One of skiing's dirty little secrets is that–at its highest levels–the sport is, well, dirty.
Despite being a sport that relies entirely on an increasingly fickle and unpredictable climate–and one in which many of the most prominent athletes are advocates for environmental activism–going out and getting shots can leave a pretty large carbon footprint. Helis, snowmobiles and international flights all have two things in common: They burn a ton of fuel and are used to film damn near every ski film you'll ever see.
And that's alarming to pro skiers Greg Hill and Chris Rubens.
In the newest short film from Salomon TV, "The Curve of Time," Rubens and Hill decided to put their climate concern into action. They ditched all their gas powered vehicles in favor of bike, foot and battery powered travel to embark on a 4,000-kilometer ski trip to six of the biggest volcanoes in the Cascade Range in the Pacific Northwest.
With a commitment to electric travel, to cutting back on air travel and to reducing their CO2 emissions in their daily lives (Hill and Rubens reduced the amount of meat they eat daily) the duo halved their annual carbon footprint while still managing to embark on a great adventure.
Here's to hoping the industry starts to follow suit.
Angle Parking
March 15th, 2018
Well done gentlemen. Mystifies me that climate change does not register more heavily on the ski world so thanks for addressing it. I hate to be negative, but since you boys are from BC I am sure you will understand that The Curve of Time is the title of M. Wylie Blanchet’s classic book, arguably the finest piece of outdoor lit ever produced in and about BC.
About The Author
stash member Robert Pursell
Connecticut journalism transplant who enjoys telling stories, drinking beer and skiing, though not necessarily in that order. I have the annoying habit of petting other people's dogs without asking.
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