Quiksilver announced the signing of U.S. skier Sammy Carlson to its international snow team.
The 29-year-old from Mount Hood, OR gained international notoriety for his success in competitive freeskiing early in his career before ditching the podium and focusing purely on progressing the sport.
“He’s a great fit for Quiksilver,” says global head of sports marketing Miky Picon. “We’re amazed by everything Sammy has accomplished both in and out of competition. His approach to skiing is one-of-a-kind and his values are perfectly in line with everything that Quiksilver stands for.”
Carlson joins Travis Rice, Mat Crepel, Bryan Fox and Austen Sweetin on Quiksilver’s snow team. This core group of riders has made numerous contributions to product development over the seasons, sticking to the brand’s philosophy of always looking forward and never settling down. After winning numerous Big Air events, standing on the podium of the Dew Tour and grabbing four X Games medals—including Slopestyle gold in 2011—Carlson shifted his sights on pushing the limits outside of competition. Carlson is the first skier to land a switch 1260.
“I want to focus 100 percent on the type of riding that excites me and aim toward the unimaginable. With skiing, your mind is the only limit,” Carlson said. “So, I just let my imagination take over and follow the visions I have in my head of certain jumps, lines or both. The terrain is endless; you’ve just gotta find it!”
Carlson’s focus on backcountry skiing resonates with his passion for protecting the environment, which perfectly aligns his values with Quiksilver’s Sustainability Initiative. The current season’s outerwear offering uses 55 percent recycled materials, with a goal of using 100 percent recycled materials by 2020 (excluding all Gore-Tex technology).
“This year, I want to keep getting further into the mountains and surround myself with people that motivate me to keep pushing myself,” Carlson said. “I’m also super excited to judge the Quiksilver Young Guns Ski event. It’ll be rad to go out to Whistler with some of the world’s best kids and hand one of them $10,000. Overall, I’m just stoked to join the Quiksilver family. The brand has such a deep history and I can’t wait to help progress the legend of the mountain and the wave into the future.”
