Salt Lake City-based DPS Skis has become well-known over the years not only for award-winning products, but also its mesmerizing DPS Cinematic short films. These folks have earned widespread praise for sending skiers to the most remote corners of the Earth and beautifully capturing the ensuing adventures.
This year, the team took this notion to a whole ‘nother level and headed to, of all places, Kyrgyzstan, to create a new film. DPS founder Stephan Drake and his girlfriend Katya (originally from Kyrgyzstan) visited the Central Asian nation five years ago in the summertime and, upon exploring its terrain, which is 94-percent mountainous, they wanted to return with ski gear and cameras in tow. So, they did—alongside Piers Solomon, George Knowles, Drew Petersen and Ben Sturgulewski.
The film will be released online this fall, capturing both the natural beauty and culture of Kyrgyzstan. And, to bring it all together, Katya, a highly-trained classical pianist, is slated to play the film’s score. To get you stoked, we’ve gathered an incredible selection photos from the trip, below, taken by Petersen and Knowles.
Gallery: DPS in Kyrgyzstan
Photos and captions by Drew Petersen (@drewpeterski) and George Knowles (@goodiepocket) — marked DP and GK, respectively.
Mountains cover 94 percent of Kyrgyzstan, meaning vistas like this are a dime a dozen, and the infectious inspiration for visiting skiers is easy to understand. — DP
From left-to-right: Ptor Spricenieks (guide extraordinaire), Stephan Drake and Piers Solomon make the approach to the 40 Tribes Yurt Camp, and the incredible lines to which it provides access. — DP
Stephan Drake, a professor of powder skiing in his own right, takes advantage of his tool of choice, the Spoon, 148 millimeters underfoot and perfect for surfing the dry,
continental snowpack Kyrgyzstan holds. —DP
In 2017, when the world’s information seems to constantly be at your fingertips, the best way to navigate the Ak-Cyy Valley is through this gem right here. Yes, that is indeed a topographic map drawn with marker on a sheet of plywood. — DP
Piers Solomon on the way up. The reward: a perfectly-steep ramp of untouched goodness. The view from the top: countless lines just like it further back in the valley. — DP
Drew Petersen taking flight, after flying, quite literally, to the other side of
the world to see new mountains. — GK
This man, Slava, had the kindest soul one could imagine. He sure did a fine job keeping the fires stoked and everyone warm at the Russian yurt camp that acted as home in the Ak-Cyy Valley. — DP
The Tian Shan is a glorious mountain range with loads of skiing potential and endless peaks—and we only scratched the surface. Here, Stephan Drake takes it all in. — DP
A little après session on the Russian swing to finish off the day. This contraption was both as fun and as terrifying as it looks. — DP
Piers Solomon, the international man of mystery, put a new stamp in
his passport with this turn at sunrise. — DP
Stephan Drake arcs a turn with the tracks from the end of the prior day’s adventure down below. — DP
Don’t forget to bring your falcon. A local Kyrgyz man enlisting his winged friends
to help put food on the table. — GK
Raw fish, cow tongue and salted cheese curds. You can get all these things right here at the Osh Bazaar in Bishkek. And you can get very lost, very quick, too. — DP
Food is a quintessential part of travel, even when you’re not even sure what food it is. Strolling the Osh Bazaar in Bishkek, the capital city of Kyrgyzstan, produced many such moments. — DP
Navigating the Osh Bazaar in Bishkek certainly required a different skill set than making our way through the Tian Shan Mountains but, in reality, both share the same spirit of traveling. — DP
Manas, the heroic warrior featured in one of the longest epic poems in the history of the world, is a symbol of national pride for the people of Kyrgyzstan. — DP
Pick your mode of transportation for a journey across the Silk Road and into the mountains…
We chose skis. — GK
Recent DPS Cinematic masterpieces:
