Most influential skier of the last 10 years?

I would say Eric Polard , he really develop some amazing skis over the years and also really brought the back country freestyle era to life, but I do agree with all you guys about Tom really making free skiing a commercial sport

HolteGo watch a video from 2006. Then watch one from 2008. Pretty different, right? Now go check the date on Wally's Superunknown.

Tom ushered in this last era and owned it for almost a decade.

What videos are you talking about? TGR and MSP videos? I would not say they were wildly different in that period. The differences that I see are more tricks off cliffs, something that was already going on, and the start of the slarvy approach to spines due to the increase in rockered skis. Neither of those has anything to do with Wallisch. If your contention is that park and urban changed wildly during that time I won't disagree, you would know better than me. Now, if you want to see a period where ski videos REALLY changed in a two year period, watch videos from 1996 and 1998. Hugely different. In the fall of 1996 MSP's Fetish came out. Shane McConkey had to smuggle his fat skis into the heli because Steve Winter did not want to shoot him on them, but when Winter saw the footage minds were blown. Shane was making 5 turns where others were making 30. He was straightlining entire AK peaks. Then in the fall of 1997 TGR's harvest came out. TGR had been pressured by Dynastar to put a racer named Jeremy Nobis in their video. Nobis skied Pyramid peak in 5 turns, a line the had taken Doug Coombs something like 25 turns a year before. Nobis made one turn that made the cover of Powder, they called it "the turn of the century." Now fast forward to fall 1998 and you have Uprising from TGR and Sick Sense from MSP. All the big guys were now on fat skis making 5 turns where they would have made 30 on the super g skis they skied on in 1996. If you watch the Continuum (TGR's fall 1996 release) and then watch Uprising it looks like a different sport. For another perspective, watch the Poor Boyz film The Degenerates, from 1998, then watch 13 from 1999. In 13 everyone is on twin tips and it looks completely different. I think that is the era where things changed by far the most.

Is Wallisch the most influential park skier of the last 10 years? Just curious. That seems to be the consensus here.

People here have to realize that Wallisch is an influence on one aspect of skiing. Most 40 year old Squaw locals who pound nails 60 hours a week so that they can have 4 months off to ski everyday don't care about Wallisch, in fact many of them won't even know who he is. They will probably know Hoji and Sage though.

dan4060What videos are you talking about? TGR and MSP videos? I would not say they were wildly different in that period. The differences that I see are more tricks off cliffs, something that was already going on, and the start of the slarvy approach to spines due to the increase in rockered skis. Neither of those has anything to do with Wallisch. If your contention is that park and urban changed wildly during that time I won't disagree, you would know better than me. Now, if you want to see a period where ski videos REALLY changed in a two year period, watch videos from 1996 and 1998. Hugely different. In the fall of 1996 MSP's Fetish came out. Shane McConkey had to smuggle his fat skis into the heli because Steve Winter did not want to shoot him on them, but when Winter saw the footage minds were blown. Shane was making 5 turns where others were making 30. He was straightlining entire AK peaks. Then in the fall of 1997 TGR's harvest came out. TGR had been pressured by Dynastar to put a racer named Jeremy Nobis in their video. Nobis skied Pyramid peak in 5 turns, a line the had taken Doug Coombs something like 25 turns a year before. Nobis made one turn that made the cover of Powder, they called it "the turn of the century." Now fast forward to fall 1998 and you have Uprising from TGR and Sick Sense from MSP. All the big guys were now on fat skis making 5 turns where they would have made 30 on the super g skis they skied on in 1996. If you watch the Continuum (TGR's fall 1996 release) and then watch Uprising it looks like a different sport. For another perspective, watch the Poor Boyz film The Degenerates, from 1998, then watch 13 from 1999. In 13 everyone is on twin tips and it looks completely different. I think that is the era where things changed by far the most.

Is Wallisch the most influential park skier of the last 10 years? Just curious. That seems to be the consensus here.

People here have to realize that Wallisch is an influence on one aspect of skiing. Most 40 year old Squaw locals who pound nails 60 hours a week so that they can have 4 months off to ski everyday don't care about Wallisch, in fact many of them won't even know who he is. They will probably know Hoji and Sage though.

I get that you're trying to look beyond the park, and that's cool, but I don't see those guys as particularly influential, beyond their insane ability. Known and influential are different concepts. Perhaps Hoji for being a pioneer for sending on tech bindings, that's a totally valid argument IMO.

