04/26/2026
In the annals of freesking and snowboarding, Alaska has set the benchmark since the ’80s. Alongside Chamonix, it remains hallowed ground for big mountain conquest. Every spring, the best riders in the world inevitably make their way north, chasing impossibly technical lines in brasher and bolder style, raising the bar of big mountain freeride ski. What Doug Coombs set in motion in the ’90s continues today, with futurists like Teton Brown pushing a Jackson-bred approach defined by fluidity, commitment, and consequence.
“A big part of what makes a line exciting is the planning and preparation it demands. I spend time studying terrain, analyzing potential routes, and visualizing how I’ll ski it before ever dropping in. There’s a constant balance between pushing myself to the limit and staying safe. The best lines are the ones that challenge my skills while allowing me to execute them cleanly, giving me that unmatched feeling of accomplishment when it all comes together. That mental engagement, the strategy involved, is just as rewarding as the physical act of skiing itself.”
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