2009 - Dynasty

Headshot via Facebook

What is your number one goal in skiing/riding right now?
Ski hard and fast, and be a positive role model for others on the mountain.

Current favorite piece of gear?
Boots. Once you get a good boot setup that you like and feel comfortable in, it makes everything else come together.

Best advice you were ever given?
Ski fast, take chances.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?
My inspiration comes from watching other sports, and I like to see how I can apply those techniques to skiing. Also, there is something powerful about standing on the top of a mountain all by yourself, getting ready to ski.

What is your greatest fear?
Really high old chairlifts freak me out.

Best moment filming with WME this year?
By far, my best moment was a day we had in Silverado at Squaw Valley USA. We had the place to ourselves for the whole day. I got to go through my list of lines that I have always wanted to ski.

Dynasty - 2009

Skiing and snowboarding is part of who we are, passed down to us by parents whose devotion to winter has run through their blood for generations. It’s an emotion as simple as happiness and as powerful as love and for over 60 years, Warren Miller Entertainment has committed it to film. This is the Dynasty we all share.

From the rulers of the kingdom—like Chris Davenport, Daron Rahlves, and Ingrid Backstrom—to the heirs apparent—like Austin Ross and Chris Benchetler; from the wise sages like Mike Wiegele to the princess Lexi Roland, Dynasty is more than just a family album of skiers and snowboarding. It’s a story.

The story stretches back to the ancient mountains of China, where the sport may well have been born. It stretches to the future of the backcountry, found deep in the Canadian bush on the back of a two-stroke horse. It encompasses every facet of the winter world, from a parking lot big air jump in Michigan to Norway’s Arctic Circle. It’s shouted from the top of Colorado’s Rockies and around the rocky rim of Lake Tahoe.

This is a story that’s rewritten each winter, and one we’ll never tire of telling. How else would our love of snow get passed down from generation to generation?

FEATURED ATHLETE: JONNY MOSELEY 

 

 

Wish I could remember back that far. The photos are awesome. I do remember losing my sick Oakley blades I won when I was 10. Damn, I miss those still. I remember sleeping in the car a lot on long drives.

 

What career accomplishment are you most proud of?

Gold Medal

 

Any nicknames?

Jmo, JBAM, Slomo, Motown (Karaoke AE), Mozor, Kzor, Mose, Jonathan, Jonny F-in Moseley, Stinky

 

Favorite ski films?

Extreme Winter, Blizzard of Ahhhs, Degenerates, and Art of Flight.

 

 

Current favorite piece of gear? Why?
Marker Duke Bindings. They have opened up the world to me. I can look at things differently now with this AT set up.

How do you like spending your down days?
Movies, writing and working on my Youth Project. I have a foundation for kids.

Fondest memory from learning to ski or ride?
My fondest is my earliest. Riding on my dad's back down a bump run. I was less than a year old and remember everything about one portion of it.

Do you have any hidden talents?
Music... The need to create and inspire music through amazing artists.

What would your superpower be?
Climbing; Spiderman skills

Spirit animal?
Eagle

What career accomplishment are you most proud of?
They are all connected. So I'm proud of the battle and I'm still here and still battling.

Do you have any pets? What are their names?
No...used to...I have plants now. The same two plants for 28 years.

Can you speak any other languages? What other languages would you like to learn?
I would love to learn Italian. I go to Italy twice a year

What is your biggest goal/something you hope to achieve in your ski career?
I want to be in influence. That somehow my combination of experiences inspire others to love this sport or the lifestyle involved.


Name a person who inspires you to be a better skier/rider?
My little bro Nic, he is stepping his game up so he keeps me on my toes.

In lieu of our 70th film, what’s your most memorable or favorite Warren Miller film or segment – past or present?
I can't remember the movie but the segment they did the wingsuits in France I think was insane. It was when they were first coming out and the guy set a world record for the longest flight. I was a kid and my mind was blown!

What would you do if you won the lottery?
A seaplane for sure. I want to be able to park it right at my dock, pack up and fly anywhere I want.

Best meal you can cook?
TACOS!!!

Favorite chairlift and why?
High Campbell aka Chair 6 at Crystal, goes right next to an iconic cliff called Hollywood. Only in rare cases does it have enough snow to send it. I have been lucky enough to send it right next to the chair. Always fun to ride that chair and think about it every year.

The most interesting thing you’ve read or seen this year? (books, podcasts, TV shows)
Amie's Long Underwear podcast has been really funny and interesting to hear different skiers stories and perspectives. I don't have a favorite.

Fictitious character you most identify with from a book, movie, etc. and why?
Shoot... no idea.

Highlight memory from filming with WME for this year's film?
The lodge we stayed at was extremely off the grid but massive. The whole story behind it was amazing as well. The family build it all and actually helped build the highway that connected the interior to Bella Coola. That alone was an awesome experience.

Gear you are loving right now, on or off the ski slopes, and why?
My Garmin Tracker. I've been using it to track output on bike rides and its awesome for training and just seeing how your body works.

