a rarity, a grungy gem of the skiing world that helps keep our spirit alight. The term “crew” falls short for The Bunch who prefer to refer to themselves as family. They can call themselves whatever hell they want, as long as they continue making videos that sooth the soul of our sport.

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

THE BUNCH

Photos & Text: David MALACRIDA

Like some underground political movement in the 70s, The Bunch isn’t defined by their main members; it’s their collective vision that brings them together. They film with whomever they come across who shares this common view and have gathered a number of associates along the way. The release of Far Out in the fall of 2013 saw their movement spread its message beyond even European borders. The eclectic and occasionally strange but strong song selection perfectly accompanied the remarkable and diverse interpretations of skiing they display.

But who are they? Six of them met at school just over three years ago, their similar approach to skiing and life in general bringing them together. Soon more people joined the movement and it all just simply started like that, it was never organised. They ski, live, travel and party together, gathering shots along the way while gaining the respect of high profile skiers like Liam Downey and Parker White – who proclaimed Far Out as his favorite movie of last season. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what makes them so different from other crews and so appealing to watch. Gathered at an urban spot it’s obvious that skiing in and of itself is the most important element to their message, not the image or getting the shot.

Perhaps it is this uncompromising attitude mixed with the shear variety of riding styles that sets them apart.

In December many of them gather to celebrate the New Year and, naturally, ski together. After meeting Magnus, last year’s Superunkown winner, earlier that season, I manage to infiltrate the group, although as the only non pale-skinned Scandinavian there I stick out like a raver at a metal concert.

MEMBERS: Magnus Granér, Jens Nilson, Maximilliam Smith, Tobias Sedlacek, Nils Gunnarsson, Leo Björklund, Pär Hägglund, Erik Pousette, Kieran McVeigh, Lucas Stål Madison

The chalet that Jens welcomes us to is unexpectedly plush.

Large enough to house all ten of us and sporting a sauna; it is the perfect base camp to chill and eat massive dinners at after a day of shredding. They are truly like a big family; after cooking together they all sit around the table for dinner and banter ensues. Organising ten people ain’t easy, but somehow they get it all done without actually organising anything. They mainly session various urban spots and with that many people they share the workload well, everyone gets as many hits as they want on the feature before moving on. Witnessing all their different interpretations of each spot, I start to understand the true depth of their collective creativity; they vibe off each other and each member brings something unique to the table.

They don’t really have a dedicated filmer, they hand the camera around as it fits. Anyway, getting the shot isn’t the goal for them; it’s just a by-product of them exploring their different perceptions. If one guy wants the bungee set up a certain way, they get it done together so that he can hit the feature in the way he envisions it in his head. Three people pulling the bungee over and over just for one guy to land a certain trick can be taxing, but they get it done without argument. Because when he finally does land it, everyone wins. If The Bunch really were an underground political group, it would definitely be progressive socialist movement for the greater good of the entire group. If it’s not done together, it’s not as much fun.

While collecting shots is definitely not their priority, they do gather a whole lot of bangers during the week and I have the pleasure of documenting their movements. Whether it is Pär going wild with his ridiculously flexible legs, Magnus finding the gnarliest possible line through a spot, Maximilliam stringing together a line of butters around all the features or Leo simply finger flipping his skis around the place. They find inspiration within the group as well as from completely random unrelated things. This external input coupled with their own feedback loop within the group has created a very special and diverse inventiveness hardly matched by other crews. The product of which has culminated in their newest project Finess that communicates their unique take on the essence of skiing.

LOCATION: throughout Sweden INCEPTION: around 2011 TERRAIN: Urban, Park and Backcountry SECTIONS: 1000 Crew – Douglas Källsbo, Erik Pousette,

Sakarias Majander

PRODUCTIONS: 2013: “Far Out” 2014: “Finess”

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

THE BUNCH

CREW

85

INSIDER

86

Silent Heroes Freeride competitions are inherently dangerous. That things usually go so smoothly at the Freeride World Tour is due to the immense knowledge and preparation of behind the scenes mountain gurus.

