Remarks V The Elevator Strikes Back.

Henry ZakowSki

Henry Zakowski is an American freeride skier whose profile has grown through a modern mix of YouTube edits, resort laps on storm and “low-tide” days, and steady collaboration with rider-forward brands. Based in the Salt Lake City area, he spends most winters stacking footage at Solitude and Alta while coaching and joining visiting crews for photo and video shoots. Rather than chasing televised podiums, Zakowski’s lane is film-first: concise, watchable edits that show how a strong skier solves real resort conditions—firm chalk, wind buff, and chopped afternoon snow—as well as deeper days when Honeycomb Canyon and the Wasatch backcountry-style lines fill in. What sets his skiing apart is composure and line-reading. In resort terrain he prioritizes clean takeoffs, centered landings, and speed management through natural features—side hits, wind lips, gullies, and technical trees. When conditions are thin, he switches to a more precise style that emphasizes edge control and terrain absorption, making clips educational for everyday skiers looking to refine technique. On deeper days he’ll push into steeper pitches with confident fall-line choices, but the footage remains grounded in lift-accessible zones that viewers can recognize and aspire to ski. Media cadence matters in this lane, and Zakowski has leaned into a consistent YouTube presence. His channel intermixes two-minute resort laps, short park practice cuts, and trip edits, giving viewers a season-long narrative rather than a single annual part. This distributed output suits today’s discovery patterns: individual clips can travel on their own, while playlists and thumbnails make it easy for newcomers to binge through a body of work. The tone remains approachable—captions that explain snow quality, route choice, and what the camera doesn’t show (wind, crusts, variable light) help the audience understand why certain lines work on a given day. Brand and community ties reinforce that identity. With Pret Helmets, he’s appeared in quick-tip pieces about resort etiquette and confidence, aligning with his coach’s voice. Collaborations with ski manufacturers on travel shoots and local meetups highlight an ability to adapt style to different snowpacks and audiences. Regionally, you’ll find him linking up with Utah shop employees, filmers, and visiting athletes for “hot lap” episodes that double as resort guides: here’s where the surface stayed cold, here’s a traverse into a lightly skied pocket, here’s how to ride when the base is firm. That pragmatic angle—less sizzle reel, more real skiing—keeps engagement steady. Travel segments broaden the picture. Southern Hemisphere footage from New Zealand’s The Remarkables shows the same characteristics—measured speed, sluff awareness, confident exits—applied to a lean snowpack, which makes line choice and edge quality even more important. Viewers get a look at how a pro-minded skier keeps the day productive when coverage is limited, a scenario many encounter in shoulder seasons at home. Equipment-wise, Zakowski trends toward a versatile freeride setup: mid-fat skis with enough backbone for firm mornings and enough rocker to stay loose in trees, bindings with predictable elasticity, and boots tuned for progressive flex and shock absorption that won’t punish the shins on chopped exits. The message to fans is consistent: choose gear that matches conditions and your speed tolerance, then focus on line economy—fewer checks, cleaner exits, better flow. As his catalog grows, the roadmap is clear: continue releasing tightly edited resort laps that decode daily conditions; drop a few marquee clips each season that show creative problem-solving on consequential terrain; and collaborate with filmmakers who value readability over spectacle. For skiers researching Solitude/Alta lines, looking for coaching-informed breakdowns, or just wanting relatable, high-signal edits, Henry Zakowski’s channel offers a steady reference—grounded, repeatable, and rooted in the actual surfaces most of us ski.