Take it to the Streets: Unpacking the Origins of Urban Skiing - SnowBrains

"Some think of crisp corduroy and the feeling of carving high speed turns on a fresh morning groomer. Others envision steep powder fields, waiting to be carved into symmetrical sinusoidal waves as turns are linked down the face. Over the past few decades, though, more skiers have begun to think of their local neighborhood at the sound of the word, visualizing stair sets, rails, and the idiosyncrasies of urban architecture as mountain features waiting to be ridden."

"Instead, urban skiing has grown at the intersection of inspiring photos and videos, equipment innovation, and accessibility. The first published photo of a skier riding a rail came from Albany, New York in 1998, when a photo of Jason Levinthal sliding down a rail on skis was printed in Freeze Magazine. It would be two more years before the first street skiing shot landed a cover in the same magazine, when Skogen Sprang slid a rail outside Mammoth's lodge."

Street skiing emerged as skiers adopted urban features such as stairs, rails, and architectural details as terrain. Boardsports like skateboarding and snowboarding inspired the incorporation of jumps and rails into snow, which encouraged skiers to pursue creativity beyond race-oriented skiing. Progression toward urban skiing depended on influential photos and videos, improvements in equipment, and greater accessibility. Landmark images helped legitimize the practice, including a 1998 Freeze Magazine photo of Jason Levinthal sliding a rail and a later cover shot of Skogen Sprang outside Mammoth's lodge, signaling wider visibility and appeal.

Read at SnowBrains