Freeskiing
The freeskier takes us through his best tricks ahead of a busy month of competition in February.
At just 19, Nick Goepper is already one of freeskiing's rising stars. Watch our portrait clip, in which the American skier talks us through two of his favourite tricks and tells us why he loves slopestyle, soon to be introduced to a new audience.
I really have a competitive personality and I want to be the best, and with slopestyle skiing, that's what I strive for.
Nick Goepper on why he skis
Shot in action at Copper Mountain, Colorado, Nick provides a unique insight into what it takes to be a pro freeskier, from the training – like muscle elasticity for explosive take-offs and overall strength for safe landings – to what drives him to compete at the highest level.
Nick also explains two of his favourite tricks – an unnatural double cork 1260 and his signature switch double cork 900 screamin' semen – breaking them down move by move. Too difficult and technical to fully observe at normal speed, our video slows the tricks right down (to 1000 frames per second) so you can catch all the amazing detail.
When you're going out skiing and you're doing tricks, the one thing you rely on is your body to do the work.
Nick Goepper on freeskiing's physical demands
As Nick says, these are dangerous tricks for many reasons. So why does he do it? “At the end of the day, all of us as freeskiers ski for one reason,” he says. “It's not because we're trying to be cool or we're trying to fit in, it's because it's our art and we're dedicated to it.”