WORDS — Samuel Taggart
I often joke that being an editor at FREESKIER means knowing what’s happening with every skier at any given moment all over the world. Who’s going where… and with whom? Are the conditions lining up? Who won that contest last night? Anyone throw a new trick? What’s the deal with that new film project? Did you hear that skier just got picked up by new sponsors?
Thinking about skiing all the time makes it that much better when it actually happens. In that way I guess it’s like sex—we’re all thinking about it all the time, aren’t we? And when it happens… well, you get it. While I’d love to travel around in a van all winter, chasing storms and finding new zones, what really makes FREESKIER tick is leaving that part up to you while keeping a keen eye on everything as I search for the best of the best to share with our readers. Letting the everyday skiers, the athletes, the writers, the photographers, the community that lives and breathes our sport explore the world and return home with stories to share. Those exploits define the culture and, together, we shape the zeitgeist.
The experiences we make in the mountains determine what skiing is and what it becomes. Moments spent on the hill or in the streets or anywhere, really, chasing that feeling we’re all after but none of us can accurately put into words—those moments establish the plot for the tales we tell. The people we meet, the places we visit, the memories we create—those in-between moments bring the narrative to life, those fine details transforming a happenstance lift ride or a conversation at the bar into an animated point in time worth recalling. But, again, that part is up to you. That pillow line you film, that road trip you take—hell, even that acid trip you have at the lodge—could change the course of everything. The narrative is always evolving, but that’s just the way things go: Everything in flux, nothing ever set in stone. What’s “cool” one day might not be so tomorrow; what’s considered the “norm” will undoubtedly be bucked.
SKIER: Parker White
PHOTO: Erik Hoffman
LOCATION: Mammoth, CA
Now, I could wrap up this letter by trying to say something excessively poetic about how snow is falling in the mountains near my home in Colorado. How excited I am to head into the heart of a storm in search of the White Room. But those sentiments go unspoken in this crowd.
So, what I’m gonna do instead is provide you a list of 10 things to inspire the next chapter of skiing. Things about skiing I want to see more of, things that might have faded away and need to come back into the fold, things that will help our sport grow, things that we should all have on our minds heading into winter. Everyday takeaways from keeping my finger on the pulse. Take ‘em or leave ‘em, here’s the list, in no particular order:
(I) Endless encouragement, no shade. Good vibrations. Always.
(II) Discovery of individual style. What feels the best to you?
(III) Wicket tickets. Commit to exploring your local hill.
(IV) Expressing gratitude. Thank those who brought skiing into your life.
(V) Film photography. Revel in the imperfections of this lost art.
(VI) Deep pow, slo-mo videos with a reggae soundtrack. That’s the vibe.
(VII) Sessions & invitationals—no judges, no scores, pure skiing.
(VIII) Educating yourself—the gear, the history, the brands, the people.
(IX) Celebrating our way of life. Everyone who skis has a place here.
(X) Soaking it in. Slow down. Enjoy the moment. Appreciate it.
Now, let’s get out there and let’s go skiing already. With our friends, our family, our homies, our cousins. Someone who has never skied before. Someone you met at yesterday’s après party. Anything goes, anyone can join the party. Open your arms to new connections and make plans to meet again on the hill. Fall into the feeling and let it consume you. That’s what it’s all about.
