Emerson Lawton
Hometown: Traverse City, Michigan | Born: 2000 | Active: 2015-present | Known for: USASA slopestyle title, August Light and This Must Be The Place | Disciplines: slopestyle, big air, park skiing
Spring snow covered Mt Hood during 2021 as Emerson Lawton camped in Oregon and followed a network of hand-built park features through the warmer months. Gavin Rudy, Ethan Swadburg and Mike King were already working on material connected to another project, and Lawton joined parts of those sessions while filming his own skiing. Rails, transitions and soft summer snow became the setting for a project that eventually connected his contest background with a more personal approach to ski filmmaking.
Aspen 2015: Nor-Am competition begins
Lawton entered the FIS development circuit as a teenager. His official record identifies him as an American skier born in 2000 and includes Nor-Am slopestyle competition from the middle of the decade. At Aspen in February 2015, he competed in a large North American Cup field, beginning a contest path that later included Park City, Aspen Buttermilk and Mammoth Mountain. His skiing during this period remained focused on shaped park terrain, rails and jump lines.
Copper 2019: USASA season peaks
Lawton's strongest domestic season came at Copper Mountain in 2019. U.S. Ski & Snowboard reported that he won the men's Open Class slopestyle title at the USASA National Championships while representing the Rocky Mountain Series. Two days later, he finished second in the inaugural men's freeski big air championship behind James Pouch, scoring 175.00. The report identified Lawton with Traverse City, Michigan, establishing the clearest reliable hometown reference found for his profile.
Strictly 2021: August Light adds film role
Lawton then appeared in August Light (Have a Nice Day), directed by Gavin Rudy and produced by Strictly. The iF3 film guide lists him among a large cast including Ethan Swadburg, Jonah Williams, Taylor Lundquist, Mike King, Sam Lobinsky and Mitch Zyzelewski. The project was presented by Scott Freeski and formed part of Strictly's 2021 film programme, giving Lawton a documented role in a full ski movie rather than only a personal season edit.
Mt Hood 2022: This Must Be The Place
Lawton's own project This Must Be The Place was built from his spring and summer 2021 season at Mt Hood and released publicly in 2022. Jiberish and K2 supported the project, while Gavin Rudy, Ethan Swadburg and Mike King helped connect Lawton to the local feature-building scene. The official iF3 2021 programme listed the film under Emerson Lawton Productions, documenting it as a standalone project rather than a simple social-media edit.
Woodward 2023: Jiberish expands the crew
Lawton later joined the Jiberish crew for Director's Cut Ep. 02 at Woodward Copper. Filmer and editor Ethan Cook directed the episode after three days of skiing with Calvin Barrett, Sam Zahner, Pete Koukov, Tucker FitzSimons, Jed Waters, Liam Baxter, Henry Robarge, Benni Harrington and Walker Woodring. The series placed Lawton back into a collaborative park environment, linking his earlier competition skiing with an established brand web series centred on creative filming and group sessions.
Selected filmography
- 2023 — Director's Cut Ep. 02 — Jiberish — Short segment
- 2022 — This Must Be The Place — Emerson Lawton Productions — Director, skier
- 2021 — August Light (Have a Nice Day) — Strictly — Short segment
Selection of his main film projects. Not a complete filmography.
