GAME 14 || Evan McEachran vs. Alec Henderson || SLVSH CUP GRANDVALIRA '25

Grandvalira Sunset Park Peretol and Monster Energy are proud to present Slvsh Cup Grandvalira 2025! GAME 14 and the final Semi Final match up between Evan McEachran and Alec Henderson. Follow us on instagram and check the hashtag #SlvshCupGrandvalira for release dates and game info. https://www.instagram.com/theslvsh/ Follow Evan and Alec https://www.instagram.com/evanmceachran https://www.instagram.com/alechendersonn/ Check out Grandvalira and Sunset Park: https://www.instagram.com/grandvalira/ https://www.instagram.com/sunsetparkperetol/ Unleash your beast: https://www.instagram.com/monsterenergy/ SLVSH MERCH : https://www.abstractmall.com/collections/slvsh Beats by : @msn.wav. https://www.instagram.com/msn.wav/ Make sure to check him out!

Alec Henderson

Profile and significance

Alec Henderson is a Canadian freeski athlete specializing in slopestyle and big air, born in Penticton, British Columbia. He entered the national scene as part of the NextGen program in 2022 and is still early-career but showing strong upward trajectory. He is sponsored by Line Skis and featured in media projects and park/rail formats—signifying that his relevance stands not only in competition results but also in content and ski culture. According to his Freestyle Canada athlete bio he began skiing at age 2 and shifted focus to park and pipe around age 12, choosing this discipline over moguls. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}



Competitive arc and key venues

Henderson’s recent competitive data shows he won the NorAm Slopestyle event at Aspen Mountain in the 2024-25 season, placed 3rd at Mammoth Mountain (NorAm Slopestyle) and 4th at Copper Mountain. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1} He also made his first full World Cup slopestyle and big air starts: 17th at Laax, 19th at Tignes, and 28th at Silvaplana for slopestyle during the 2023-24 season. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2} Key training and park venues for him include his home region in British Columbia for early development and major North American park venues like Mammoth, Aspen and Copper for high-level starts. These venues reward amplitude, execution and contest composure—areas Henderson is actively developing.



How they ski: what to watch for

Henderson’s skiing suggests a park/rail-heavy background with smooth transition into jump tech. From his bio, he joined a freestyle club at age 9 and shifted into park/pipe by age 12 after initially doing moguls. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3} On jumps, his runs show he’s developing depth: strong take-offs, mid-air stability and clean landings—but as with many young athletes moving into elite load he still appears in the mid-teens of results. What to watch: his switch landings, how he maintains grab integrity under higher rotation and how he links varied features in slopestyle runs (rails, jumps, transitions). On contests you’ll see whether he can convert a strong NorAm cadence into consistent top-10s in World Cups.



Resilience, filming, and influence

Although Henderson hasn’t yet stood on major global podiums, his profile is bolstered by media presence and selective events. He is part of the Canadian NextGen program and appears in features/edits (his Line Skis “Summer Vacation | Alec Henderson | Mt. Hood” edit is one example). :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4} His influence for progressing skiers lies in the model of combining competition progression (NorAm → World Cup) with media output, style-driven skiing and brand alignment, which is increasingly how modern freeski careers are built. The fact he chose park/pipe over moguls early underscores intentionality in his career path.



Geography that built the toolkit

Henderson’s background in Penticton, BC gave him access to local club skating terrain and freestyle starts, then his participation in the Apex Freestyle Ski Club built early fundamentals. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5} As he transitioned to higher levels, he traveled for heavy park venues in North America: Aspen (USA), Mammoth (USA) and Copper Mountain (USA). These venues provide different snow conditions, park setups and competitive pressure compared to his domestic development terrain. That mix builds adaptability: amplitude in high mountains, precision in large park builds, and composure under contest lights.



Equipment and partners: practical takeaways

Henderson rides with Line Skis, which is a brand known for strong twin-tip park and all-mountain models suited for switch landings, grab-driven tricks and rail transitions. For progressing skiers following his path, lessons include: use a twin-tip ski with a flex profile compatible with park and slopestyle (not only big air); mount near center or slightly back if you do rails and switch landings; train both ways spins early (switch + natural) to match modern judging criteria; and build content / exposure alongside competition since that increases visibility and sponsor appeal.



