GAME 3 || Matěj Švancer vs. Ryan Stevenson || SLVSH CUP GRANDVALIRA '25
Matej Svancer
Profile and significance
Matěj Švancer is a Czech-born, Austrian-representing freestyle skier who has rapidly established himself as one of the most complete and dangerous athletes in slopestyle and big air. Born March 26, 2004 in Prague and based at SC Kaprun in Austria, he burst from junior dominance into elite status in just a few seasons—capturing his first World Cup win in October 2021 at the Big Air in Chur and eventually earning the overall Crystal Globe for the Freeski Park & Pipe category in the 2024-25 season. His mix of amplitude, trick innovation, and execution excellence positions him as a generational athlete and a key figure for media, fans and aspiring skiers alike.
Competitive arc and key venues
Švancer’s rise is steep but structured. After early success in junior events—including gold at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Big Air and dual junior world titles in 2021 in Slopestyle and Big Air—he entered the senior World Cup circuit in 2019 and quickly escalated. He began winning major events in the 2021-22 season with back-to-back Big Air World Cup victories in Chur and Steamboat Springs. He represented Austria at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, placing 8th in slopestyle. In the 2024-25 season he captured his first Slopestyle World Cup victory in Stoneham, Canada, and dominated the Park & Pipe overall ranking after wins in Chur (Big Air), Aspen (Big Air) and Stoneham (Slopestyle). Venues that define him include Chur (Switzerland) for Big Air standardization, Aspen Buttermilk (USA) for contest pressure, Stoneham (Canada) for the rise of North American Slopestyle circuits, and Kaprun (Austria) for his training environment.
How they ski: what to watch for
Švancer skis with a tall, composed take-in, minimal upper-body noise, and an uncanny ability to land high-degree spins with smooth axis control and grab clarity. In Big Air sessions he has pushed trick boundaries, notably landing a nose-butter triple-cork 1980 safety in Steamboat Springs—an execution-driven trick that earned his win and signalled his readiness for elite status. He executes switch and natural spin families both ways, mirrors left/right hits fluidly and constructs runs that balance amplitude with grab integrity rather than relying solely on rotation count. On slopestyle courses he is equally comfortable; he links rails, jumps and features with speed, technique and composure so the final booter feels like a natural continuation rather than a standalone spectacle.
Resilience, filming, and influence
Švancer’s competitive consistency amid rapid progression speaks to resilience: transitioning from junior to elite level without the typical dip, navigating judging evolutions and feature-changes while still raising the bar on trick difficulty and style. He has steadily built a brand via projections (his athlete profile is featured on Red Bull) and sponsors such as Faction (skis) and Red Bull, increasing his influence among emerging riders. His combination of results and style makes him a template for how to ski at the highest level today—where execution and innovation matter almost equally.
Geography that built the toolkit
Though born in Prague, Švancer relocated to Kaprun, Austria, at about age ten, integrating into a high-performance winter sports environment and attending a sports-gymnasium in Saalfelden. That base provided access to groomed jump lines, rail terrain and high-altitude repetition—essential to his trick mechanics. European appearances at Chur and Kreischberg sharpened his adaptation to differing light, snow and wind. North American events in Steamboat Springs and Aspen added contest volume, large scaffold features and media exposure. The blend of early repetition at Kaprun, European technical venues and global contest stages underpins his full-toolkit readiness.
Equipment and partners: practical takeaways
Švancer is supported by a gear and partner roster that aligns with his demands: he is listed on the Faction Skis team, riding park/big air models designed for pop and durability, and backed by Red Bull among other sponsors. For progressing skiers, the lesson is to match gear with target features: choose a dedicated park-/big-air ski with predictable pop, mount near center for switch balance, and bind it to absorb high-amplitude landings without chatter. Off-hill, emphasize training terrain with repeatable features, seasonally both in Europe and North America if possible, chase amplitude and build both-way trick literacy—and don’t neglect grab execution just because you can spin high.
Why fans and progressing skiers care
Švancer matters because he is not just winning—he is redefining how modern freeski slopestyle and big air are ridden. Fans can expect signature runs with high-amplitude jumps, inventive grabs and mirrored spin sequences executed with composure under pressure. Progressing skiers should study his run construction, late spin initiation and how he builds up to the final hit with momentum and control. His ascent also highlights a reality: in today’s environment you need all-round competence (rails, jumps, switching directions) plus trick innovation—and Švancer embodies that blend. Whether watching the World Cup livestream or studying footage for technique, he is a reference figure for the next era of freeski performance.
