SLUSHIES 2024 — FOOTAGE OF THE YEAR AWARD

  |   SLUSH STAFF

 

This category honors riders who have excelled in filming a video part, encompassing everything from trick and spot selection to the sheer volume and diversity of their clips. Defining the 'Footage of the Year' can be challenging due to its broad scope. We made a concerted effort to evaluate a wide range of factors, with particular emphasis on the complexity of the tricks performed, the uniqueness of the locations chosen, and the quantity of tricks executed. These elements collectively paint a more complete and impressive picture of a rider's capabilities.

 

Jed Anderson

Jed's latest showcase in the Rated R movie has captured the attention of top riders across various disciplines with its remarkable two-song finale. Featuring complex tricks both switch and regular at challenging spots. Highlights include a memorable pool coping back lip grind and an array of all-switch lines, massive switch gaps, and cleverly selected spots. The part lacks filler clips, chock full of top level massive sideways slides on rails, switch presses, and switch lips through twisted cement. 

 

 

Forest Bailey

Forest Bailey has made a striking impact with the ender part in the highly acclaimed Atlas project. His repertoire includes a board slide through curved, kinked cement, executed multiple times with finesse. He also impresses with a switch lip 270 to cab 270, and a front board pretzel on kinked cement. Notably, his front board to front board sequence on the Lune with double kinks showcases his adaptability and skill. 

In Transylvania, Bailey's switch board slide through cement and rail further cemented his reputation. His front board to 270 5050 and a creatively carved board slide stand out, with the latter potentially being one of the best clips of the winter. His performance is rounded off with a hardway cab two onto a kink rail and a series of intense gap combos, demonstrating his extraordinary abilities in the sport.

 

 

Reid Smith

The opening part to Rated R with a good mix of good old fashioned trick variety. From niche handplants to large gap backside 5050’s, a back double ten in pow and one particularly massive gap backside 270 pullback, the Jersey native put together an eclectic array of footage that proves the kids skill when strapped in. 

 

 

John Jackson

With massive cliff drops seamlessly integrated into his lines, complemented by proper spins varying from 180’s to 720’s, his footage takes us through gut-wrenching spine lines punctuated by a treacherous crevasse gaps and avalanche escapes. Jackson's commitment to pushing the boundaries of big natural gaps shines throughout his two-song ender in TGR's Flying High. This performance serves as a powerful reminder of the enduring power this veteran of freestyle snowboarding continues to wield.

Sebbe De Buck

Sebbe De Buck showcased his versatile snowboarding skills while filming for both his personal project and contributing clips to the Beyond Medals’ Casino. His range is impressive, spanning from executing flawless 720 handrags in the powdery snow of Japan to nailing a back 5 into back 7 and a double cork back 10 on the legendary Chad's Gap. Additionally, Sebbe demonstrated his prowess on several high-flying European gaps, further highlighting his ability to tackle a diverse array of snowboarding challenges with remarkable ease and style.

 

 

Torgeir Bergrem

Torgeir Bergrem's seven-minute solo project Temple of the Dawg is a testament to top-tier backcountry snowboarding. The project features fast-paced pillow lines and showcases his creativity with off-axis spins. Torgeir also impresses with switch spins off big cliffs, skillfully navigating the challenging terrain of Alaska panels. A particular highlight is his execution of a Backside 12 in a ravine gap, further cementing his position as a standout in the world of elite backcountry snowboarding.

 

 

Jill Perkins

Jill Perkins delivered one of her most dominant performances in her career with her part in Rated R. Her repertoire included hardway 270s, front board sameways, fast and proper presses, and confident switch lips. A particular highlight of her performance was an absolutely insane challenge rail 5050, further solidifying her status as a powerhouse in the world of street parts.

 

Ylfa Rúnarsdóttir

Ylfa Rúnarsdóttir made a significant impact with her contribution to the Blooom project, delivering some of the most creative clips of 2023. Her spot selection was exceptional, and her diverse mix of tricks make her a standout. Ylfa's part included floaty footage in Japanese powder, as well as unique spots under bridges, on top of bridges, and inside tunnels.


 

Emma Crosby

Emma Crosby marked a significant milestone in snowboarding by becoming the first female to hit the Pyramid gap, showcasing a certain trailblazing spirit that deserves recognition. Her part was a delightful mix of powder and street riding. Exuding a feel-good vibe that resonates with the essence of snowboarding, Crosby's blend of technical prowess and aesthetic appeal make her part a standout.

 

Henna Ikola

Henna Ikola, hailing from Finland, showcased her talent in both Casino and Melter 3. Despite her small stature, she made a big impact with her excellent spot selection, choosing a range of challenging terrains that highlighted her skills. Her repertoire included kinked ledges and some notably sizable kink rails, demonstrating her versatility and ability to tackle demanding features with finesse. Henna's performances in these projects reflect her keen eye for spots and her capability to execute tricks on complex and imposing structures, marking her as a notable talent in the snowboarding world.



 

Savannah Shinske

Amidst a cast of heavy footage in Rated R, Savannah had a subtle yet impactful offering this year with a great understanding of spot selection and aesthetics. A well filmed part with a solid mix of quirky spots, Savannah offers a chill vibe to spots that.

 

 

Kennedi Deck

Closing out the Dorothy movie, Kennedi put out a solid collection of street offerings together by ay of a couple standout moments in a boardslide on an S-rail in the streets, a back 50 on a commendable DFDFD and a variety of properly execute street tricks.

 

Elena Hight

Her footage in Continuum and Flying High Again further cements her status as a top-tier backcountry rider. Elena showcased her exceptional ability to navigate avalanche terrain, displaying the composure of a true professional. A staple on our screens and leading in big mountain media.

 

 

 

 

 

 

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

JED ANDERSON & JILL PERKINS

 

Snowboarding isn’t a science. Well one could argue that to explain how it physically works via science, but as far as the way the industry works? No way. Part of what makes snowboarding so appealing is the lack of specific ramifications for what makes something special. We personally feel the “art vs. sport” argument is rather played out,  but it certainly makes this time of year, when trying to award snowboarding’s most prominent figures, challenging. So while we acknowledge there were likely performances this last year that you may personally feel are being left out, this is our best stab at quantifying that which is intentionally unquantifiable.

To ultimately determine the 2023 award winners Slush has refined a list of opinion leaders who we task with voting on various nominees that we decide upon as a staff.

While we acknowledge there were likely performances this last year that you may personally feel are being left out, this is our best stab at quantifying that which is intentionally unquantifiable.