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YUP | Sammy Carlson
Sammy Carlson is about as versatile as a freeskier can get. He bagged five medals in X Games, including a gold in Slopestyle, before he really found his calling with three more golds in X Games Real Ski Backcountry. (This is unconfirmed, but I did hear more than one person say that they had to change Real Ski from backcountry to street because Sammy wouldn’t stop winning!)
He moved from competition to full-time filming, and like a fine wine, Sammy just keeps getting better. “YUP” is the latest banger to come off Sammy’s production line, but we already knew that, as he’d already picked up “Best Male Performance” at the High Five Festival in October.
The skiing and production in “YUP” really do raise the bar. Sammy’s playful style on huge AK lines, like he’s still in the park or gentle rollers, is mind-blowing. It’s not all inaccessible Alaskan spines though. Sammy and Vinzenz Keller go huge on backcountry kickers and pillows in the trees, before fellow Armada team member Todd Ligare joins the party in Alaska.
It’s almost 14 minutes long, but I promise that time really flies! Excuse me, I’m going to watch it again now.
From Youtube:
“We wanted to make a film for skiers and boarders that enjoy backcountry riding; to step into bigger terrain and focus more on riding lines. Everyone who desires to ride big lines knows it’s all about patience. A lot of things need to come together. Good things come to those who wait. Our trip to AK ended up being epic after a tough start. The day we arrived there was a major wind event that ended up destroying the snow we had planned to ride. We were forced to get creative and really look for the good snow which ended up making it twice as sweet once we ended up finding it. We had such a sick crew, everyone was contributing and happy to be doing what we love in Alaska. The highlight for me are the last two lines in the film. Both were steep and really blind. This trip amplified my desire to ride big lines, I’m excited to get back out there and continue to push myself in the mountains.” -Sammy Carlson