"GROWN" by Sammy Carlson | Bonus GoPro POV Movie

Tigard, Oregon, USA | Active: 2004-present | Known for: X Games slopestyle gold, switch triple rodeo 1260, backcountry freestyle films | Current: veteran film-driven freeskier working with Armada and Quiksilver, with recent projects in Alaska and British Columbia July light, a weather hold, and a trick nobody had stamped. The jump sat there after the contest plans fell apart, a 110-foot feature built for the Sammy Carlson Invitational and left behind by bad timing. Sammy Carlson used the empty runway the way he has always used extra space: not to cruise, but to test the ceiling.... Read more on the Athlete page

Overview and significance Alaska is the world’s archetype for big-mountain skiing—a place where steep, glaciated faces and ocean-fed snowpacks create the freeride lines that fill film segments and athlete highlight reels. From the Chugach above Girdwood and Valdez to the spine fields near Haines and Juneau, the state’s mountains have shaped modern freeskiing’s idea of scale, exposure, and flow. Lift-served laps center on Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, while helicopter and touring programs unlock vast terrain across coastal and interior ranges.... Read more on the Location page

Brand overview and significance Black Ops Valdez (often “BOV”) is a rider-run heli and snow-operations brand based in Valdez, Alaska, built around the huge spine walls and glaciated faces of the Chugach. Locally owned and operated since its inception, BOV blends small-group guiding with a deep menu of backup options so trips aren’t dictated solely by helicopter flight windows. The brand’s home base doubles as mission control at Robe Lake Lodge, and its terrain footprint spans the mountains around Valdez and Thompson Pass—an area renowned for a maritime snowpack and storm totals that fuel big-mountain skiing.... Read more on the Sponsor page

Brand overview and significance GoPro is the reference name in action cameras and a cornerstone of modern ski media. Founded in 2002 by Nick Woodman, the company turned rugged, mount-anywhere cameras into a creative toolkit that reshaped how freeskiing is filmed—POV from the helmet or chesty on storm laps, pole-cam follow lines in the trees, and stabilized, edit-ready clips from lift to backcountry. For skiers, GoPro’s value isn’t just the camera; it’s an ecosystem of mounts, lens options, accessories, and the Quik app with cloud backup and automatic highlight videos.... Read more on the Sponsor page