Ryan Stevenson
Profile and significance
Ryan Stevenson is an American freeski park, rail and jump athlete from New Jersey noted for his stylised approach, mix of park and urban shooting, and presence in ski-media culture. According to his athlete biography with FIS he has competed in World Cup events in slopestyle and big air since 2018, though he has not yet secured major international wins. His significance lies more in his video output, rail creativity, crew presence and contribution to ski sub-culture than in podium records.
Competitive arc and key venues
Stevenson’s competition record shows entries at World Cup slopestyle events such as Europe’s Stubai in 2021 (30th place) and at big air events like Copper Mountain in December 2022 (22nd). :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1} Earlier, at the 2018 Junior World Championships for slopestyle he placed 6th. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2} On the park/rail side, his media engagements include participation in games of SLVSH during Jiberish Week at Woodward Copper in 2024. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3} His venues therefore split between formal contest sites (Europe, North America) and filming/park locations such as Woodward Copper (USA).
How they ski: what to watch for
Stevenson’s skiing emphasizes flow, rail creativity, switch hits and park jumps with a camera-aware style. As described by his team profile (“Lil Ryan”), he moved into switch 540s, 720s and down-rail tricks as part of his park arsenal. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4} You should watch for his smooth transitions between features, strong switch proficiency, and his ability to carry speed through park lines with clarity rather than using maximum amplitude. On jumps he may not yet lead global fields, but his trick aesthetic and filming presence compensate for margin of execution.
Resilience, filming, and influence
Stevenson’s impact is more cultural than leaderboard-driven. He has embraced both contest ski and street/park edits, making him relevant for skiers interested in media presence as much as competition. His inclusion in creative formats like SLVSH expands his profile beyond standard runs. That balance—between contest ambition and creative output—makes him a figure for progressing skiers who wish to build a presence through terrain and video as much as medals.
Geography that built the toolkit
Originating in Washington Township, New Jersey, Stevenson’s early terrain likely included East-Coast parks and rope-tows, which tend to foster creativity and repetition rather than high altitude amplitude. He later moved to Colorado for training (according to sources), giving him access to more varied park and jump infrastructure. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5} That geographical progression—from modest features to larger parks—fits his profile of development through repetition, switch work and mixed terrain rather than purely altitude-driven expansion.
Equipment and partners: practical takeaways
Stevenson is supported by the brand Jiberish and is referenced on their team page. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7} For progressing skiers following his path: focus on gear that supports park and rail work (durable edges, twin-tip flexibility, mount near centre for switch landings), dedicate sessions to front-and-back switch work, rail transitions and filming your runs (since visuals amplify profile). Also, use a mix of local repeat features and larger park terrain to build muscle memory before transitioning to contest-scale infrastructure.
Why fans and progressing skiers care
Ryan Stevenson matters because he speaks to the section of freeskiing that blends park technicality, street/rail creativity and media output. For fans, his edits and park runs are visually engaging and highlight progression over perfection. For progressing skiers, his story offers a path: you don’t need podiums to matter; you need consistency, creativity, content, and a personal style. That message resonates strongly in today’s ski culture, where exposure and terrain diversity rule as much as titles.
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.
Monster Energy
Brand overview and significance
Monster Energy is a global beverage brand that became a fixture in freeski culture by backing athletes, contests, and film projects across park, pipe, street, and big-mountain skiing. Launched in the early 2000s by the company now known as Monster Beverage Corporation, the “claw” logo migrated from motocross and skate into winter sports and quickly showed up on helmets, sled decks, and banners at major venues. In skiing, Monster’s value is less about hardware and more about platform: funding rider-driven media, supporting athlete travel, and amplifying edits so lines and tricks reach audiences far beyond a single premiere. For Skipowd readers, our curated hub for Monster Energy pulls those stories together in one place.
At competition level, Monster’s presence is visible on the world’s most-watched stages. The brand is a named partner at X Games events, including Aspen’s winter edition, with title integrations on Big Air and SuperPipe segments that keep freeskiing front-and-center for a mainstream audience. Combined with a deep roster of athletes and a grassroots pipeline, Monster has helped bankroll a generation of clips and projects that shaped modern freeski style.
Product lines and key technologies
Monster’s “products” for skiers are twofold: beverages and media infrastructure. On the beverage side, the lineup spans the classic Monster Energy range, sugar-free options like Ultra, coffee blends under Java, and hydration-oriented Rehab—formats riders choose for long travel days, dawn call times, or late-night rail sessions. On the media side, the brand runs dedicated snow news and athlete pages, plus the Monster Army development program (Monster Army) that gives emerging skiers a route to small stipends, exposure, and eventual pro support.