“Safety first” says Markus Kogler – aka Kogs – the head of safety at the FWT in Fieberbrunn. These are the words that not only the FWT organisers, but especially the riders on tour have to rely on. Apart from his outstanding local knowledge, as a nationally certified mountain and ski guide he is the perfect person for this difficult job!

With the first snowfall his job begins – from now on he and his team constantly check and document the snowfall in cooperation with the local avalanche commissions. Based on this documentation they assess the biggest risk on tour, the descent of avalanches, as well as choose the contest face. The organisers, riders board and judges obviously have say in this crucial choice as well. Even though it’s usually a relatively homogenous discussion according to Kogs, in the past, riders have protested the face decision. “This year a few of the riders were not happy with the start gate, so we agreed on moving the start further down the hill.” The usual rule of thumb is: Safety before snow conditions and however spectacular the face is. This means that all parties have to accept compromises from time to time.

The steepness of the contest faces offers the advantage that avalanches often descend by themselves, which in turn means that controlled detonations only happen in exceptional cases, which is especially positive for the snow pack. Approximately two days before the contest, Kogs and a colleague usually ride and slip down the face to try to identify any threats and eliminate them. “Skicutting” is a major part of this operation: Secured by a climbing rope, they trigger avalanches manually with their skis to prevent an avalanche triggering on competition day.

An important part of Kogs’s safety plan is that all riders have to wear helmets, protectors and harnesses as well as carrying avalanche beacons, probes and shovels. There are no ifs, buts or maybes. He’s similarly consequent when it comes to the Riders Meeting: they are mandatory for all riders wishing to compete in FWQ events under 4 Stars.

As mountain guides like Kogs know the mountains inside out, they give useful hints regarding hidden hazards. Together they scope the face, check the landings and talk about the positions of snow covered rocks and icy patches.

At the FWT Kogs has a team of 4 mountain guides, 20 ski patrollers and approximately 10 Ski-Dudes1. Additionally, from 4 Star events onwards, there’s always a rescue helicopter on stand-by that ensures the fastest possible evacuation of injured riders. At smaller events like the Open Faces competitions, Kogs supplies maps and GPS coordinates to nearby helicopter bases so they can reach the face within ten minutes.

Good preparation and well thought out decisions for these events is definitely part of the reason why Kogs hasn’t experience any major accidents like a major avalanche in his long career as chief of competition. The few broken bones and dislocated shoulders are in all likelihood due to slightly overzealous riders looking for that extra zest to make it to the podium. Safety guys of the FWT, you truly are the silent heroes.

Thank you!

1

The official name of the guys who collect skis after a fall.

JEREMY BERNARD / FWT

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

FWT SAFETY GUYS

Text: Alexandra ENGELS

DESTINATION

88

Freedom of Choice Whether your taste lies in picking out freeride lines, getting down in the park or being creative on natural features, Kitzsteinhorn offers lots of great choices. Here’s the scoop on why…

Text:

The fresh snow sparkles in the sun and I’m stuck in the middle of it. I’m in the middle of knee-deep spring powder, above an impressive sea of clouds that hides the valley below. A magnificent day, it was the first time that I truly entered the white room sometime during Easter in the early 2000s. This was also my first encounter with Kitzsteinhorn, a place that now holds a special place in my heart.

Part of the ski area Zell am See in Kaprun, Kitzsteinhorn is a Freeride Eldorado of the Austrian Alps. The Kitzsteinhorn peak itself reaches to 3,203 m, harbouring below it Austria’s first glacial ski area, established in 1965. Apart from the ultramodern Freeride Info Base with an avalanche transceiver checkpoint and lots of information gathering opportunities, there’s also a designated area for avalanche rescue practice.

Another cool service they’ve got on offer are the so called Freeride Mondays where Pros offer guided freeride tours. Those who take part in such a tour not only receive valuable tips regarding freeriding and technique, but also profit from the local guide knowledge. It certainly helped us find sweet untracked lines before others did.

