Sketchy Spring Laps At Grouse

05:03 min • 30/09/2025

Spring skiing at Grouse mountain resort, in Vancouver BC.

Athletes

Marcus Vanheyst

Locations

Grouse mountain resort

Marcus Vanheyst

Profile and significance

Marcus Vanheyst is a British Columbia–based freeski athlete and content creator whose skiing lives at the edge of what most people even consider “snow sports.” He built a following by treating every season as ski season, winning a GoPro YourSummer cash award for clips that show him carving “brown pow” on dirt, grass and rock when the snow is long gone in coastal and interior British Columbia. Instead of chasing slopestyle or big air podiums on the FIS circuit, he has become known through viral edits, Unofficial Networks features and brand-backed social media posts that highlight how far creative freeski can go when you stop waiting for perfect winter conditions.

On frozen days he still skis the traditional way, stacking park laps and side-hit runs at major western Canadian resorts. When the melt arrives, he keeps the same mindset and simply swaps powder for dust, gravel and rough alpine soil. That willingness to push skiing into shoulder seasons and strange textures has made him a reference point for skiers and mountain-town locals who are obsessed with gravity but live in places where winter is always too short.

Competitive arc and key venues

Vanheyst is not a World Cup regular; his “competitive arc” plays out in edits, viral clips and informal challenges rather than bibbed events. A key milestone came when GoPro awarded him a YourSummer prize for footage of him “skiing all the seasons” in British Columbia, including grass, dirt and loose scree lines that look more like mountain-bike terrain than ski slopes. That recognition from one of action sports’ most visible brands signaled that his approach had crossed from local curiosity into globally shared content.

Media coverage from outlets focused on ski culture has further cemented his profile. Articles spotlight him straight-lining dusty faces with a mountain biker on his tail, threading narrow drainage ditches in full ski kit and even pulling off a high-speed dirt-ski pond skim. Those pieces typically frame him as a “dirt skier” from British Columbia who is determined to keep skiing long after the last lift closes. Along the way he has appeared in collaborations with resort and brand channels, including clips shared by Banff Sunshine Village and Salomon, and preseason or post-season missions around Cypress Mountain above Vancouver.

While there is no long results sheet to dissect, the pattern is clear: instead of stacking contest finishes, Vanheyst has built a portfolio of lines and locations that showcase both classic winter park skiing and an entirely different category of “off-season freeski,” usually filmed on the same mountains skiers know from regular winter edits—just without the snow.

How they ski: what to watch for

What makes Marcus Vanheyst compelling to watch is not just the novelty of skis on dirt, but the technique that keeps those lines from turning into crashes. On snow, his skiing looks like a blend of park and all-mountain freeride: confident stance, solid edge control and a willingness to use side hits, banks and natural transitions in between the main features. That same toolbox shows up when he moves onto rock and soil. He chooses lines with a clear fall line, manages speed carefully and keeps his body stacked over his feet so that every tiny change in surface texture—loose pebbles, ruts, embedded rock—is handled through quick, subtle adjustments rather than big, panicked corrections.

In his dirt and “four-season” edits, pay attention to how early he commits to a line, and how little he twists his upper body once he is committed. Whether he is dropping into a steep scree face, threading a narrow ditch or aiming at a pond skim on dirt skis, his shoulders stay steady while the lower body does the work. On snow, that same calm posture translates into clean airs, smooth landings and the kind of controlled slarves and buttered turns that freeskiers associate with strong park fundamentals. Even when the setting looks wild, his choice of line and his stance show a conservative, calculated understanding of risk.

Resilience, filming, and influence

Maintaining a presence in the ski world when your signature lines happen outside of winter takes resilience and consistent creativity. Vanheyst spends long stretches of the shoulder season scouting new locations, hiking loose slopes that would be tiring even in hiking boots, and then lapping them in plastic ski boots while cameras roll. Many attempts never make the final cut, but the process—trial, error, broken edges and all—is what allows him to find the occasional perfect pitch where the angle, surface and runout actually work for controlled skiing.

His clips have influenced how both skiers and non-skiers think about “off-season fun.” Instead of seeing the end of winter as downtime, fans now associate him with the idea that a pair of old skis and a creative eye can turn gravel pits, construction cuts or end-of-season alpine slopes into short but memorable runs. That influence extends into bike culture as well; joint edits with mountain bikers on the same lines highlight how two gravity sports can share terrain, each reading it differently but feeding off the same speed and flow. For younger viewers raised on action-cam clips, his projects serve as a reminder that you do not always need perfect conditions to create compelling ski footage—though you do need judgement and a very high tolerance for gear abuse.

