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Alex Hall
Profile and significance
Alex Hall is one of the defining freeskier profiles of his generation, notable for pairing contest dominance with a deep catalog of creative film parts. Born in Fairbanks, Alaska, raised in Zurich and Flims/Laax, and refined in Park City, he sits at the intersection of European park culture and the American progression engine. Hall’s breakout moment for a mainstream audience came with Olympic slopestyle gold in Beijing 2022, but core fans had long tracked his rise through World Cups, X Games, and the MAGMA film project. That mix of medals and movies is why he matters: he lands among the rare athletes who can win on Sunday and stack enduring clips on Monday.
Hall’s résumé checks every high-bar box for modern freeski stature. He is an Olympic champion in slopestyle, a multi-time X Games gold medalist spanning slopestyle, big air, knuckle huck, and Real Ski, and a repeat FIS World Championships medalist. Across a sustained window from his late teens through his mid-twenties, he collected World Cup wins on both sides of the Atlantic, earned season titles, and remained an ever-present podium threat. For fans and progressing skiers, he’s a reference rider: watch a Hall run or a Hall segment and you see where park, street, and backcountry are headed next.
Competitive arc and key venues
Hall’s competitive arc traces a classic but elite path. Youth years in Switzerland meant early exposure to the build quality and line variety at LAAX and Flims/Laax, while the move to Utah plugged him into the pipeline at Park City Mountain and the U.S. system. By his late teens he had World Cup experience and invites to top-tier events. The first major global headline arrived in February 2022 with Olympic slopestyle gold on a first-run heater that balanced amplitude, rotation variety, and signature grabs under pressure. He has since added FIS World Championships bronze medals in slopestyle and racked up additional World Cup victories and globes, underscoring his longevity.
His X Games record demonstrates breadth as much as depth. Hall is among the few skiers to win gold across four disciplines—slopestyle, big air, knuckle huck, and Real Ski—while remaining consistently relevant as courses and judging trends evolve. Aspen has been a frequent proving ground; so has Norway’s big-air setup. On the FIS side, Mammoth and Tignes have been reliable World Cup stops where Hall’s line choice and trick selection routinely convert to podiums. The Corvatsch setup in Switzerland—home to the Engadin World Championships and the long-running spring slopestyle—has also been a site of standout performances, aided by the meticulous shaping at Corvatsch Park and the larger Corvatsch area.
How they ski: what to watch for
Technically, Hall is a master of approach speed control and axis management. He is comfortable entering features from unconventional angles, changes edges late without bleeding speed, and uses tall posture to delay rotation until the last possible beat. That composure mid-air is why his switch takeoffs read so clean and why he can uncork large rotations without telegraphing. Watch for nuanced grabs—his “Buick” grab is a calling card—and for how he layers grab changes and shiftys inside spins to alter silhouette and spin-axis perception. On rails, he prefers fluid, linkable lines with spinning both on and off and tends to ride landings farther down the pad, which preserves speed for the next feature.
Run construction is another hallmark: he’ll reduce a course to a handful of precise choices, hold a trick family in reserve, then escalate on finals day. Variety is intentional—right/left takeoffs, natural and unnatural spins, and switch both ways—because he is attentive to modern slopestyle scoring frameworks. In big air, Hall optimizes for aesthetic composition as much as difficulty, using tweak and late grab-change micro-beats to separate similar-difficulty tricks. The outcome is skiing that plays to judges, cameras, and style-minded fans all at once.
Resilience, filming, and influence
Hall’s contest results are only half the story. With Hunter Hess and filmer Owen Dahlberg, he co-created the MAGMA series, a multi-year project that merges park precision with street and spring backcountry flavor. The films are a primer on contemporary trick form: lip-to features with tight stance discipline, long and purposeful nosebutters, and methodical jump lines that save the loudest move for the closer. A recurring pattern in MAGMA is restraint before explosion; Hall builds foundations with clean 540s and 720s, then detonates with high-spin executions that maintain grab integrity from takeoff to bolts landing.
Injury management is implicit in a schedule that swings between filming blocks and contests. Hall has demonstrated a mature approach to volume and risk, often skipping lower-priority starts to keep the legs fresh for marquee stops or film windows. That strategy has extended his peak and allowed him to show up with both consistency and novelty—an increasingly rare balance in a field where specialization is common.
Geography that built the toolkit
The places that shaped Hall are reflected in how he skis. Early years along the Swiss plateau meant easy access to LAAX, whose snowpark culture values line flow, grab quality, and switch integrity. Teenage seasons in Utah at Park City Mountain added American-style jump scale and deep rail inventories. Frequent camps and spring sessions at Mammoth Mountain refined late-season jump timing and wind management. World Cup finals at Silvaplana above Lake Silvaplana—built into the Corvatsch Park ecosystem—rewarded slopestyle riders who could hold speed through long, glacially influenced courses, which suits Hall’s energy conservation and edge control.
On the European end, France’s Tignes has been a recurrent big-air and slopestyle benchmark where variable light and alpine exposure punish imprecision. Hall’s comfort on those stages comes from thousands of reps in mixed conditions—ice in the morning, slush in the afternoon—across Utah and the Alps. The result is a skier who reads venues quickly and adjusts trick selection without sacrificing style points.
Equipment and partners: practical takeaways
Hall’s current kit underscores a balance of durability and precision. He rides Faction freestyle skis, including the Studio 1 A-Hall limited edition, which pairs a responsive poplar/ash core with stout sidewalls for repeated rail impacts and predictable pop. Bindings come from Look, where a Pivot-based release pattern and short mounting platform preserve ski flex underfoot and tolerate cross-loaded landings common in modern slopestyle. Outerwear and apparel partnerships with Moncler and energy support via Monster Energy round out the program.
For skiers looking to translate gear into progress, the lesson is pairing a lively, mid-stiff park ski with a binding that manages heel elasticity. Mount close to true center if your riding is rail-dense; move a centimeter or two back if you prioritize jump stability. Hall’s setups tend to be neutral and symmetrical, which supports his right/left spin balance and switch landings.
Why fans and progressing skiers care
Alex Hall is a complete freeskier in the modern sense: he wins the biggest contests, produces influential film segments, and emphasizes style and execution as much as novelty. The Beijing gold validated his contest ceiling; the X Games haul shows breadth across formats; the MAGMA films cement cultural relevance far beyond podium photos. If you’re watching a live slopestyle final, look for the late-axis tweaks, Buick grabs held to the bolts, and mirrored spin families that make a judge’s job easy. If you’re queuing up a Hall segment, watch how he sequences rails to hold speed and how he budgets risk across a session to get a heavy ender without burning the legs.
For developing riders, Hall’s template is instructive: build a trick library deliberately; make grabs non-negotiable; develop both-way competence; and choose lines that read beautifully to spectators and judges. For fans, his value is straightforward—when Alex Hall drops, you’re going to see skiing that respects the sport’s past and pushes its future. Whether under the lights at Aspen or on a spring glacier in Switzerland, he continues to set the standard for how freeskiers can be both dominant competitors and thoughtful creators.
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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