Featured Image: Brandon Enouf
It was the gift that kept on giving. For six whole days, we had the opportunity to witness one of the greatest events freeskiing has ever known—Level 1 SuperUnknown. The 21st edition of the storied event saw one of the most talented groups of finalists on record. Level 1 founder Josh Berman proudly proclaimed that this year, the Denver-based production company received its highest amount of finalist submissions ever for both male and female riders and that he thought these finalists were some of if not the best he’d ever seen.
But no matter how good the skiing is, at the end of the week, awards can’t be given out to all. There were four awards up for the taking this year: the Pro Rider of the Week, the OG (30+ year old) Award, and the Men’s & Women’s SuperUnknown Winners. All pro and finalist riders in attendance had the chance to vote for their favorites, and trust us, it was no easy choice. Below are the final results for each of the four awards. Congrats to all skiers for such an incredible week in Mammoth Unbound’s South Park, and thank you to Level 1 for this stellar event! Keep your eyes peeled for a full SuperUnknown 21 recap from FREESKIER.
Pro Rider of the Week
Your 2024 SuperUnknown pro rider, as voted by his peers, was Jed Waters. Putting on a surreal show throughout the week, Waters was no surprise. His calm demeanor and fluid style made his riding nothing short of mesmerizing every lap. If he wasn’t already a skier high on your list, he should be now. Congrats to Waters on a well-deserved win.
OG Award
This award goes to the pro rider who is over 30 years old and still charging strong. This year, we had a repeat winner, as the OG Award went to none other than Parker White. He had been throwing down all week on pretty much every feature this massive park had to offer. And for a guy who has become a staple in the world of backcountry freeride, it was wild and inspiring to see him still throwing down in the park. Congrats to P White, and thanks for showing us that age really is just a number.
SuperUnknown 21 Women’s Champion
Coming all the way from Japan, your SuperUnknown 21 Women’s Champion is Shiori Takahashi. She put on an absolute clinic this week, no way around it. She showed composure on most every trick, and while other riders were intimidated at first glance by this massive build, Takahashi found her own way to ride from the start. She was choked up with tears of joy at the awards ceremony, a sight that truly embodied how strong and meaningful the world of freeskiing can be. Thanks to Takahashi for making the trek overseas to come show us what true style really means!
From Takahashi: “I love skiing. There were so many cool-style skiers, skiers I admired, and being able to ride with them had a huge impact on my future skiing life. I had so much fun! Winning there made me want to ski even more! Thank you so much, Level 1.”
SuperUnknown 21 Men’s Champion
It was a tough battle in the Men’s Finalist field, with 10 talented riders all competing. But after the people had voted, it was New Zealand’s own Felix Klein who took home the gold. Klein impressed everyone day after day with his consistency in the park. On each attempt, his calculated composure, especially while in the air, was undeniable. we can’t wait to see more action from Klein with Boom Club in the future!
From Klein – “Arriving at a park this big was scary. Everyone was a little nervous the first two or so days. Over the week it was so sick to watch everyone gain confidence and come up with new lines to suit their style. Huge thank you to Josh, Connor and the Level 1 crew for giving myself and everyone this opportunity. Events like this show how strong everyone’s love for skiing and the ski community is. Shout out boom club!”
