Carr hitting a cliff in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Up until one particular 80 foot cliff, the largest cliff I had jumped was around 50 feet.
This one was around 80 feet.
I was absolutely stuck at 50 feet for a few years.
I’d air 50 footers all day, but anything bigger?
That is until Teton Gravity Research High Life came out, Jamie Pierre’s segment was unreal.
I studied one air he did in particular that was over 100 feet.
But to apply this..
The next season I was lucky enough to stumble upon this cliff:
LCC, UT.
I sauntered up to the take off and had a look.
Looked good to go.
But the landing was pretty far down there.
Way further than anything I’d jumped before.
I gained a sharper focus, directed Rob Holmes (fitting isn’t it?)
My take off was golden.
My focus was golden.
I shit you not, at that exact moment Jamie Pierre pulls up.
What in the?!…
Of all places, seriously it was pretty rad.
First time I had met him was right there right then and there.
No conversation was had, he was super respectful and completely stepped aside and watched me do my thing.
I gave the “ten seconds!”.
That extra half a second was rowdy!
I was about to hit the ground and became ultra relaxed and took a deep exhale.
..I never even felt the ground.. like a never ending pile of leaves.
I popped up and skied away laughing, at that moment my life changed.
I was licking my chops.
I promised myself to lose my loose ways and be 100% sure of anything going forward.
So my broken femur actually forced this progression upon me.
I would’ve never had the mental tenacity to stare something like this down without that accident.
Do you have a time that sticks out as the scariest moment in your ski career?
When I broke my femur, my leg was draped across my chest like a wet noodle.
My boot was up by my head.
And it even applies in business.
What goes through your head before you send a large cliff?
Are you plagued with fear or has it become more than just an adrenaline rush?
I found myself up at Whistler on a deep blue bird morning, headed straight for the 185-footer.
We unload and rally to the Jordan zone.
I had never been there before, so a local, Christian, shows me the way.
We roll up on the spot.
So far, so good.
I ski carefully down to the take off of the diving board and have a look over the edge.
Instantly, my gut reaction was gripped with fear and a fleeting mentality.
No way was this cliff doable.
Holy shit it was terrifying.
Im out of there.
Wait, wait, wait, wait a minute, my inner voice was saying to me.
You dont know its not doable.
After I got comfortable and found my footing underneath me, I took it all in.
No, it wasnt.
In fact, it looked very potentially doable.
I studied it intensely for 10 minutes.
The take-off would take some time to stamp out and manicure, but it was doable.
They all told me to take my time.
They wouldnt hit it.
What a bunch of badasses.
Gopro POV in Whistler Backcountry.
I went down to the landing zone.
I could penetrate the snow with my entire pole, then my whole arm to my shoulder.
The only way Ill jump off 100+ footers is to have snow like this.
But also not sure about the air still.
I like to hit sheer cliffs.
This cliff was not sheer, any mistake on my speed calculation would be certain death.
Let the calm and meditation start to seep into my being.
For I was going to need it.
I could not simply make a mental choice to hit the air.
Itll all unravel in the way it should.
Whether it works out or not for me to take it down.
I was lucky enough to cut the line again.
Wow, I was treated to a show on my way up the lift.
Matt Elliot nailed a super impressive air and stomped it.
Same with Hoji and a handful of rippers.
Whistler was going off.
No words were spoken.
Quite a few people had gathered at this point.
Everyone gave me all the space I needed.
I skied back to the take-off and had another look down to my landing zone.
Holy smokes this was a spicy endeavor.
On top of the steep down ramp was the deck where everyone was hanging out.
No games here, kids.
Any miscalculation would have me coming up short.
I immediately thought of 90s deceased cliff jumper, Paul RuffRIP.
I would not have this happen.
He got into position.
Lots of people were showing up now.
All the other skiers had nailed their lines and now it was my turn.
The attention of the Sherpas magic Peak shoot was now on me.
I still didnt know.
I made the in-run picture perfect.
I couldnt launch the risk of having any of the in-run become soft as I railed into it.
I still didnt know.
I stood at the top of the in-run, all 50 feet of it.
Even with a really steep ramp and a massive booter, it wasnt fast enough yet.
I stamped out the snow leading up to the down-ramp.
Point of no return situation on my hands.
I still didnt know.
Damn this was rowdy.
A very tremendous energy field had formed in the area.
I backed up all the way to my start point, a good 150 feet away from the booter.
