Ski Magazine

moonlighting

There is something magical about setting out into the backcountry under the light of a full moon. Photographer Noah Wetzel has long dreamt of capturing this elusive magic through the lens, and in early January, he ventured into the Alta backcountry with Isaac Freeland and Jonnie Merrill. After hours of preparation, Freeland dropped into the darkness and stomped the air, with Wetzel nailing the single attempt. “When I see this image, it immediately sparks my imagination, and reminds me of how bright, cold, and clear it was that night,” Wetzel recalls. “And how awesome it was that Isaac and Jonnie were able to hit this feature under the moonlight!”…

right place, right time

If you’re a photographer in British Columbia waiting for perfect lighting in the dead of winter, you’ve probably learned it’s best not to hold your breath. So when photographer Ryan Creary saw a high pressure ridge forming over B.C. last season, he knew exactly where he needed to be, and exactly who to call. Creary and freeskier Craig Murray headed for the Revelstoke backcountry, where the sun had stuck around long enough to illuminate the valley fog that had nestled between the Monashee and Selkirk ranges. “These are the kind of days I’ve spent my career chasing,” says Creary. “Capturing days like this where everything lines up and you are in the right place at the right time makes all the other uncooperative weather days worth it.”…

ready player one

Is it possible for it to snow too much? We tend to answer that question with a fervent “No!” But when you’re a passenger inside a snowcat at Keefer Lake Lodge and it’s been coming down for days—to the point that you’re limited to low-angle runs and tree stashes due to avalanche concerns—you could give the question a second thought. Or you could just ski the heck out of the endless powder. Photographer Jeff Engerbretson was along for the ride on one of these classic B.C. storm days when he snapped this shot of freeskier Todd Ligare playfully bouncing through the trees. “Interior B.C. is a playground,” says Ligare. “I try to make the pilgrimage north as often as possible to take advantage of the deep pow runs filled with…

carving out space

Brooklyn Bell exits the warming hut at the top of Revelstoke Mountain Resort and cranks the latest Drake album through her earbuds as she clicks into her skis. She sidesteps her way up to Sweet Spot, where she shoots through the narrow, cliff-bound entry to the top of Lower North Bowl. Though she’s about to drop in on a burly Freeride World Qualifier run, she had to convince people all the way up the mountain that she even knows how to ski. With her braided dreadlocks and dark skin, there’s rarely anyone else who looks like her on the slopes at ski resorts. Or in adventure sports in general, for that matter. At a 2019 Patagonia athlete team event (Bell’s a sponsored mountain biking athlete with the brand and recently released…

the wheels go ‘round

The kids are stoked. But it’s not only the kids. A smiling 30-something pulls up on a bike, skis in tow. There’s mom and dad, with two little ones; an Asian girl who admits that she’s never been skiing but thought it would be fun to try; a grizzled local; and a couple of college kids. All are happy to be jumping on a bus for the approximately 40-minute ride up to Eldora Mountain Resort, a 680-acre ski area 21 miles west of Boulder, Colo. I’m assisting Eldora’s marketing department by handing out free bus passes to the motley crew of skiers and snowboarders who have assembled at Boulder’s downtown bus station on a cold Saturday morning. The effort wins plaudits from regional transit planners and from riders. From my vantage…

online voices

TALKING ABOUT… DIVERSITY IN SKIING In July, Warren Miller Entertainment Marketing Manager, SKI Magazine ski tester, and passionate freeride and backcountry skier Jessi Hackett wrote a story that we posted on our website titled “Talking About How Skiers Talk.” This article, taking aim at some of skiing’s slang and colloquialisms that could alienate some participants, garnered dozens of comments on our social channels as well as emails that landed in our Editor’s inbox both praising and criticizing the content. In an effort to keep the conversation moving forward and continuing to evolve around issues of diversity in the ski industry, we asked Hackett to share what motivated her to write the story, and how she felt hearing some of the reactions. HAVEN’T READ THE ARTICLE? FIND IT AT SKIMAG.COM/SKIERS-TALK WHY DID YOU WRITE…