I think this thread poses a fun thought, in that a lot of the major influences to the sport are now beyond the 10 year window. As for the big mountain realm, I think it's harder to see individuals for their progression or influence I think. Maybe Cody for going viral with "The Crack?" or Candide with OOTD?

dan4060What videos are you talking about? TGR and MSP videos? I would not say they were wildly different in that period. The differences that I see are more tricks off cliffs, something that was already going on, and the start of the slarvy approach to spines due to the increase in rockered skis. Neither of those has anything to do with Wallisch. If your contention is that park and urban changed wildly during that time I won't disagree, you would know better than me. Now, if you want to see a period where ski videos REALLY changed in a two year period, watch videos from 1996 and 1998. Hugely different. In the fall of 1996 MSP's Fetish came out. Shane McConkey had to smuggle his fat skis into the heli because Steve Winter did not want to shoot him on them, but when Winter saw the footage minds were blown. Shane was making 5 turns where others were making 30. He was straightlining entire AK peaks. Then in the fall of 1997 TGR's harvest came out. TGR had been pressured by Dynastar to put a racer named Jeremy Nobis in their video. Nobis skied Pyramid peak in 5 turns, a line the had taken Doug Coombs something like 25 turns a year before. Nobis made one turn that made the cover of Powder, they called it "the turn of the century." Now fast forward to fall 1998 and you have Uprising from TGR and Sick Sense from MSP. All the big guys were now on fat skis making 5 turns where they would have made 30 on the super g skis they skied on in 1996. If you watch the Continuum (TGR's fall 1996 release) and then watch Uprising it looks like a different sport. For another perspective, watch the Poor Boyz film The Degenerates, from 1998, then watch 13 from 1999. In 13 everyone is on twin tips and it looks completely different. I think that is the era where things changed by far the most.

Is Wallisch the most influential park skier of the last 10 years? Just curious. That seems to be the consensus here.

People here have to realize that Wallisch is an influence on one aspect of skiing. Most 40 year old Squaw locals who pound nails 60 hours a week so that they can have 4 months off to ski everyday don't care about Wallisch, in fact many of them won't even know who he is. They will probably know Hoji and Sage though.

now how many of those BC guys also were influential in park after 2007? shit dont work one way

Candid, Andy Parry, Magnus to name a few that have influenced my style more than anything.

Larry Enticer

dan4060What videos are you talking about? TGR and MSP videos? I would not say they were wildly different in that period. The differences that I see are more tricks off cliffs, something that was already going on, and the start of the slarvy approach to spines due to the increase in rockered skis. Neither of those has anything to do with Wallisch. If your contention is that park and urban changed wildly during that time I won't disagree, you would know better than me. Now, if you want to see a period where ski videos REALLY changed in a two year period, watch videos from 1996 and 1998. Hugely different. In the fall of 1996 MSP's Fetish came out. Shane McConkey had to smuggle his fat skis into the heli because Steve Winter did not want to shoot him on them, but when Winter saw the footage minds were blown. Shane was making 5 turns where others were making 30. He was straightlining entire AK peaks. Then in the fall of 1997 TGR's harvest came out. TGR had been pressured by Dynastar to put a racer named Jeremy Nobis in their video. Nobis skied Pyramid peak in 5 turns, a line the had taken Doug Coombs something like 25 turns a year before. Nobis made one turn that made the cover of Powder, they called it "the turn of the century." Now fast forward to fall 1998 and you have Uprising from TGR and Sick Sense from MSP. All the big guys were now on fat skis making 5 turns where they would have made 30 on the super g skis they skied on in 1996. If you watch the Continuum (TGR's fall 1996 release) and then watch Uprising it looks like a different sport. For another perspective, watch the Poor Boyz film The Degenerates, from 1998, then watch 13 from 1999. In 13 everyone is on twin tips and it looks completely different. I think that is the era where things changed by far the most.

Is Wallisch the most influential park skier of the last 10 years? Just curious. That seems to be the consensus here.

People here have to realize that Wallisch is an influence on one aspect of skiing. Most 40 year old Squaw locals who pound nails 60 hours a week so that they can have 4 months off to ski everyday don't care about Wallisch, in fact many of them won't even know who he is. They will probably know Hoji and Sage though.

yo, you obviously know your freeski history - mad props. no joke.

on my end, i can't think of a supremely influential backcountry/big-mountain skier of the last 10 years other than Sean Pettit. big-mountain hasn't seemed to change much since Seth Morrison dominated the mid-2000s. I mean, Sage, Hoji and Pep are incredible. Same goes with Cody Townsend and everyone in all the MSP and TGR films. But big-mountain doesn't seemed to have changed much since 2005.

by starting this thread, i really wanted to look at the past 10 years, specifically.

