Cody Townsend is one of the most recognizable names in skiing at the moment. He’s been a regular in Matchstick Productions’ annual flicks since 2005’s The Hit List, has wowed mass audiences with his fast, fluid approach to big-mountain skiing and won over the hearts of ski enthusiasts the world over with his low-key demeanor and charisma. This season, he announced his most ambitious project to date, the goal to ski all fifty lines in the beloved book, 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America, by Chris Davenport, Art Burrows and Penn Newhard.
North of Pemberton, British Columbia lies a big, daunting and dangerous peak called Joffre. In a project filled with many intimidating lines, Joffre presents the first fear inducing challenge of the season for Cody Townsend, filmmaker Bjarne Salen and their backcountry partners Jon Johnston and Tobin Seagel. Low snow and sketchy steeps are met force Townsend to slip-slide his way down most of the line, but he’s still able to squeak out a few hop turns for good measure. Stay tuned on FREESKIER.com as we keep a close eye on The FIFTY crew and their progress this season.
Townsend with a nervous smile as he approaches the top of the Joffre Peak couloir. PHOTO: Bjarne Salen