If you already know your way around Kitzsteinhorn, you can also explore the five marked freeride routes yourself. A lit-

tle treat for the lazy ones amongst us might be that all marked freeride routes are in immediate proximity to the lifts. The longest – and coincidentally hardest – of all those routes is West Side Story. Here you pass through rocky and playful terrain, far away from the groomers. The Jump Run route is pretty popular among the locals – shredded during FWQ events. As the name suggests, this route oozes natural jumps and offers plenty creative lines.

Talking about jumps, Kitzsteinhorn doesn’t only cater to freeriders, park skiers of all abilities will also be satiated there.

Of the four parks, three are on the glacier and a smaller jib park can be found in the valley – with pretty much direct access to the ever-growing party scene of Kaprun. The Glacier Park at 2900 m already opens its gates in mid to late October with an array of different features. Recently, the park crew has also added a 160 m long and 6,6 m high superpipe to the repertoire of well-built solid jumps and epic jibs of the Central Park. The crew definitely deserves more than a wet handshake for their renown shaping skills!

Regardless of your preference, be it freeriding or shredding the park, Kitzsteinhorn is the go-to place for those with a penchant for freeskiing.

KITZSTEINHORN – ZELL AM SEE – KAPRUN SEASON: 03.10.2014-25.05.2015 ALTITUDE: 911-3029 m

DAYPASS: 36.50-47.00 € (from 29.11.14 - 02.05.15 kids under the age of 19 only pay 10 Euros)

LIFTS: 18 on the Glacier, 50 for the

whole resort of Zell am See - Kaprun SNOWPARKS: 4 and 1 Superpipe

WWW.KITZSTEINHORN.AT

© KITZSTEINHORN

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

KITZSTEINHORN

Alexandra ENGELS

CRISRTOF SCHENK | PHOTO ALO BELLUSCIO REXFORD SNEAKER • • • • •

UNIQUE DESIGN SUPER WARM GREAT COMFORT FULL LEATHER GLOVE WATER PROOF

MORE AT: LEVELGLOVES.COM

DESTINATION

90

Island Faces Face, after skiable face; delicious lines that plunge toward turquoise waters. Basically, if you lowered the Chamonix Valley 2000 meters below water you’d find some resemblance to the Lofoten Islands in the North of Norway.

In no other place will you find as many snow-filled alpine mountain faces this close to the ocean. The view can be mind-blowing; an idyllic picture of sky meeting ocean, ocean pierced by mountains, rugged peaks covered in a dazzling layer of white and perhaps most importantly; the look of the untouched. I say “can” because just as beautiful as the Lofoten Islands are in dancing sunlight, they can be just as rough and unyielding; with winds from the North blowing mercilessly through everyone and everything and low hanging clouds blocking the view of the luscious mountain peaks.

The ever-changing weather of Lofoten is well known.

You never know what to expect, not even on the same day. One moment you feel like you’re standing in an igloo with a snow maker on full blast, the next you’re mesmerized by the turquoise water, enjoying well earned turns with a view.

We’re in Lofoten together with Swedish FWT champion Christine Hargin and freestyle skier Tobi Tritscher from Austria for a Norrøna shoot with Field Productions. Seeing Lofoten for the first time through their eyes and the lens of the cinematographers makes us all take a second look at the glory this place has to offer.

There are two smaller ski areas in Lofoten, but if you want a true backcountry experience, you need to put your skins

on to make your own way up before enjoying those much sought after descents. The effort is well worth it though, as you will find untouched faces and striking views. Heli-skiing is prohibited in Norway, so the early birds catch the first lines, and there are a lot of mountains to choose from. The snow conditions may vary from mountain to mountain though, so it’s wise to seek the knowledge of the locals before deciding on a face.

It’s late in the afternoon when we’re down from the mountains after a day of experiencing it all. We’ve had some of the best skiing of our lives, as well as some of the toughest.

We’ve got just enough time for a short stop in the sauna and a dip in the Arctic Ocean before yet another fantastic home cooked and locally produced dinner is served at the Lofoten Ski Lodge. It feels just like a heliski lodge, full of hardcore skiers, except it smells of fish and salt water rather than heli-fuel.

To get a deeper insight into skiing on the Lofoten islands, check out the Colors Completely Coordinated video on www.norrona.com!