The real “tech” is distribution and continuity. Monster’s content operation turns contest weeks and filming windows into year-round storytelling: pre-event previews, daily recaps, and athlete features that keep freeskiers in the broader sports conversation. That consistency has helped edits from core hubs break out of niche channels and reach new viewers who might never attend a premiere or follow a film tour.
Ride feel: who it’s for (terrains & use-cases)
Translate “ride feel” to culture: Monster shows up wherever skiers want volume and visibility. Park and slopestyle crews benefit from athlete travel and media support that keep jump lines and rail gardens in view all winter. Big-mountain and backcountry riders leverage the same amplifiers for spine shoots, wind-lip sessions, and sled-accessed zones. For grassroots skiers, Monster Army functions as an on-ramp—local edits and regional podiums can become invitations, product flow, and small travel budgets that make the next step possible.
Practically, skiers tap Monster’s platforms around the cadence of a season: early-preseason park laps, mid-winter contest blocks, spring build weeks, and Southern Hemisphere or glacier sessions. The through-line is repetition and reach—support that helps riders stack attempts, refine style, and put the best version of a trick or line in front of the world.
Team presence, competitions, and reputation
Monster’s freeski roster blends icons, contest winners, and film specialists—most visibly at X Games, where the brand’s partnership and athlete presence span SuperPipe, Slopestyle, Big Air, and newer formats like Knuckle Huck. Recent seasons in Aspen saw Monster-backed skiers and snowboarders rack up headline results across the program, validated by the brand’s own event recaps and athlete features. Beyond podiums, Monster’s support of style leaders and legacy projects—think multi-year film arcs with Scandinavian and Québec crews, or rider-led street projects—gives skiers room to pursue the parts that influence technique and aesthetics for years.
The pipeline matters as much as the top end. Monster Army highlights junior and up-and-coming riders, publishes results, and showcases standout edits, creating a credible path from local scenes to international rosters. That continuity—grassroots to global—underpins the brand’s reputation inside the sport.
Geography and hubs (heritage, testing, venues)
On-snow, Monster’s winter footprint tracks freeski infrastructure. In North America, Aspen hosts X Games on Buttermilk’s courses under the Aspen Snowmass umbrella (Buttermilk), stacking high-mileage training and broadcast-grade venues in one valley. West Coast film crews cycle through Mammoth Mountain and coastal British Columbia, while the Alps and Scandinavia add spring and late-season looks that show up in team edits. In Québec, hometown hills and night parks feed the scene; you’ll even see Monster projects roll through compact venues like Vallée du Parc when storylines call for local roots.
Between tours, Monster uses city-based touchpoints and festivals to premiere or promote projects, then folds those stories back into athlete pages and season recaps so they remain discoverable long after a live event.
Construction, durability, and sustainability
For a beverage brand embedded in outdoor sport, responsibility shows up in packaging and operations. Monster’s corporate reporting outlines steps such as recyclable aluminum as the primary package, efficiency improvements in manufacturing, and sustainability targets published in annual updates (Sustainability Reports). On the events side, large activations coordinate with venue partners to manage sampling, waste, and energy use—pragmatic measures that matter at scale when contests and festivals bring thousands of fans to alpine towns.
From an athlete’s viewpoint, durability is cultural: consistent budgets, long-term relationships, and support for serviceable projects (from street trips to heli windows) keep skiers productive through full seasons, not just headline weeks.
How to choose within the lineup
If you’re picking a Monster can for ski days, think context. Sugar-free Ultra variants suit riders who want flavor without added sugar; classic Monster Energy is a familiar choice for long travel days or early starts; coffee blends (Java) make sense for base-area mornings. Hydration-forward options (Rehab) are useful for spring sessions when temps rise. As with any caffeinated drink, match intake to your tolerance and hydrate—especially at altitude and during high-output days.
If you’re an aspiring rider looking for support, study Monster’s athlete pages and the Monster Army program: publish clean edits, compete regionally, and keep results and clips organized so you can be found. For coaches and filmers, align output with the season’s storytelling windows—contest weeks, park build cycles, and spring features—so your work lands when the audience is paying most attention.
Why riders care
Skis and boots define how you turn; brands like Monster help define whether the wider world sees what you did. By underwriting athletes, events, and films—particularly around anchor venues like Aspen—the company has amplified freeski progression from rope-tow nights to global broadcast. Add a visible presence at X Games, a credible grassroots pipeline in Monster Army, and year-round content that keeps freeskiing in front of non-core audiences, and you get a sponsor that materially supports the sport’s culture—not just with logos, but with the resources that let skiers stack laps, film lines, and share them widely.
