I thought I knew what it was to be a skier.
Andes Tower Hills, Kensington MN, is located way out here..
In the middle of nowhere.
Relocating to Minnesota, I had very low expectations; what sort of backward skiing could the flatlands produce?
I knew not to expect much from the ski hill.
I knew the frigid temps would not harbor powder.
I figured park would still be worth hitting, until I saw it..
Check out that Vertical.
They build the Park in the plateau.. Take note of everything in view.
The kinks are badly welded and ground.
Boxes set tall with a mound of snow piled at the head.
No clean groomed lips but, primitively formed, elaborate set ups that lacked any sign of maintenance.
The rails stain your bases red with rust.
The hill was actually lower than my expectations.
Along side it, my expectations of the local skiers fell, too.
The box moves around..
More elaborate, pretentious features.
But, there was one man who could turn the slums into his canvas.
He’s one of the most influential and creative skiers I have ever met.
His vision is lucid.
His creativity and good-time vibes are so potent they overflow inspiration.
Like second hand smoke, his confidence infects you.
Quite simply, Ryan Thorsen is the funnest guy to ski with on Earth.
We ski in a third world country
The features are indeed ghetto.
The snow is actually ice and the runs are short.
Speed is a rare commodity -often you have to sacrifice a run if you want to hitthejump.
Its far from confidence inspiring.
It’s a vietnamese booby trap.
So, it blew my mind to watch this kid handle everything with ease.
He exhibited a raw talent that could not be found with repetitious practice.
On the sketchiest of features he flawlessly brings first attempts to his feet.
And yet, he possessed this uncanny knack which is a rare find.
Even in the most established ski communities.
He just seemed to get it.
He had to carve out his own niche in boarder haven- one that’s still under assault.
Here, in this skiing dystopia, Ryan made up for the dearth with pure determination and boundless creativity.
The Interview
Who are you, where are you from?
Ryan Thorsen - Fergus Falls, MN
Where are you now?
Currently a student at University of Wisconsin Stout
Hobbies, passions, favorite food?
I do a lot of schoolwork right now….. that keeps me from me hobbies and passions.
When I have free time, I enjoy skiing, rollerblading, and looking into ski/rollerblade boot tech.
Favorite food is pizza…
How did you discover skiing, growing up in farm country?
I found myself loving the sport and picked up some atomic race skis.
Ended up in racing…. became the outcast of my racing team and became a park skier.
Andes was a really tough environment to learn in.
You had big features with rusty screws popping out, and tiny features that you could barely call features.
Without the internet/newschoolers do you think you would have progressed as fruitfully?
No, Newschoolers got me into content that pushed both my style and skill.
Not confidence inspiring to say the least.
Do you think this has made you a more concrete and versatile skier?
I am currently skiing at trollhaugen and it is a luxury.
Andes is far from a creative environment.
How did you stay motivated and inspired all those years?
I get into my hobbies and make the best of them.
Park skiers standout at Andes, which is overrun by snowboarders.
I don’t believe I deserve this icon status… but it is cool.
Its cool returning to andes and seeing that people I have never met know my name.
Kieran Mcveigh, Phil Casabon, Christian Allen.
Favorite tricks in your bag right now?
Blunt grab blunt slide
Any tricks you’re eager to add to that bag?
(ski setup)
Ar7s with griffons.
Do you like them?
What’s your dream setup?
I’ve ridden many Armadas through the seasons, and they all treat me well…
I personally hate all bindings.
I personally think they are obsolete to park skiing.
In the cold midwest, I have yet to find a binding that isn’t insanely prone to breaking.
The interview necessities: 3 songs for the slopes?
My taste changes everyday.
This is too hard to answer.
I have three dogs.
Frosted Flakes or Chicken noodle soup?
Would you rather burn to death or bleed to death?
Blood is not cool.
Shout out to you for somehow becoming a name on NS being from our little farmtown.
Shoutout to family and friends for supporting this awesome hobby.
And that’s a wrap
Footage of Ryan seems to be rare…