Geography that built the toolkit

British Columbia is central to Vanheyst’s story. The province combines serious winter snowpack with long, dry shoulder seasons, making it an ideal laboratory for someone determined to ski “every season.” Coastal mountains around Cypress Mountain and the North Shore give him early- and late-season opportunities where patchy snow, rock bands and muddy cutbanks sit side by side. Further inland, the hills and backroads of interior British Columbia offer everything from grassy slopes to gravel service roads and loose, dusty bowls that ride more like natural halfpipes when viewed through a skier’s eye.

Resort zones such as Banff Sunshine Village and other Rockies areas contribute classic winter mileage—rail lines, jump laps, and freeride-friendly faces that keep his snow-level skills sharp. Then, as spring takes hold, those same regions become sources of melt streaks, dirty snowfields and exposed ground, where he can experiment with hybrid snow–dirt lines or commit to full “brown pow” runs. The result is a skier whose toolkit is tuned to western Canadian realities: big mountains, fast-changing seasons and an endless supply of unconventional terrain once you start looking.

Equipment and partners: practical takeaways

Vanheyst’s gear highlights two different setups: everyday winter skis and a sacrificial “dirt quiver.” In winter he rides standard freeski gear suited to park and all-mountain laps—twin-tip skis, modern bindings and a helmet-and-goggles package in line with what you see from athletes connected to brands like Salomon. For dirt, rock and grass skiing, he typically uses older or retired skis and bindings that he is willing to destroy on sharp stone and rough surfaces, paired with the same protective equipment you would expect for real ski lines. This separation avoids burning through primary gear while still giving him enough performance to control speed and direction.

For progressing skiers, the practical takeaway is twofold. First, for regular freeskiing on snow, focus on a solid twin-tip setup with reliable bindings and protective gear that fits well; control and comfort will do more for your progression than any single graphic or model name. Second, if his dirt or rock skiing inspires you, treat it as an advanced, high-consequence variation—not a starting point. Using old skis, picking low-consequence slopes and wearing full protection are baseline requirements, and for most people, dryslopes, airbag facilities or summer glacier parks are safer ways to scratch the off-season itch.

Why fans and progressing skiers care

Fans care about Marcus Vanheyst because he embodies the idea that freeskiing is more about creativity and commitment than about a specific surface under your feet. His edits show that with imagination and a strong technical base, you can keep skiing alive well beyond the usual winter window, turning dirt faces, drainage ditches and scrappy spring leftovers into legitimate lines. At the same time, he still operates within the broader freeski ecosystem, appearing in resort- and brand-backed clips that tie his experimental work back to classic park and freeride skiing.

For progressing skiers, his story offers both inspiration and a reality check. He demonstrates how far you can push your relationship with skis if you are willing to put in the time, scout spots and accept that not every idea will work. But he also illustrates that the foundation for that experimentation is built on solid technique from normal winters: good balance, strong edge control, thoughtful line choice and respect for risk. Watching his clips with that lens can help riders of all levels think more creatively about their own local hills—looking for side hits, banks and natural transitions—while remembering that the most sustainable progression still starts with snow.

Grouse mountain resort

Overview and significance

Grouse Mountain is Vancouver’s lift-served local and a true city-side training base. Aerial upload on the Red Skyride carries you roughly 2,800 vertical feet from the base terminal to the Peak Chalet, placing you minutes from floodlit pistes with skyline views and a multi-zone terrain-park program (Skyride). While the mountain’s stats are modest compared with B.C.’s destination resorts, the combination of proximity, night operations, and dedicated park lanes makes it one of the most usable venues in Canada for stacking weekday laps, filming short segments after work, and keeping slopestyle timing sharp throughout winter. The identity here is cadence over sprawl: quick uploads, short traverses, and repeatable laps on named features you can learn by heart.

Grouse leans heavily into reliability. Extensive snowmaking and lighting keep the main arteries rideable in lean spells, and the resort has even piloted refrigeration-based snow production to firm up early-season coverage—useful insurance for the parks and for high-traffic groomers like The Cut (snowmaking news, hours).

Terrain, snow, and seasons

Terrain rides bigger than the map because elevation comes all at once from the gondola and most laps are above the treeline band. The signature piste is The Cut, a broad, even gradient beside the Screaming Eagle Express—ideal for speed checks, rail-approach drills, and night filming with the city glowing below. From the Peak side, runs like Skyline, Peak and Heaven’s Sake add more pitch and rhythm when you want stronger edges before stepping into features. East-side lifts spin to intermediate fall-lines that stay consistent under the lights and provide smooth return routes back to the park zones (winter map).