LOFOTEN: An archipelago off the North West Coast of

BASE: Lofoten Ski Lodge with guiding, accommoda-

Norway, north of the Arctic Circle (polar nights!)

tion and top notch food

WWW.LOFOTEN.INFO WWW.LOFOTENSKILODGE.COM

SVERRE HJØRNEVIK

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

LOFOTEN

Text: Iselin NÆSS & Torkel KAROLIUSSEN

P ROTES T. e u

Courageous

Text: Kyle MEYR

Brilliance

From switch triple front flips, inhumanely large double backflip transfers to ridiculous urban trickery; this Swedish kid just looks at things way differently than anyone else.

Boasting perhaps the biggest balls in freeskiing, Jesper Tjäder is a hell of a force to be reckoned with…

DAVID MALACRIDA

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

JESPER TJÄDER

PORTRAIT

92

Sweet Protection

The raucous cheers, the shouting announcers and the blaring music are nothing compared to the chaos that must be racing through his head before dropping in. Jesper Tjäder faces down the inrun toward the massive Nine Knights feature eying up a gap that would end a career if misjudged. It takes courage and talent beyond imagination to land a trick that dumbfounds the entire freeski scene. Jesper’s reputedly 55-meter double backflip did just that. A week later, Jesper did it again landing an unprecedented switch triple front flip at the Jon Olsson Invitational.

Growing up in Östersund, Sweden, Jesper inherited skiing at the age of three. Around the time the legendary Swedish freeski scene started developing, Jesper was already getting air born.

“Growing up, I never knew it was a sport, I was just doing it,” remarks Jesper. “I was jumping and doing tricks just for fun and the sport grew with me.” It was unbridled and uninfluenced joy that pushed him to go bigger and bigger, pushing his limits.

NINE KNIGHTS, LIVIGNO

KLAUS POLZER

Despite wanting snowblades at a young, somewhat naïve age, he ended

up with full-length twin tips. The freeski trend caught fire in Sweden and now famed names started taking center stage. Jon Olsson, Jacob Wester and a handful of others were blowing minds, inspiring a whole new generation of skiers. Among them was Jesper, watching in awe, as they defined the sport that happened to perfectly match his own passion for skiing.

In 2003, nine-year-old Tjäder went to Stockholm for the King of the Globe inner-city hip competition to witness, eyes-wide open, his own future first-hand. A spectacle inside a huge arena that drew national media attention and attracted big names from over seas, Jesper glimpsed the larger possibilities of his passion. He witnessed the Swedish freeski poster boy Jon Olsson take second place behind Simon Dumont, unknowing that Jon would later become his ticket to success.

It wasn’t until 2010 that Jon would invite Jesper to film with Field Productions for their film Side By Side.

The film went on to become a success for both Field and Jesper, putting him

in the odd position of being 16, signing sponsor contracts and autographs for fans; kids who looked up to him just as he did Jon seven years prior.

93 PORTRAIT

FUN FACT: Rides 161 cm Junior Skis SPONSORS: Red Bull, Yniq, Kombi, Head,

The subsequent release of his 2011/12 season edit went viral. Skiers around the world shared the hell out of the edit, because it was simply unfathomable. It showcased his unprecedented rail skills including an underflip 540 switch-up, not to mention left and right doubles and a switch double front flip.

The edit amounted several hundred thousand views and cemented his reputation in the international scene.

Jesper stayed on as a permanent addition to the Field Productions roster and continued to better himself on camera as well as in competitions. Earning iF3 Rookie of the Year in 2011 for his performance in Being There, 5th in the overall AFP rankings last season – 2nd in big air – and a spot on the Swedish Olympic roster in Sochi, Jesper was unstoppable. His season was filled with podiums at events and accolades for his performance in the latest Field Productions film, Supervention – in which he

JESPER TJÄDER

HEIGHT: 1,67 m WEIGHT: 53 kg

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

BORN: May 22nd 1994 in Östersund, Sweden HOME MOUNTAIN: Östersund, Sweden

PORTRAIT

94

proved himself as one of the best urban skiers in the world.

disposition not reflecting that wild fearlessness he skis with.