I'd think of it as

Last 10 years - Tom
All Time - Candide
Specifically to Newschoolers - Tie between Phil, Henrik and Traveling Circus

karlmarxfor park its wallisch and phil. wallisch made everyone realize that you can pretzel anything, and that landing with your hands in your pockets pretty much always looks cool. phil got the nollie, butter, pressing everything ball rolling that eventually inspired the bunch and henrik. candide of course has been on top for like 15 years, but he made in bounds all terrain ripping cool again so thats pretty influential too. jon olsson also got the dub cork game going.

overall i gotta give it to phil though. everyone, from novice park skiers to the gnarliest pros, are buttering and pressing around due in large part to how good he made it look

Think you gotta give some credit to delorme for making buttering so popular.

Uhhh Chug Life anybody???

Ian Kenneth Cosco.

Travis Rice

But seriously... you can't argue what he has put out in the past 10 years hasn't influenced skiing. Sending it like he does in the BC is still what skiers are aspiring to.

Tom Wallisch - last 10 (mostly park)
Glen Plake - all time
But for free skiing you cant really name one after Shane and Seth, they changed the game

ozzywrongCandide x 1000 no one else touches candies other than CR, Tanner and Jp auclair

It's kind of common knowledge that Candide is GOAT but last 10 years? Last 10 years I gotta go with Wallisch.

The whole 4bi9 house

Either Wallish or jesper

codizzleBut big-mountain doesn't seemed to have changed much since 2005.

woah woah woah woah, what???
https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/846547/Sammy-Carlson--To-Be
https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/874795/GoPro--Spine-Ride-with-Tanner-Hall
https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/874796/GoPro--Tanner-Hall-Ski-Diaries-2
https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/744622/Tanner-Hall-Ski-Diaries

the shit tanner skied in 2014 alone straight up blew big mountain skiing into a new era in my opinion.

In all seriousness id say tanner is probably the most influential skiers in the last 10 years. Hes done everything with two injuries that should have been career ending. Came back and slayed the demon that almost took everything away 10 years later. Dude is fuckin wicked.

Chubz.woah woah woah woah, what???
https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/846547/Sammy-Carlson--To-Be
https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/874795/GoPro--Spine-Ride-with-Tanner-Hall
https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/874796/GoPro--Tanner-Hall-Ski-Diaries-2
https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/744622/Tanner-Hall-Ski-Diaries

the shit tanner skied in 2014 alone straight up blew big mountain skiing into a new era in my opinion.

In all seriousness id say tanner is probably the most influential skiers in the last 10 years. Hes done everything with two injuries that should have been career ending. Came back and slayed the demon that almost took everything away 10 years later. Dude is fuckin wicked.

I love those edits by Sammy C and T_Hall - such good riding! No doubt!
But aside from Sammy's 720 off a spine mid-line, 99% of that could have come from a Seth Morrison or Mark Abma segment 13 years ago. The same can't be said for street skiing, halfpipe and jumping - the progression has been way more radical in those departments and is so much more advanced compared to, say, 2004.
Anyway, thanks for re-posting those edits - makes me wanna go shred pow and drop cliffs.

Candide, nough said

Dude.fromsltEither Wallish or jesper

Jesper is relativley new to the scene but still crazy af definetly changing the game for the future

SklarI get that you're trying to look beyond the park, and that's cool, but I don't see those guys as particularly influential, beyond their insane ability. Known and influential are different concepts. Perhaps Hoji for being a pioneer for sending on tech bindings, that's a totally valid argument IMO.

I think this thread poses a fun thought, in that a lot of the major influences to the sport are now beyond the 10 year window. As for the big mountain realm, I think it's harder to see individuals for their progression or influence I think. Maybe Cody for going viral with "The Crack?" or Candide with OOTD?

You are correct about it being harder in the big mountain realm, but I do see those guys as influential. Both Hoji and Sage were influential in using rockered skis to power slide spines and other types of powdery conditions. They are definitely influential, just in a different realm than what most people here ski. I don't see Wallisch as influential at all for the kind of skiing I care about, what has he done to influence how people ski anywhere other than the park or urban? I get that kids on the east coast see Wallisch as someone of influence, but the fact is Sage's approach has changed the way big mountains are skied, building on what Shane McConkey did.

I will say that I agree with Powder, Shane McConkey is the most influential skier ever. Sage and Hoji have helped shape the way big mountains are skied, they both ski them in a revolutionary manner. It is not about being famous. If this thread were posted on TGR Wallisch might not get any votes. He has only influenced skiing one aspect, and to be frank that's the aspect that lets people have fun when snow conditions suck. I will certainly give him credit for that, but people on this website greatly overrate his influence on skiing, they seem to thing park skiing is the only game in town. I will say this, many Squaw locals are hoping they are right, if the kids don't do anything but ski park they will have the pow and big lines to themselves. That is a pipe dream of course, when people move to Squaw and Jackson they tend to get into big mountain even if they don't intend to. Powder skiing is fun that way.

