The Athlete Edits: Kai Jones

If there’s one question Kai Jones is probably sick of answering, it’s got to be “how old are you?” Maybe that’s his skiing’s fault, though. Take one look at the young Atomic Skis ripper, and you’d be scratching your head too. Well, in case you were wondering, Kai was 13 when he filmed for Make Believe, putting down mind-bending segments in Jackson Hole and Japan for the film. Teaming up with friends old (Tim Durtschi + Colter Hinchliffe) and new (literally everyone who skied in Jackson during this epic winter), Kai took it upon himself to learn absolutely everything he could about the art of big mountain skiing. It added up to a whole new bag of tricks, backcountry mountain skills, and character-building adventures that have turned him into the skier he is today. Watch Kai's full segment from the film here.

The season started off with a trip that every skier has probably dreamt of: a pilgrimage to the powder heaven of Hakuba, Japan. Kai wasn’t just there to ski, he was there to learn from his mentor Tim Durtschi, who was about to start his competition season on the Freeride World Tour. Who better to learn from?

Many of us would be saddled with some serious post-Japan blues after a trip like that, but lucky for young Kai, returning home means returning to Jackson Hole. He quickly picked up where he left off and went straight into ticking off a bucket list of lines and big airs in and out of bounds.

In case you haven’t seen the film yet, Make Believe is still on tour this fall, and is also available for digital download now.

Airing it all out. Nic Alegre photo.

Checking in on an old friend. Nic Alegre photo.

Nose butter king. Nic Alegre photo.

Hanging out with the local Hakuba grom squad. Eric Parker photo.

Pitted. Eric Parker photo.

Classic airs deserve some upside-down time. Nic Alegre photo.