SAMMY CARLSON || HARMONY

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 Armada is widely recognized as skiing’s pioneering athlete-founded brand. Launched in 2002 by a crew of influential freeskiers and creatives, it set out to build equipment around how modern skiers actually ride—park, powder, streets, and big, natural terrain—rather than filtering innovation through traditional race heritage. The brand’s identity has remained anchored in rider input and film culture, with a product line that mirrors the creative, playful approach that reshaped freeskiing in the 2000s and beyond.... Read more on the Sponsor 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 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.... Read more on the Sponsor page

Brand overview and significance Oakley is one of skiing’s definitive optics and protection brands. Founded in California in 1975 by Jim Jannard and part of the EssilorLuxottica family since 2007, Oakley moved from moto grips to goggles and sunglasses, then expanded into snow helmets and technical apparel. The company’s impact in freeski culture is simple to trace: Oakley standardized high-contrast snow lenses for variable light, built intuitive quick-swap systems for lens changes on storm days, and backed athletes across park, pipe, street, and big-mountain segments.... Read more on the Sponsor page

Brand overview and significance Quiksilver is a surf-born, snow-proven apparel brand founded in 1969 in Torquay, Australia, that today outfits skiers and snowboarders with outerwear built for storm days, park laps, and travel-heavy seasons. The “mountain and wave” DNA shows up in the snow line’s relaxed silhouettes and rider-led details, while the performance story rests on credible waterproof/breathable fabrics, pragmatic insulation choices, and long-running athlete feedback. For Skipowd readers, the curated hub for Quiksilver pulls together signature films and place context tied to the label’s backcountry and freestyle presence.... Read more on the Sponsor page