The Black For Sammy Carlson, momentum is the constant. Whether on land or in the ocean, skiing or surfing, he finds an ebb and flow in tune with the turns he makes. For years, Sammy has been setting the pace with his innate combination of power and fluidity, and in his latest video project, North of Now, his undisputed, explosive style shines.
http://Quiksilver.com/Sammy
As consistent as the tides, as reliable as the cycle of freezing and thawing, when the snow stacks high in out-of-reach places, Sammy Carlson is there to capitalize on the conditions. Last winter, with borders closed to travel, Sammy hunkered down in British Columbia and explored the nooks, crannies, pillow lines, and sheer, open faces of the Pacific Northwest, weaving through the trees and floating through the fresh and deep.
“Being in the mountains, that’s when I feel the most inspired,” say Sammy. “I just want to stay true to what inspires me and what gives me joy in life.”
Drawn to steep, featured lines with ample opportunity for creative route-finding, Sammy searches out next-level terrain in North of Now, though more than the technical zones he drops into, it’s the flow that he finds in each descent that further stands out. North of Now is a testament to what surfing in the ocean has instilled in the Oregon native’s skiing: an ability to find the spontaneous, even if the mountain, unlike the waves, is standing still.
North of Now is eleven minutes of Carlson’s finest work so far. Or is it play? For Sammy, it’s more the latter than the former.
“I constantly remind myself to stay in the moment,” he says. “You have to look outside of your everyday to stay inspired. Skiing, boarding, surfing—it’s all fun to me.”
Filmed by Brody Jones and Danny Leblanc
Music by:
Spearfisher - "Aquarius"
Ryan Taubert - "Lux"
Oliver Michael - "Taken from a Void"
The Black Angels - "Entrance Song"
Most of us spend our lives riding mountains and waves for one primary reason — because it makes us feel more alive. However, there are a lot of good side effects of our pursuits.
Among them: Thriving communities, a healthier lifestyle, respect for nature and so on. The more you get into something like surfing or skiing, the more it will teach you about life. And the things you learn out there can be applied everywhere else.
One example? It teaches you resilience. You fall. You get back up. To the uninitiated, this can sound terribly cliche. However, skiing will engrain it in you. You get to know it intuitively. And that's when it becomes a superpower.
Sammy Carlson has seen it all throughout his career. Injuries. Skunkings. Sketchy times in the backcountry. He’s as resilient as they come.
Want to see how that pays off? Hit play.
Featuring footage captured on GoPro, drones and a daring camera crew, Sammy was pushed to his limits demonstrating his freeriding skills and monumental drops. In the film, Sammy wears the new Highline Pro 3L GoreTex Jacket and the Forever 2L GoreTex Shell Snow Jacket in Military Olive.
http://quiksilver.com/sammy-carlson
