From the moment I got of the plane the memories have been flowing threw my head as vividly as if they were yesterday. It was here in Valdez 14 years ago that my life got redirected on a coarse that I am still on today.

The real moment came toward the end of my trip on Meteorite Peak. I was standing on top of the biggest blind role I have ever seen and about to drop into what I still consider the best run of my life. I looked over to my brother and said, everything has changed. I was already on this coarse but it was here that all doubt was put to rest once and for all. Any hopes my parents had of me living a traditional life were over. One way or another I was going to be snowboarding as much as possible in Alaska.

Over the next seven years Valdez became my home for the month of April. It was on these grounds that the doors of pro snowboarding opened up for me. I went from sleeping in tents on the pass, living on a Clif Bars to an established pro snowboarder.

After a long break (7 years) I am back in Valdez filming with Travis Rice for his new movie Thats It, Thats All. Travis is pushing the envelope of riding and film making with his new movie and I am grateful for the opportunity to be apart of it.

Travis and his toys. The camera ship and the rider ship in the back. Planet Earth meets snowboarding.

We were worried about stability so picked this short line with isolated terrain features, a clean out run and plenty of islands of safety.

My first run in Valdez in seven years.

Travis on his first line of the day. We were worried about this pocket sliding and it…

…. slid. Thanfully Travis cut it perfectly and made it to his island of safety.

Afternoon session. Travis and Nicolas digging a pit to check the stability.

Landvik, Nicolas, and Travis watch as our guide Dean Cummings gets ready to make a ski cut.

The results of the ski cut.

You can look bu you can’t touch….until the stability gets better.