Do you have any sponsors, if yes, who?
K2 Skis, Full Tilt Boots, Smith Optics, Crystal Mountain, Discrete

Photos by Mike Arzt

Where would you like to ski that you haven't been to before?
Svalbard, Greenland, and Iceland.

Who has been the biggest influence to you in your ski career?
My heroes are still Craig Kelly and Terje Haakonsen, but I have had so many friends who have inspired me with their positive energy, love for, and dedication to winter sports that there are too many in my life to name.. I get inspired by seeing little kids and I get motivated to see what people like Jeremy Jones and Xavier Delerue are riding.

Where is your absolute favorite spot for après-ski?
At the base of the Sugarloaf Access Road, a little place called The Rack.

What do you look forward to most after a long day on the mountain?
Food and sleep...I really like to sleep.

What is something you wish you had more time for outside of skiing?
Surfing, golf and just time off.

Featured Athlete: JT Holmes 

 

 

Name a person who inspires you to be a better skier?

Shane McConkey (deceased), Timy Dutton (deceased), and Jeff Engergretson (alive and working for WME).

What would you do if you won the lottery?

Buy an airplane, payoff my families debts, then helicopter ski, or maybe purchase my own ski resort.

Breakfast of champions?

Breakfast sandwich from Wildflour Baking Company in Squaw Valley's Olympic House.

Favorite chairlift?

KT-22 at Squaw Valley.

The most interesting thing you’ve read or seen this year? (books, podcasts, TV shows)

Blitzed by Norman Ohler.

Fictitious character you most identify with from a book, movie, etc. and why?

James Bond because he uses clever pieces of gear to outwit his opponents with a confident swagger.

Highlight memory from filming with WME for this year's film?

Speedriding at Solitude right off the chairlift as well as in their nearly endless lift acccessed backcountry.

Gear you are loving right now, on or off the ski slopes, and why?

Alps & Meters Patrol knit sweater and their Alpine WInter Trouser. Both are warm, breathable and very stylish. I like their stuff because of the comfort and because I look different than anyone else on the mountain. I get compliments on my attire all day!

What is a cause you care about that you'd love to share with the Warren Miller audience?

Red Bull's Wings For Life. They raise money for spinal cord injury research.

How do you think the year 2020 will shape the future of skiing?

It was nice to stay at home and ski Squaw Valley rather than travel a bunch. COVID travel bans definitely had their silver linings.

What is your vision for the future of skiing & snowboarding?

I would like to see North American skiers and riders skiing with parachutes inbounds just like they do throughout Europe and Scandinavia. I have seen families of four with kids 11 and 14 speedriding like it is no big deal. In fact, it is not a difficult activity and it should not have the stigma of an extreme sport.

What do you do to calm your butterflies before a big line/moment?

Take slow deep breaths, then exhale with my lips softly closed but relaxed. This makes that horse like sound and flappy lip movement. If you are too tense to flap your lips, you should take a moment to calm down and push the fear aside.

Favorite classic ski film and why?

That is a tough one but it is hard to beat Hot Dog: The Movie. It is hilarious and captures the vibe of early days Squaw Valley freestyle skiing.

What makes the Warren Miller films different than other films you have done?

The cool thing about the Warren Miller program is the tours. Just the fact that it’s still based around having everybody in one room and you feel that energy and pre-season ski stoke, and that just really fires me up, to go and shoot stuff that I know is going to get people off their seats and just stoked.

So you have spent some time speed riding. Is it one of your favorite ways to ski?

Speed riding is adding a fourth dimension to skiing. Suddenly you're able to ski all sorts of places that otherwise aren't available, and you do that by flying over the sections that are un-skiable or even just undesirable to ski, and what that does is it allows you to just ski the highest quality ski experience, and then you're using the wind as transportation to the next high quality ski experience. It's almost gluttonous with the amount of fresh tracks we're able to get and the amount of fun we're able to have.

It's a pretty innovative way to ski, what motivates you to keep innovating?

First of all, it's just fun. Second, doing something new that is really uncommonly done or never done before, that adds kind of an exploration element to it where you feel like you're figuring something out and conquering new territory and it really kind of triggers a new type of motivation. You brainstorm something interesting to do and then you figure out what toys you need to bring or develop in order to make it possible and then when you do complete it, it's not only fun but also an accomplishment feeling. That's really what motivates me.

Anything you would say to someone looking to give speed riding a go?

Everybody needs to try speed riding. Put it on the bucket list and then scratch it off the bucket list and put it on the now list, because it’s just so dang fun. I know a lot about having fun - I'm an expert at having fun, and this is really fun. And it’s not that hard.

 

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Don't miss JT in our 72nd film, Winter Starts Now, dropping Fall 2021!

FEATURED ATHLETE: Kevin Quinn

Favorite music to ride to:

Metalica

What is your favorite Peak and why?