Why fans and progressing skiers care

Henderson matters because he represents the upcoming tier of freeskiers who are crossing the threshold from junior development into elite competition, while integrating style and media presence. For fans, he offers fresh runs with visible improvement, and for progressing skiers his trajectory is tangible: local club → NorAm podiums → World Cup starts. His clear choice of park/pipe over moguls also models specialization and intentional development. As he continues to evolve, he could become a consistent top-10 athlete and a meaningful voice in the sport.

Evan Mceachran

Profile and significance

Evan McEachran is a Canadian freeski slopestyle and big air specialist known for elite contest longevity and one of the most technical rail games in the field. Born March 6, 1997, in Oakville, Ontario, he grew up lapping the small hill at Glen Eden before moving to Craigleith Ski Club, where repetition, fast laps, and a strong park scene built the timing and board-feel that define his skiing today. He reached a broad audience as a finalist in the men’s slopestyle event at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, finishing sixth, then returned at Beijing 2022 to make the inaugural men’s freeski big air final and place ninth. Along the way he stacked World Cup podiums across Europe and North America, including a statement win at the 2023–24 season opener in Stubai, and earned multiple X Games medals in Aspen.

McEachran matters because he bridges eras: a rider who helped set early benchmarks for switch and natural direction diversity on rails, and who continues to contend in the modern scoring era where execution, mirrored spin families, and clean grabs are weighted heavily. He owns X Games slopestyle silver and bronze from Aspen, sits on a résumé with numerous FIS World Cup podiums, and regularly features in brand projects that showcase a polished, contest-ready style translated to natural terrain and bigger features.



Competitive arc and key venues

The early arc reads like a classic Ontario-to-world story. After outgrowing local setups at Glen Eden and Craigleith, McEachran entered provincial and national team pipelines, then logged his first World Cup starts as a teenager. The breakthrough stretch included the 2018 Olympic slopestyle final in South Korea, where a clean first run secured sixth. He continued to refine under pressure, qualifying into the Beijing 2022 big air final and closing ninth—key experience as big air matured into a fully codified Olympic discipline.

His World Cup consistency is anchored by venues that reward speed control and variety. The spring finale above Lake Silvaplana at Corvatsch Park has produced multiple podiums for McEachran and functions as a measuring stick for slopestyle form. Mammoth’s jump line at Mammoth Mountain has been another productive stop, reflecting his ability to carry speed in variable wind and build difficulty across a run. The Austrian glacier setup in Stubai provided a marquee win to open the 2023–24 season and showcased his readiness right out of the gate. Under the lights at Aspen’s Buttermilk Mountain, he converted years of starts into X Games hardware, cementing his status as a reliable finals closer as well as a qualifier.



How they ski: what to watch for

McEachran skis with tall posture into the lip, minimal arm noise, and late—sometimes very late—rotation initiation. That timing keeps his tips calm and the axis interior clean, which helps judges read spin direction and grab integrity. On rails, he is a systems thinker: fast edge changes, precise feet, and linkable features that conserve speed. You’ll see him blend switch and forward approaches, mixing on- and off-axis rotations with natural and unnatural directions so each segment of the run builds scoring variety. He is particularly adept at using long rail pads and redirect features to set up the next hit, preserving momentum for finals-day upgrades.

In big air, McEachran differentiates with silhouette management. He will hold a safety or lead tail long enough to reshape how a triple or a high, flat-spinning double reads to cameras and judges. When the field is chasing degrees, he leans on cleanliness and axis discipline—clear takeoff, stable core mid-flight, and bolts landings—to separate tricks of similar difficulty. The cumulative effect is skiing that looks unhurried even at maximum rotation counts.



Resilience, filming, and influence

Contest life demands both volume and restraint; McEachran has managed that balance across multiple quads. He has weathered the inevitable injuries and schedule resets and still returned with refined versions of his core trick families. In parallel, he contributes to team films and brand projects, translating a contest-polished approach to backcountry booters and natural transitions. Those appearances emphasize the same values seen in his runs—grab standards, mirrored direction competence, and clean speed control—offering a template for younger skiers on how to take park fundamentals into larger environments without losing identity.

