Andean Antics with Reed Snyderman
When I called up Reed and asked him to come down to ski with us at Valle Nevado, Chile, this summer, I could hear him grinning through the phone. He had only one question for me: “Can I bring my speedwing?”
To which I responded, “Um. Yeah...I think so.”
One of the most optimistic and fun-loving skiers in the game, Reed’s also incredibly talented. The Sun Valley-based freeskier and ski coach was an Olympic hopeful a couple years ago, a blazing fast mogul skier with a bag of technical tricks to match, on pace to make the Olympic team and take home a medal as well. Unfortunately, he had a knee injury prior to qualifying for Sochi and was unable to compete.
Images by Drew Zieff
However, instead of getting down, Reed got back up with that signature grin. He trained, slacklined and practiced yoga with stalwart commitment until his strength and flexibility returned. Then, he decided to bring his fine-tuned technique, speed and raw aerial talent out of the bumps and into bigger jumps and bigger mountains.
Today, Reed’s back and healthier than ever. From backcountry lines to manicured park jumps, he's absolutely killing it. Suggest a trick? He stomps it first try. On the rare occasion he bails, Reed shakes snow from his cherry-red mane, grins, and says, “Let’s try that again.”
Active Junky was lucky enough to have Reed join us on our annual gear testing trip to the southern hemisphere. He threw huge tricks, soared down Andean peaks in his speedwing and tested gear along the way—all the while keeping the crew stoked and smiling.
Here are a few highlights from our trip to Chile this summer:
Reed’s favorite outerwear from the trip:
These days, when Reed isn’t coaching young rippers at Sun Valley Ski Resort, he’s hiking up mountains in his backyard (equipped with his skis and/or his speedwing), chasing powder all over the globe, kitesurfing off the coast of a tropical island or staring at a topographic map and scheming. While his whereabouts aren’t always certain, you can pretty much guarantee that, wherever he is, he’s smiling.
Expect big things from Reed, and be sure to follow his adventures on Instagram here: @reedfreeski
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