Snow follows a coastal pattern—quick resets, rapid wind transport on the ridges, and variable temperatures. That’s where the infrastructure matters. Between natural snowfall and extensive snowmaking on the primary approaches, you can usually count on firm morning lanes for calibration and softening snow on solar aspects later in the day. The core operating window stretches from late fall into spring, with night skiing a defining feature across much of the season; check the daily status before you plan a late session (operations hub).

Park infrastructure and events

Grouse runs a five-park ecosystem that’s designed for progression and productivity, all detailed on the official terrain-parks page. At the top end, The Cut Jump Line opens an expert lane when depths allow, with properly shaped tables visible from the city. Side Cut Park carries intermediate-to-expert rail and jump features and is serviced by a 250-metre Short Cut handle tow so you can lap up to 20 features without riding the chair—exactly the kind of cadence park crews need. The Cut Park offers small-to-large snow and rail features for solid intermediates, Rookie Park provides small/medium jibs, hips, and jumps to bridge the gap, and Paradise Park gives true beginners a safe, clearly signed start point.

Culturally, night laps are the main event: lights, frequent reshapes, and a community of Vancouver riders who treat Hyndman-side features and The Cut’s takeoffs as training grounds. The resort periodically stages long-form operating days and seasonal happenings that extend riding windows; when those return, they typically coincide with careful grooming on the showcase lanes (24-hour format example).

Access, logistics, and on-mountain flow

Base at sea level and be on snow in under an hour from downtown by car, rideshare, or bus to the base terminal; the Red Skyride uploads every few minutes, and once you’re on-mountain the key chairs—Screaming Eagle, Olympic Express, Peak and Greenway—interlock quickly (Skyride, lift overview). A productive free-ski day starts with two calibration laps on The Cut to verify wax and edge hold, then moves to Side Cut for rail mileage on the handle-tow. Late afternoon, step to The Cut Park or the expert Cut Jump Line if it’s open and speed feels automatic; when visibility fades, return to the best-lit lanes for predictable evening repetitions. Keep the winter map handy so you can choose returns that avoid flats when you’re carrying camera gear (map).

Night operations are the superpower. With most headline runs lit, you can stack serious volume between late afternoon and close. Use that window to sequence small-to-medium features while the groomed approaches stay crisp, then film short sets on marquee lines as crowds thin.

Local culture, safety, and etiquette

On-hill, follow the resort’s safety code—announce drops in the parks, clear landings quickly, and respect rebuild closures so speed stays predictable for everyone (safety & risk awareness). Helmets are strongly recommended across all park zones and required for lessons that enter freestyle terrain.

Beyond the ropes, remember that the North Shore is real mountain country. Backcountry terrain lies close to controlled pistes, and regional hazard can rise fast during storm pulses. If you plan to leave marked runs via designated gates, treat it like any backcountry day: read the daily bulletin, carry transceiver, shovel, and probe, and travel with competent partners. Use Avalanche Canada for forecasts and be conservative after heavy loading or warming events that affect the local mountains.

Best time to go and how to plan

Early season is about infrastructure: snowmaking and refrigerated production aim to open lanes and park features quickly, so bring sharp edges and expect firm, fast in-runs on cold nights. Mid-winter storm cycles ride best a day or two after snowfall once wind-buff settles into supportive chalk on exposed panels; use mornings for groomer speed and afternoons for park blocks. Spring turns the mountain into a slush laboratory—ideal for soft landings on The Cut Park and for filming against the evening city glow. Whatever the month, start by checking daily operating hours, the terrain-park status, and lift holds before you build a shot list (today’s hours, park status).

Why freeskiers care

Grouse Mountain converts a metropolitan hillside into a high-output freestyle and all-mountain lab. You get five clearly tiered park zones—including a handle-tow-served rail and jump lane—lit groomers for night mileage, fast uploads via the Skyride, and an operations team that shapes with progression in mind. Add easy access from downtown Vancouver and a safety framework that keeps decisions sharp if you venture beyond the ropes, and you have a venue where intermediates become consistent and advanced riders keep their timing dialed all season long—often on weeknights.

Sketchy Spring Laps At Grouse

Athletes

Locations

Marcus Vanheyst

Grouse mountain resort

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