SLVSH
Brand overview and significance
SLVSH (pronounced “slash”) is a ski-culture brand and media outlet founded around a simple but powerful idea: bring the playground game of “HORSE” into the park and freeski scene by matching tricks between rivals and letting the video tell the story. The brand was co-founded by notable freeskiers Matt Walker and Joss Christensen as a way to inject creative freedom and fun into a culture increasingly dominated by judged contests. SLVSH has grown into an internationally recognized format and community hub, with apparel, video series, and global event tie-ins. For skiers who care about park laps, jib battles, street features and rider-vs-rider formats, SLVSH offers a unique, peer-driven alternative to traditional competition.
Product lines and key technologies
SLVSH is not a ski manufacturer; its core “product” is content and community. Under the SLVSH banner you’ll find the game format (head-to-head trick matching), video episodes, event series (such as SLVSH Cups) held at terrain parks and resorts, and a streetwear line including hoodies, hats and accessories. The apparel is often co-branded and available globally (e.g., via abstractmall storefronts). On the media-side, the brand uses filming and editing techniques suited to the park environment—tight follow-cams, rapid cuts, and multi-angle battles—to emphasise trick detail, reaction, and rhythm. The key “technology” is the format itself: no judges, just call a trick, the opponent lands (or doesn’t), someone gets a letter, first to spell SLVSH loses. This simplicity underpins the brand’s appeal.
Ride feel: who it’s for (terrains & use-cases)
SLVSH speaks directly to park, urban, and freestyle-oriented skiers who ride rails, boxes, jumps and street features and who value creativity, fun, and peer challenges. If you’re in the terrain park, enjoying jib setups, chasing friends on the rail line, or filming match-ups with your crew, SLVSH fits. The ride feel is loose, expressive and informal—less about maximal speed or big-mountain consequences, more about style, line choice, trick creativity and session banter. It’s ideal for skiers who view park laps as culture rather than contest rounds, and who like a format they can play with friends, record, and share.
Team presence, competitions, and reputation
SLVSH has cultivated credibility via its athlete-led foundation and the adoption of its format by parks and resorts worldwide. Games and match-ups featuring high-profile skiers such as Joss Christensen, as well as grassroots entries, have helped the brand stay relevant. Its video series on YouTube show head-to-head match-offs at terrain parks from North America to Europe (e.g., SLVSH Cup Grandvalira). The reputation is of a brand that keeps skiing fun, accessible and peer-to-peer oriented—contrasting with high-stakes judged contests. While it may not carry the prestige of an Olympic or World Cup circuit, for the park scene it holds a meaningful place.
Geography and hubs (heritage, testing, venues)
SLVSH has roots in the modern park and freestyle community rather than a single geographic resort heritage. Its match-format videos and events have taken place at venues such as Penken Park (Austria) and the SLVSH Cup at Grandvalira (Andorra). The global reach includes U.S. park locations (such as Park City, Utah). Because the format is portable and doesn’t require infrastructure beyond a terrain park, the brand’s geography spans many popular freestyle hubs. It channels the spirit of open-session, game-driven skiing across continents.
Construction, durability, and sustainability
In the media and culture context, SLVSH’s durability is shown in its staying power—over a decade of match-games, videos, community visits and product drops. The game format remains relevant to emerging skiers and seasoned stylers alike. Sustainability-wise, the brand emphasises participation and simplicity. Because the barrier to entry is low (rent features, film a game), the format scales without large production overheads. On the apparel side, there is limited public data on material sustainability; the focus remains cultural rather than manufacturing. For the skier-viewer, the lasting value is the format and community more than a tangible gear asset.
How to choose within the lineup
If you’re a skier wanting to get involved: start by watching SLVSH videos to see how the format plays out in parks you know. Then arrange games with your crew—pick a feature, call tricks, record. Aim to replicate the style and pace you’ve seen so that your own edits look crisp and fun. If you’re a park or resort looking to partner: host an official SLVSH Cup or branded match session, film for social, invite riders of varying levels. For apparel: drop a hoodie or shirt from the SLVSH line if you’re into ski-street style and want a brand that signals park credibility.
Why riders care
Because skiing should be fun, peer-driven and expressive. SLVSH removes the intimidation of judged contests and replaces it with a format nearly any skier can join. It brings friends, features and filming together in a way that emphasises trick creativity, risk-taking and fun—whether you’re a 270 board-slide novice or a back-flip rail veteran. Its brand cues—bold graphics, playful identity, video match-ups—resonate with skiers who spend equal time filming, lapping features and pushing style. For the park crew, the hill is the playground and SLVSH gives you the rules, the format and the vibe.
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