His influence is especially visible among athletes from smaller or lower-elevation programs. McEachran’s story—small hill laps yielding world-class technique—reinforces that repetition and intent can offset lack of vertical. For developing riders, the lesson is that deliberate practice on modest features can build world-stage timing if you respect line selection and grab discipline.



Geography that built the toolkit

Ontario’s compact hills created the base: fast cycles, rail density, and the chance to repeat approaches dozens of times per session at Glen Eden and Craigleith Ski Club. The North American circuit added altitude and exposure through Mammoth Mountain, while Europe contributed glacial light and long in-runs at Corvatsch Park and early-season consistency at Stubai. Aspen’s Buttermilk Mountain tied those experiences together on an invitational stage that forces clarity in line choice and trick identity. The geography thread explains the look of his skiing: compact, precise, and ready to scale to bigger features without wasted movement.



Equipment and partners: practical takeaways

McEachran rides for HEAD, a program that supports his park and big air focus with skis built for predictable pop and edge durability, paired with binding packages that preserve natural flex underfoot. Energy support from Monster Energy has backed his long contest calendar, and his helmet/goggle choices have historically reflected an emphasis on unobstructed peripheral vision—useful on compact rail decks and busy slopestyle approaches. The actionable lesson for progressing skiers is to prioritize a lively yet stable park ski, mount close to true center for mirrored spin confidence, and tune consistently so speed reads are identical from training to finals.

Venue selection functions like equipment. Long, repeatable lanes—Corvatsch in spring, Stubai in early winter—let you rehearse the micro-beats of approach speed, pop timing, and grab contact. Smaller local hills can be equally valuable if you treat every lap as a deliberate rep. That philosophy underpins McEachran’s career and remains a scalable model for riders outside major mountain regions.



Why fans and progressing skiers care

Evan McEachran checks the boxes that signal top-tier relevance without needing an Olympic medal to validate the résumé. He’s a two-time Olympian with a slopestyle final in 2018 and a big air final in 2022, a multiple X Games medalist in Aspen, and a World Cup winner and frequent podium presence. More importantly, he wins and medals with runs that read clearly to both judges and audiences: tall, calm takeoffs; mirrored directions; grabs that stay pinned; and rail sections that conserve speed for the closer. If you’re watching live, expect clean first-runs that set a base and finals-day upgrades that respect form. If you’re learning, study how he sequences rails to arrive at the final jump with options and how he uses grab choice to differentiate tricks that share rotation counts. McEachran’s career—rooted in repetition, refined by variety—remains a blueprint for sustainable success in modern slopestyle and big air.

Sunset Park Henrik Harlaut by night

Overview and significance

Sunset Park Henrik Harlaut is Grandvalira’s floodlit night snowpark in the Peretol area of Grau Roig, Andorra—a purpose-built, progression-friendly venue named in collaboration with one of freeskiing’s most influential riders. It’s designed for repetition after dark: dependable lighting, compact laps, and a rotating mix of jibs and jumps that stay consistent when evening temperatures lock in the speed. Within the Pyrenees, it’s a standout because you can finish a full day elsewhere on the mountain and still stack productive park attempts under lights. For the resort-wide context, start with Grandvalira’s snowparks hub and the destination overview on Visit Andorra. Inside our own ecosystem, see skipowd.tv/location/andorra/ and the daytime counterpart at skipowd.tv/location/sunrise-park-xavi/ for planning a two-park routine.

What makes Sunset Park special is the cadence. Cold night air stabilizes lips and in-runs, the floodlights keep sightlines clean, and the footprint is compact enough to turn “one more lap” into twenty. Crews can film clips with a consistent look and feel, run coaching drills without crossing half a mountain, and wrap a day of freeride or slopestyle elsewhere with high-quality repetitions in Peretol.



Terrain, snow, and seasons

The park sits alongside the Peretol pistes in the Grau Roig sector at mid-to-high resort elevation by Pyrenees standards. Typical Andorran winters mix Atlantic and Mediterranean weather, bringing quick refreshes and frequent freeze–thaw swings. Nights are the equalizer. As temperatures drop, groomed lanes and salted takeoffs hold a predictable sheen, and the snow stays fast and shapeable—ideal for timing pop and landing stance. When high pressure takes over, you’ll get classic, firm corduroy on the approach early in the session, softening gradually as the evening wears on.