I mimicked my pole push into my ramp.
Ok, ok, ok, Im getting a grasp of this…
I did that a few times.
Then skied down to my take-off again.
I began to have body affirmations all was good.
It was not 100% yet.
I sidestepped back up, on the steepest part of the in-run.
It wasnt a choice, this was the meditation I was awaiting.
To become hyper-aware of all things in my vicinity.
I am the vicinity.
I started to sidestep up to announce I was ready.
Indeed, it was my body checking in with me.
I stepped back down.
Had a complete visualization of the physical aspects of the feat from start to finish.
Then my whole body took over my thinking self.
I was now again part of my surroundings.
Its really a magical transmission.
I opened my eyes, I now was 100% certain in my pursuit.
I hiked up to the top of the in-run.
I took in all the people that were now up there with me.
We had a lot of extras for the shot to be skiing in the background while I aired.
Stan was in position.
Hed been hanging out for a good hour now.
I heard a little bit of chitter chatter as I announced this.
I stepped back to my start point.
Crazy thing is my heart rateafter the transformation to pure confidencetakes out the intensity of the situation.
I was in harmony and had achieved equilibrium with the frequency of the feat between all these components.
So I do not have a fast heartbeat.
I do not have any need to yell or scream into the air and bump my chest.
I am not here to dominate my surrounding, I am here to share with it.
I radio I am ready.
I am in-air on their 5 count.
Momme with Sherpas starts the count: Ten, nine, eight!
I start to push with my poles.
I pick up speed towards my blind rollover to my down-ramp.
I crest my blind roll-over and am hauling ass, perfectly, down my steep ramp.
As fast I needed to.
Nothing more, nothing less.
I pop off the booter and I am now airborne, and moving fast.
What a feeling to swan dive off a cliff going that fast.
I was now into the safety zone.
I switched gears mentally to have total relaxation upon impact with the snow.
I breathe out and go limp entirely.
This is all instinctual.
I have thoughts react and catch up to what my body already knows and is executing on meditation-wise.
I am still not me.
I am everything around me.
But I still have vision and internal dialogue of self.
I am the observer.
Even though I am the subject.
I make impact as the observer and feel the interaction of the energy of body and snow.
It melds together seamlessly.
I dont feel a thing.
Im a spectator in awe.
I have no explanation.
I have no way to attach meaning to it from anything Ive read or studied.
Transcending boundaries of human supposed limits.
Its all the same frequency.
There is no way to define the difference in energy in myself and energy in the snow.
In a continuous motion, I am back on my feet skiing away out of my dust of smoke.
Yelling again from charged particles in my body.
I loved my time in Whistler, what an amazing opportunity.
140ft backflip, Wolverince Cirque, UT.
I would never attack someones passion.
But its all good.
As far as the safety thing, for me, its all about safety.
The visuals are otherworldly.
What made you decide to start Discrete and take on a business role?
When I began skiing professionally, I was finishing up College at the Univ.
So that’s what I did.
They reordered so many times cause it was selling out so fast.
The very next year, we saw most brands follow suit with a tall/slouch style.
Very proud Discrete introduced that style to the market.
How big of a challenge is it to manage a ski career and a business?
Do you ever see yourself having to choose between the two?
You know, they overlap so much, I can’t distinguish one from the other haha.
Just kidding, it’s pretty wild sometimes.
But I think I learned to be scrappy from being a professional skier.
On location in Jackson Hole, WY.
Who are your favorite photographers to work with?
Will Wissman is a real struggler.
Adam Clark is way better than Wissman.
Adam Barker is the worst.
Seo is mad chill.
Oskar Enander is the euro-man.
Scott Markewitz will still out-hike anyone.
Chris Bezamat is an odd one.
Jeff Cricco is a piece of work.
Bruno Long is 2nd fastest to Markewitz.
Steve Lloyd and Lee Cohen are legends.
What’s the best thing about being a pro athlete?
Frontflip at Snowbird, UT.
What’s the next place on your list you’ve been dying to ski but haven’t yet?
New Zealand, Greenland and France.
I’ve been to South America seven times and Europe five times including Iceland twice.
But I still have yet to go to Chamonix and I really want to check out NZ.
Greenland would be so insane.
20 years from now, what do you want to be remembered for?
That I loved to ski.
@juliancarr||@discrete
Julian rocking a Discrete beanie in Long Beach, CA.
