Dillon Mulhern
FREESKIING
Its a quiet day at Bear Peak mountain.
A soft snow begins to fall on the already frosted pines.
A soft breeze sways the slowly moving chairlifts.
A plume of breath escapes from behind a face mask, slightly fogging up the goggles.
Skis clack together in attempt to dislodge the snow that had accumulated on them.
Through the haze of snow, the silhouette of a building comes into focus.
As the chair continues up, the details become more clear.
A small wooden building with a large platform residing beside it.
Behind him, a purple clad skier wielding a tripod skates beside him.
The skier looks down the trail, takes a breath and begins down the trail.
Soon a train from city to the wilderness allowed quick access to mountains.
The first chairlift opened at Americas first ski resort, Sun Valley in Idaho in 1936.
Warren began ski patrolling at Loon Mountain in 1975.
I ski to just have something that’s really really enjoyable and fun to do.
Theres nothing like the feeling of skiing, continues Rediske.
How is freeskiing different from regular skiing?
If you are referring to park skiing it’s a simple definition that anyone can figure out.
It’s gone by many names; hot dogging, freestyle skiing, newschool, and now freeskiing.
says Darryl Hunt of British Columbia.
Hunt is also the author of the popular Confessions of a Ski Bum articles.
Has freeskiing shaped skiing into what it is today?
‘Freeskiing didn’t change the industry.
Snowboarding changed the industry.
The designated areas soon introduced various features such as PVC boxes and sculpted snow jumps.
The first Twin Tip skis were the Olin Mark IV Comp in 1974, which sold relatively few skis.
I fell in love with skiing all over again, describes Warren.
The first widely available Dual tip skis were Salomons 1080 which came out in 1997.
The market for these skis boomed with new companies like LINE, and Armada.
Previously Ads in the magazines used models, not athletes, relying on equipment specs to move product.
The sport was dying and things needed to change.
Use the athletes to sell product, in turn - making the athletes themselves a product.
The equipment wasn’t the only thing that changed with freeskiing, the entire vibe of the sport changed.
In the past skiers usually seeked out mogul runs or trails groomed by snowcats.
Thompsons Brook is a out-of-bounds trail at Wildcat Mountain where Colby holds a season pass.
We would police around the mountain.
I myself enjoy some out-of-bounds skiing.
Ski movies have been around since the creation of video.
Many earlier films simply showed skiers skiing down trails and such.
But starting in 1949 a man revolutionized the ski film.
The new generation of ski film was created, one with twists and flips instead of turns and moguls.
Film companies started popping up everywhere.
A few prominent ones being Matchbox Films, and Teton Gravity Research.
So has freeskiing shaped skiing into what it is today?
His skis lift up an inch as he flies up a small hill of snow.
In his mind he begins to pump himself up, imagining what he is going to do.
Mulhern accelerates in front of a ragtag group of kids with shirts down to their knees.
Ahead he spies the jump, and to the left the stands Colby, camera in hand.
He regains his balance and hockey stops, a plume of snow follows in his wake.
A chorus of ecstatic yells echo off the surrounding pines and birch trees.
Filming that Edit was one of the most rewarding video projects Ive worked on so far, remarks Colby.
Most freeskiers are not like this .
inquires Nick Avery-Leaf, a Junior at Exeter High School.
Another belief is that freeskiing is substantially more dangerous.
At least at Wildcat, our freestyle zones dont pose any greater risk than a black diamond trail.
Previously the only skiing events were Moguls, Aerial and Ski Cross.
What is going to become of skiing in the future?
I think we are going to see quad corks, then that will plateau.
I think the future is really in films, they are really a driving force of freeskiing.
I think new technology will allow skiers to be more extreme, and evolve.
I have too many moments on skis that have given me the feeling of accomplishment over the years.
It is the constant feelings of accomplishment that keep me skiing after decades.
Hunt explains, Shit never gets old.
I ski because it is incredibly fun, and personally rewarding/satisfying.
I’ve been skiing since I can walk.
So um… 27 years, says Hunt.
How would I define skiing?
Exhilarating, says Warren.
Skiing is more than a sport or recreational activity to serious skiers, for them its a lifestyle.
Its a part of who they are.
The grew up doing it, and probably won’t stop till they are physically unable to continue.
https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/632740/Patrick-Mulhern----2012-2013-Season
Finished Edit that was featured in this article