There are so many to list but I would say Pontoon, Sphinx and Meteorite would be at the top. They are 3 of the biggest peaks in the Chugach, very esthetic and part of the "holy grail".

What is the one thing you look forward to most after a long day on the Mountain?

Being with my family and all our guests coming home safe and sound after experiencing the "best day of their life".

What do you do in the off-season?

I am obsessed with flying my 180 Cessna Airplane. I am a true believer in Crossfit (Avalanche and Blizzard in Tahoe), mountain bike and of course spend a ton of time with my 2 year old Kinley Drake and wife Jessica

You own and run the largest heli-ski operation in the US, how did you and Jessica get the idea an initiate to star PNH?

I had been visiting Valdez for years and knew I wanted to start a heli ski operation. There were over 5 operations in Valdez so I rented a fixed aircraft and flew the Chugach to Cordova where I saw the Orca Adventure Lodge. I knew this was the perfect location for a heli ski operation as it's 30 miles as the crow flies from Valdez but the only operation in Cordova. We truly have a chunk of the Chugach to ourselves. The Orca Adventure Lodge is the ideal setting, 2 miles from town located directly on Prince William Sound with the Chugach in our backyard. We are truly all-inclusive with 3 beautiful A-Stars out our front window, there is no driving up a pass to see if we are flying or not. 

What was the highlight of filming the Points North segment for Flow State?

Skiing with Mitch Toelderer and Travis Ganong. These 2 guys have such great energy. It was pretty cool spending time in the Chugach with Mitch who has been coming to PNH for years and Travis who was a 1st timer in the Chugach. 

Featured Athlete: Daron Rahlves 

 
Name one thing that makes for an ultimate day on the mountain?

Appreciation

 
Favorite music to shred to?

Nature

 

Who is your greatest influence in life?

Inspiring people, those who push themselves.

 

3 things you will make time for?

Family / friends, eating, skiing!

 

If you could have a drink with anyone who would it be?

Warren Miller!

 

FEATURED ATHLETE: Jessica Quinn

 

What is your biggest fear?

Heights, believe it or not.

What are you rockin’ to on your music player?

This is a tough question I always get asked, as I like so much different music. I am a big playlister! 

How would your friends describe you in one word?  

Vivacious.

What’s your favorite drink? Favorite food?

I used to be obsessed with purple Gatorade but I got a bit upset when my buddy Ingrid pointed out that there is high fructose corn syrup in it so not sure now. Fav food... so many. I love Sushi, Mex, Thai and Italian.

If you weren't a pro skier what would you be doing?

Making lot's of $$$$.

What is your most treasured possession?

My bear I have had since I was born, "bearbe".

Of Warren Miller’s 60 ski films, which one is your favorite?  

I really liked Impact.

Describe a day in the life of a PNH guide.

Day in my life as a PNH guide: Go to bed well after midnight as my husband, partner in crime, Kevin is still looking at weather for the next day. Wake up at 5pm, as once again, weather needs to be looked at. 6:30am guide meeting, 7am: get my group together and go over the day. 7:30: inhale an egg sandwich standing up. 7:30: get ready (the night before I have set everything out, and made sure I am ready for the next fly day!) 8am go to office and organize the radio duties for the day and make sure the PNH staff staying at base are set for the day. 8:30: meet my group, give them their lunch, go over order of loading once more, check their beacons (I have long since made sure their bindings, equipment and backpacks are ready for the day) and get ready for the best day ever. 9ish - 5ish work together with the other guides in the helicopter, access snow and snow-pack, dig snow-pits, test slopes, make sure every member in my group is safe, load and unload the helicopter 24 plus times, talk to the pilots, check in on base, make sure everything is going well, make sure my group is getting the terrain they came after, eat lunch on a peak, fly home to the most amazing sunset over Prince William Sound you will ever see, get out of the heli, high 5 everyone. 8-9ish: have dinner with the most energetic, electric group ever. 9-10ish: make sure the office is packed up for the day. Midnight: pass out with dreams of the Chugach and doing the same thing tomorrow! 

When would be the best time of year to take a PNH heli-skiing trip and why?

Honestly, the Alaska season is so short that there is not a "best week" to come. February / March has shorter daylight hours and colder temps. You are able to ski most aspects and the snow tends to be lighter deep powder. Late March / April has longer daylight hours which optimizes your time in the helicopter. There are days when it clears at 2pm and we are able to launch groups into the field, as the sun does not set until 10pm. The temps are warmer at this time limiting the aspects you can get on. The snow is still amazing (we had a 4ft storm last April 23) and it's classic Chugach! I tell people that if they have never been to Alaska, come late March / April so you can truly experience Alaska and all it has to offer with the long daylight hours! We have a pretty cool feature on our website "zone report". It's a report from our days in the zone and at base camp. It allows guests to see what we are up to, how the weather and conditions are and to go back to the archives and see what weeks had more sunshine, snow, etc. Check it out! http://www.alaskaheliski.com/blog/

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