Operational windows vary by season, but the pattern is consistent: afternoon into night sessions on a posted schedule, with feature count scaling to the snowpack. Expect a more jib-forward vibe early winter when base depth is building, then fuller jump lines as coverage grows through mid-season. Always check the resort’s park status before heading over from another sector to make sure the lights are on and the set is live.



Park infrastructure and events

Sunset Park Henrik Harlaut is built around a clean progression ladder. You’ll typically find a small/medium line with boxes, rails, and rollers for first hits, plus medium tables, hips, and creative steel for advancing riders. The shaping philosophy is repetition first: tidy lips, long forgiving landings, and lines that let you take two or three features in sequence, then reset quickly. Rail gardens rotate regularly so there’s always a new puzzle to solve even if you’re lapping the same lane for an hour.

Event energy is grassroots and rider-led. Expect cash-for-tricks evenings, club meetups, and filming nights rather than stadium-scale contests—exactly the kind of sessions that help you progress without sacrificing flow for show. For bigger features or daytime slopestyle variety, pair a day at El Tarter’s flagship park with Sunset Park at night; for fundamentals, run a Sunrise Park Xavi morning in Grau Roig and return to Peretol after dinner to lock in muscle memory under the lights.



Access, logistics, and on-mountain flow

Base your evening in Grau Roig/Peretol for the shortest approach. If you’re already skiing elsewhere in Grandvalira, plan a mid-afternoon transit so you arrive as features open and lips have set. Driving from Andorra la Vella or Encamp is straightforward; parking and local shuttle details are posted on Grandvalira’s site. Because this is a night venue, think “arena” logistics: layer for static time between laps, bring a pocket scraper for quick speed fixes, and swap to a clear or low-light goggle lens before lights come on.

Flow is simple and efficient. Start with a two- or three-feature circuit in the smaller line to calibrate speed and wax, then move to the medium tables and more technical rails once the in-runs feel automatic. When you need a reset, take one groomer lap on the adjacent piste to re-center your timing, then drop back in. If you’re filming, bank the most technical tricks in the first hour under the lights—when surfaces are crisp—then pivot to creative lines and presses as the snow softens slightly later in the session.



Local culture, safety, and etiquette

Sunset Park is compact and popular, so Park SMART rules are non-negotiable. Inspect first; call your drop loudly enough to be heard; hold a predictable line; and clear landings and knuckles immediately. Give shapers room when ropes are up—they’re preserving speed for everyone. Expect a healthy mix of locals, visiting crews, and coached groups; be patient with teaching lanes and slot your laps so takeoffs don’t bunch up.

Nightlighting helps, but shadows and glare can still hide ruts. Take one speed-check hit on any feature you haven’t ridden under lights before, and detune rail contact points while keeping edges sharp enough for firm corduroy. Inside resort boundaries you’re far from avalanche terrain, yet closures and signage still matter—respect any temporary feature or lane closures when the crew is doing touch-ups or safety changes.



Best time to go and how to plan

Mid-winter is prime. Late January through early March usually delivers the coldest, most repeatable night surfaces and the fullest feature sets. Early season is ideal for building rail mileage on smaller sets; spring brings forgiving dusk laps that are perfect for learning new tricks at lower speeds before the lights click on. The winning routine is a two-park day: daytime slopestyle in El Tarter or progression at Sunrise Park Xavi, dinner and a quick tune, then a two-hour focused session at Sunset Park to lock in what you learned.

Check the Grandvalira snowparks page each afternoon for that night’s operating plan, confirm lift access in Grau Roig/Peretol, and pack for cold-soaked stops between laps. If your crew includes non-park skiers, point them to nearby groomers or timing-friendly meeting spots so you can reconvene easily without leaving the lights.



Why freeskiers care

Because Sunset Park Henrik Harlaut turns evening hours into high-value progression. You get reliable lighting, crisp night surfaces, and fast laps on a compact, well-shaped set—plus the freedom to combine it with Grandvalira’s daytime parks for a full, park-first itinerary. If your goal is to learn fast, film clean, and keep momentum when the sun goes down, this is the Pyrenees venue that makes it happen.