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.
In the latest episode of The FIFTY, an out-of-the-blue call leads Cody Townsend and his videographer, Bjarne Salen, on a last second adventure to the mecca of steep and deep, Alaska. With conditions seeming to line up, the two head to one of the most iconic ski lines in Alaska, the Sphinx, to attempt to climb and ski its legendary steeps alongside photographer Ming Poon. Although the crew was unable to ski from the route’s summit, due to less than ideal snow conditions, they were able to scope the approach and ski most of the line; next time, they’ll conquer it full-on.
Some would say The Sphinx is steep. Cody Townsend included. PHOTO: Ming T. Poon