Hoji throwing a powerslide (McConkey turn as he calls it in the movie) down a spine in 2006 is most certainly influential. Sage powdersliding spines in Under The Influence is most definitely influential.

But I do understand how people here see things. For a 17 year old who lives in the east and never goes west I can see how Wallisch might seem like the most influential guy out there. When I was 17 I lived in the east and skied bumps. I had been out west, but this was back in the day of skinny skis and I struggled in pow and crud. When I moved out west for college I told people my ideal line was a steep bump run. The kids from the west looked at me like I was crazy, they wanted steep pow. My freshman year I learned how to ski pow, after that I never wanted to ski bumps again.

I would say Bode Miller has been a very influential skier, although it is difficult to see his influence.

a_burgernow how many of those BC guys also were influential in park after 2007? shit dont work one way

They were not, I'm not saying they were. What I am saying is that people on this website tend to think the ski world revolves around park, which is only true for a small part of the population. People who live in the west and ski steeps, or live in the east and ski bumps and glades, don't care about Wallisch. I have known lots of people who ski 100 days a year who spend maybe a day or two a year in the park. I get that for kids who grow up on mountains that suck that is all there is, I grew up on a mountain like that, but for the rest of us it is a very small part of skiing.

dan4060If this thread were posted on TGR Wallisch might not get any votes. He has only influenced skiing one aspect, and to be frank that's the aspect that lets people have fun when snow conditions suck. I will certainly give him credit for that, but people on this website greatly overrate his influence on skiing, they seem to thing park skiing is the only game in town.
.

You make some great points, but for the debate's sake, I think you're underestimating the popularity of park skiing compared to big mountain skiing. I'd argue, to the general public, awareness of park skiing is much more than big-mountain. All these athletes are generally no-name regardless of their ability. Nobody not into skiing has ever heard of Hoji, or Sage, or even Candide for that matter. Although he's no Tony Hawk or Shaun White, a lot people have heard of Tom Wallisch. A lot of this is due to X games/comp exposure, but Good Company aired on ABC a few times and even, got a primetime slot on ESPN at least twice (Im pretty sure.) While yes, these things might not be hugely popular within the "die-hard" skiing community they are the biggest faction of skiing in the "Action Sports Market." I'd argue that Tom's ability to crack this echelon makes him the most influential skier of the past 10 years - and possibly ever.

(Again, all this coming from an East coast park kid, and definitely not knocking anybody's skiing ability.)

How about Roner? Being a part of Nitro probably exposed more people to something ski related than any other skier. Granted, I wouldn't consider him to be the most influential within the ski community. I would definitely put Wallisch, Vonn, Gus, and Tanner in the conversation overall as well.

Candide guys obvi his vids blew up everyone saw his clips

GrandThingsYou make some great points, but for the debate's sake, I think you're underestimating the popularity of park skiing compared to big mountain skiing. I'd argue, to the general public, awareness of park skiing is much more than big-mountain. All these athletes are generally no-name regardless of their ability. Nobody not into skiing has ever heard of Hoji, or Sage, or even Candide for that matter. Although he's no Tony Hawk or Shaun White, a lot people have heard of Tom Wallisch. A lot of this is due to X games/comp exposure, but Good Company aired on ABC a few times and even, got a primetime slot on ESPN at least twice (Im pretty sure.) While yes, these things might not be hugely popular within the "die-hard" skiing community they are the biggest faction of skiing in the "Action Sports Market." I'd argue that Tom's ability to crack this echelon makes him the most influential skier of the past 10 years - and possibly ever.

(Again, all this coming from an East coast park kid, and definitely not knocking anybody's skiing ability.)

Candide Thovex is much more famous in the main stream than TWall you are wrong.. one of those days 2 has over 20 million views...

ozzywrongCandide Thovex is much more famous in the main stream than TWall you are wrong.. one of those days 2 has over 20 million views...

Good point, definitely forgot about OOTD. Still, I dont think there's much name recognition behind those shorter edits due to their viral nature. Semantics, but I think if you polled 100 random people who had some general awareness about action sports, more people would be able to identify/recognize the name Tom Wallisch as opposed to Candide Thovex

Zane Kushman

Jon Ollson or Tom W. for me. Having been here since 2007, I can tell you that it's gotta be one of the two. Though, I would say less Tom and more the whole 4bi9 crew. You have to remember that when they burst onto the scene, they changed everything. They were *collectively* the group that toppled Tanner Hall's reign as King of Freeride at that point with their incredible edits and pretzels. Individually, I understand Tom eventually went out on his own to realize his talent, but if we're talking about individuals, I give it to Jon. He invented the modern double, and changed the course of skiing in an entirely new way almost overnight. He held the single most influential big air competition in the past 10 years, which was (and still is, to some degree) the stage on which you presented your knew tricks to the world.

Anyway, just an opinion.