Sam Smoothy

Freeride

Sam Smoothy is from New Zealand and is already one of the biggest names in the Freeride circuit. He has been competing on the Freeride World Tour since 2011 and has claimed many podium spots since then including two victories in Chamonix 2012 and Fieberbrunn 2014, finishing fourth overall on the FWT 2012 and runner-up in 2014 and 3rd at Andorra in 2015. But Sam Smoothy is much more than a competition skier. He is filming for elite ski movie production like Legs of Steel and is a guest writer for various ski magazines around the globe.

He has recently been getting more into rock climbing, with some ice climbing and getting more into ski mountaineering but with a more freeride approach to skiing lines fast. Besides skiing Sam Smoothy loves surfing, but he mainly has to do this in the chilly waves of the New Zealand winter, since he rarely spends the Southern Hemisphere summers in his hometown Wanaka. Instead, he is chasing the powder all around the world and preferably in the European Alps, where he has adopted Verbier as a second hometown. No wonder Sam Smoothy has developed an outstanding skiing style that fully lives up to his last name.

Facts

Date of birth: 06.07.1986
Nationality: New Zealand
Home mountain: Treble Cone New Zealand and Verbier Switzerland
Motto: Experience teaches only the teachable.
Disciplines: Freeride
Hobbies: Surfing, mountainbiking, rock climbing, reading
Website: samsmoothyskier.com

Top results

Filming with major film company Teton Gravity Research and producing own films from foreign locations in North Korea and Vanuatu

1st Freeride World Tour, Andorra (2015)

4th Freeride World Tour, Alaska (2015)

2nd overall Freeride World Tour (2014)

1st overall Freeride World Tour, Austria (2014)

1st Chamonix Freeride World Tour (2012)

2nd Courmayeur Freeride World Tour (2012)

3rd Roldal Freeride World Tour (2012)

Rider's Videos

Interview

1. Favorite Dalbello Boot: Lupo Pro HD
2. What do you use this boot for?: Freeride touring
3. Why do you like this boot?: With this boot I can tour to big lines, shred the resort, not fall over in apres ski and basically do anything I dam well please on snow.
4. Why do you like being a part of the Dalbello team?: Dalbello boots suit my feet perfectly, I love the flex and hold I get with the boots and the amazing and inspiring riders on their team!
5. How long have you been riding for Dalbello?: Since 2005
6. What age did you start skiing?: Since I was 2 years old.
7. Biggest breakthrough in your ski career: I think winning the Andorra stop of the Freeride World Tour is my break through moment, it really got my name out there and helped a lot with getting me on the Teton Gravity Research film crew.
8. Favorite Place to ride: Alaska. But I love my home resorts too, 30 years and still not bored woooo!
9. Your Best Ski Trip you have done: I think the first season I spent in Alaska is my best ski trip, it actually changed my life, and now I know where I want to be every northern spring every year.
10. Ski destination where you haven’t been and would like to go?: Antarctica! The mysterious southern continent is just so wild I'd love to spend a few months down there freezing my toes off.
11. Ski Hero/Role Model Growing up: Shane McConkey
12. What do you do when you are not skiing?: I try surf as much as I can, that’s my big new passion but because of skiing often means lots of cold water sessions yeow!
13. How do you train to keep in shape for skiing?: I work closely with a trainer in the gym and also use other sports like mountainbiking for fitness and general strength.
14. What can’t you live without: Skiing. Surfing. Food. Everything else is secondary by a long way.
15. What are 3 things we should know about you?: I once had a super sweet undercut bowl cut hairdo. I'm terrified of snakes and of ever using three examples to explain things.
16. Motto/Words you live by: Experience teaches only the teachable.
17. Most Humbling moment: Tomahawking down the Bec de Rosses and losing a World Title was pretty humbling and ego destroying.
18. Favorite Social Media Channel: Kookslams on instagram
19. Future Goals and Plans and Ambitions: Win best line at the Powder Awards, opening or closing section with Teton Gravity Research.
20. How did you become involved in Ski Touring?: My parents first took me ski touring in the high alpine of NZ when I was 14 maybe, on spalding skis with the vintage 1970s marker touring binding.
21. What are your all time Favourite Ski Tours?: I still really loving touring at home, we have many hidden gems in our Alps, but you just got to work harder to get it than most places.
22. What is in your pack when you go out ski touring?: Scroggin trail mix for snacking, avalanche gear, bulk water, a fresh base layer and puffer to keep my toasty later.

Europe

NORTH AMERICA