Perhaps it’s a combination of rubber bones and an illogical mentality that seems to have never known fear. Where others reason themselves out of death-defying double backflips, Jesper seems to have an innate reverse understanding of that survival technique. “If you can keep skiing, you have to go until you land it,” he insists. He is relentless, dedicated and just the perfect amount of insane.

But Jesper is still young… “I feel like I have a lot to learn,” he admits.

Tjäder has built this career himself, signing and managing his own contracts. However, that seems to suit him and his youthful approach to skiing.

“I’m just doing my thing… Trying not to be too serious, I want to decide things myself.” Perhaps he’s slightly immature, but maybe that’s something the industry has been missing. His skiing is as playful and as experimental as it has ever been and for that reason, growing up would be a shame.

Tjäder is a new and improved version of what made our sport so great in the first place. He is the past, the present and the future of freeskiing.

His skiing is a stunt-show, a roughly calculated display of perfection meant to please no one but himself. In a sense, the young Swede is a throwback to the times when no one was watching or expecting anything of our adolescent

KYLE MEYR RESULTS: 2009: 6th Swedish Championships Big Air 2010: 3rd Jib Academy Europe 2011: 2nd Kumi Yama 2012: 2nd TNF NZ Freeski Open 2013: 4th NZ Winter Games

2014: 2nd US Grand Prix Breckenridge 2014: 1st Frostgun Invitational 2014: 1st FIS World Cup Silvaplana 2014: 1st European Freeski Open 2014: 2nd Jon Olsson Invitational 2014: Ruler Of The Week, Nine Knights

FILM APPEARANCES: 2010: “Side By Side” - Field Productions 2011: “Being There” - Field Productions 2011: “Anima” - Winter Project 2013: “Supervention” - Field Productions

JON OLSSON INVITATIONAL, ÅRE

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

JESPER TJÄDER

He has successfully dumbfounded the world over and over again with a signature style built around courageous and curious brilliance. Surprisingly little has changed about Jesper Tjäder, the man. Still driven by that same unbridled and unique sense of joy, he seems unfazed by the success, motivated to continue doing it all, but with a modest

sport; back when Mike Wilson was also trying ridiculous doubles over halfpipes in 2005.

PHOTO: SVERRE HJĂ˜RNEVIK LOCATION: LOFOTEN, NORWAY

Welcome to nature

Inspired by the arctic nature since 1929, we develop and test all our products at our own headquarters.

Our mission is to make the greatest outdoor products providing the highest quality and functional design in the most sustainable way.

www.norrona.com

Welcome to nature

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NIPWITZ

VIBES 96

VIBES

97 “When we first went to Russia we went there because we wanted to explore countries surrounding Finland. We knew that Russia would make a great story for a webisode. It did and the trip was amazing – apart from the fact that we were basically starving and hardly got to know any local people.

This year we went to Russia, because we didn’t have any other options. Finland was lacking snow and the Nipwitz movie Brain Massage really needed material. This time we were better prepared and knew exactly what to expect. Or so we thought. This trip was totally opposite. We ate well, met tons of locals who were helpful (both in showing spots and getting us drunk) and of course we got to hit some freaking beautiful spots like this old abandoned building. Murmansk is a really special playground for urban skiing. It isn’t the easiest for sure but it’s worth the struggle. It’s an adventure worth experiencing. Broken cars in the middle of Russian tundra is something I will never forget.”

Check out nipwitz.com to watch their two-year movie project “Brain Massage”!

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

MATTI RÄTY

MURMANSK

NIPWITZ

Photo & Text: Ville-Petteri MÄÄTTÄ

DECEMBER

APRÈS

98

Creativity is key.

DAVID MALACRIDA

Fresh snow is ideal but not a necessity.

A mountain is great but not a requirement.

Even the lack of any sort of feature doesn’t discourage an inventive mind.

PÄR HÄGGLUND

DOWNDAYS SEASON 14/15 MAGAZINE

A skier doesn’t need much for enjoyment.

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