On the Come Up - Valerie Festavan

, ANIMA Merx Corbet’s With The Crowd Below The lip of Corbet’s Couloir looked raw above Jackson Hole, rock walls framing the drop while cold snow held in the landing. Valerie Festavan had to leave the edge clean, absorb the impact, and keep enough direction for the run to survive the couloir. In 2026, that first appearance at Kings & Queens of Corbet’s ended with second place in women’s ski.... Read more on the Athlete page

Overview and significance Park City Mountain is one of the world’s best-known resort destinations for park-and-pipe laps, big-intermediate mileage, and reliable access logistics, with two full base areas—Mountain Village and Canyons Village—connected mid-mountain by the Quicksilver Gondola. The resort’s official figures cite over 7,300 acres, 41 lifts and 330+ trails spread across multiple aspects, all within about 35–45 minutes of Salt Lake City International Airport via I-80, which is a major practical advantage for traveling crews (Mountain Information). S.... Read more on the Location page

Utah big mountain resort in Little Cottonwood Canyon | Known for: Aerial Tram access, Hidden Peak, 2500 acres, 500 plus inches of annual snowfall, Mineral Basin, Peruvian Gulch, Gad Valley, IFSA freeride events, and Alta Bird storm cycles | Season: winter into spring depending on snowpack | Best for: advanced freeriders, powder skiers, tram lap crews, and skiers who want serious in bounds terrain close to Salt Lake City Hidden Peak And The Tram Drop Into Little Cottonwood Hidden Peak reaches 11000 feet above Little Cottonwood Canyon, and Snowbird’s Aerial Tram turns that elevation into direct ski access. From the summit, the mountain drops into Peruvian Gulch, Gad Valley, and Mineral Basin with a stated 3000 vertical feet and 2500 acres of terrain. The numbers matter because Snowbird is not large in a vague way.... Read more on the Location page

European technical outerwear brand | Based between Annecy and Verbier with roots in progressive freeskiing and snowboarding | Known for: Manifest High Alpine, Catalyst All Mountain, Root lightweight protection, recycled fabrics, PFAS free finishes and athlete led design | Focus: durable snow apparel that blends freeride function, clean style and sustainability for a future wild Annecy, Verbier and the Future Wild reset Forward Outdoor is not a ski manufacturer, boot company or film crew. It is a technical outerwear brand built for skiing, snowboarding and mountain travel, with a clear European Alps identity. The official brand world is split between Annecy, France and Verbier, Switzerland, two places that explain the product direction immediately.... Read more on the Sponsor page

American freeski accessory brand | Originally launched as Joystick Skiing and later brought into the Surface Skis family | Known for: Spicoli poles, Ridgemont adjustable poles, goggles, mitts, softgoods and a wide freestyle team | Focus: park, street and creative all mountain skiing through simple durable rider driven accessories Joystick Skiing before the Surface family JOYSTICK sits in a specific corner of freeski culture. It is not a ski manufacturer, boot company or film studio. It is a rider driven accessory brand built around poles, goggles and extras for skiers who spend time in parks, streets, edits and creative resort terrain.... Read more on the Sponsor page

Lake Tahoe ski boot fitting specialist | Based in Olympic Valley and South Lake Tahoe | Known for: Heel-Loc orthotics, ZipFit liners, custom footbeds, shell modification and performance fitting for skiers and snowboarders | Focus: comfort, alignment, heel hold and power transfer for serious resort, race, freeride and touring days Olympic Valley bootfitting beside the Palisades test hill Olympic Bootworks is not a ski manufacturer, boot brand or film crew. It is a specialist ski bootfitting and performance shop rooted in the Lake Tahoe ski scene. That distinction matters.... Read more on the Sponsor page