Thanks to the great people at Power Magazine & Snowbrains I was able to get an exclusive media invite to the annual Powder Awards this year. The event takes place once a year and in this honors the best of each and every discipline in free skiing. With free skiing changing and progressing so much every year the pow awards see something new and different win in each category, this year was no exception.
The event took place in downtown Salt Lake City on a busy Friday night. With some of the best skiers and companies in free skiing up for awards, the night was nothing short of an absolute blast.
I was able to sit down with Cody Townsend, winner of three Powder Awards and Squaw Valley Local, and speak with him on his amazing year and things to come.
Cody Townsend (CT) Interview:
SnowBrains: You had such a phenomenal year last year with everything you did, what do you have in store for this upcoming year/season?
CT: Well I got some big plans in motion, hopefully a little more exploration and adventure based, haha but can’t really go public with it just yet.
SnowBrains: I found Days of My Youth to be a game changer ski movie in allot of aspects, how do you feel about the way it turned out?
CT: Every time I watch it I come away with something different and unique and I like that about the way it turned out.
CT: I think the best part is people I talk to after they see the film tell me like “ yeah man I want to quit my job” I am like yeah that’s awesome, oh wait maybe think about that for a while, but yeah that’s the spirit
SnowBrains: So how many times have you watched the film yourself?
CT: haha something like 15 times and like I said something new comes from it each time.
SnowBrains: So I have read and seen where you have been kind of coaching your wife through her ski career this year, how has that been? And has that changed your perspective at all in skiing?
CT: Ha Ha not really a coach, she really know what she is doing and I am there just as support and she always impresses me what she does.
SnowBrains: So how is having your wife be able to ski at the same level as you?
CT: It is awesome, I get home from a trip and all she wants to do is go skiing with me, pretty great I have to say, guess I am lucky.
SnowBrains: How is Arcade Belts progressing for you and your partners?
CT: It has been really good and growing. Kind of a change for me from going out and working with my legs every day to working in an office 8 hours a day but I like it in all honesty.
SnowBrains: Ok with that being said is there ever an idea to maybe to some collective work with Tahoe Made, Arcade Belts, and Snowbrains, being that all organizations are North Lake Tahoe/Squaw Valley based?
CT: Yeah I think so, I spoke a bit in the past with Miles and Eric and would consider that a possibly for the future.
SnowBrains: Great, thank you for your time and good luck this next season.
***
High Fives was one of the affiliate sponsors of the night and with this Roy Tuscany as well as other High Five organization people was present. Speaking with Austin Stewart, who does part time work with them in SLC, he had indicated that he would like to expand High Fives to SLC and help grow the organization and feels it would flourish in a place like Salt Lake.
OFFICIAL 15th ANNUAL POWDER AWARDS RESULTS:
Photo of the Year
Photo: Oskar Enander/Sweetgrass Eric Hjorleifson
Full Throttle
Cody Townsend
Breakthrough Performer
Nick McNutt
Best Line
Cody Townsend, Days Of My Youth, MSP Films
Best Manmade Air
Henrik Harlaut, Oil and Water, Armada
Best Natural Air
Richard Permin, Days Of My Youth, MSP Films
Best Powder
Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, Johnny Collinson, Dylan Hood, Nick McNutt, Almost Ablaze, Teton Gravity Research
Best Jib
Phil Casabon, Oil and Water, Armada
Best Female Performance
Angel Collinson, Almost Ablaze, Teton Gravity Research
Best Male Performance
Cody Townsend, Days Of My Youth, MSP Films
Best Short
Afterglow, Sweetgrass Productions
Best Editing
Ten and Two, Stept Productions
Best Cinematography
Afterglow, Sweetgrass Productions
Best Documentary
Dream Line, Endlessflow Films
Movie of the Year
Almost Ablaze, Teton Gravity Research
OFFICIAL POWDER POLL RESULTS:
Best Female Performance:
Ingrid Backstrom
Best Male Performance:
J.P Auclair
***
This was a very unique moment the entire room grew silent as they played a montage that highlighted JP’s life from the start to finish and tears were seen throughout the crowd. His father accepted his award on his behalf and he took fell to tear, this was truly a powerful moment in the night and in skiing.
An overall great night and experience, thank you again Powder Magazine for this opportunity.
