At the heart of core action sports culture lies expressive freedom and creativity. Film and photography allow us to view this art in its purest form, and while competitions are a natural progression, traditional contests often stifle creativity by forcing this nonconformist art form into a traditional sporting mold. Enter the Jib League, an alternative freeski competition that’s changing the game by embracing style and creative expression, founded by professional skiers Ferdinand Dahl, Øystein Bråten, and James Woods.
These accomplished athletes envisioned a competition that would break the mold of traditional freeskiing events and enable athletes to showcase their style and creativity on the slopes. The result is the Jib League, a refreshing alternative with a much needed focus on style and creativity for judging criteria.
Taking place across Austria, Switzerland, and Norway, the Jib League features ski video voted jam sessions, celebrating public parks and making freeskiing more accessible. The content-focused project generates positive stoke and serves as a platform for freeskiers to come together and celebrate their core culture. The event is based around a running clock placed at the top of the in run, riders vote and the prize money is upwards of 10k!
Highlighting the event, riders Jesper Tjäder and Max Moffat (“by far two of the best skiiers on the planet” -Steep Steep) recently dropped an absolute banger of an edit, posted on the popular SLVSH YouTube channel, known for its creative and competitive video series within the freeskiing scene. SLVSH’s unique platform allows skiers to showcase their talent and reach a wider audience, contributing to Jib League’s growing success.
Ski legend Finn Bilous commented on one of the videos, “Jib League leading the change we wish to see in the world. Big ups to Ferdi, Woodsy, Oystein & the rest of the crew for executing their vision. That was absolutely mental, thank you <3.” In addition to popularity among freeskiers, fans worldwide are showing electric engagement in all the videos being posted, showing this competition is clearly making waves in the freeski scene and shedding light on the shared pains of ‘spin to win’ competitions from riders and fans alike.
The Jib League’s unique format, conceived by founders Ferdinand Dahl, Øystein Bråten, and James Woods, allows skiers to push the boundaries of their sport, with many jaw-dropping tricks that leave fans in awe. This groundbreaking competition is gaining momentum, proving that style and creativity are integral parts of freeskiing’s future.
Check out the two linked Youtube edits and some of the mind blowing tricks these guys throw. Stay tuned for more incredible action from the Jib League, and don’t miss the game-changing edits from Jesper Tjäder, Max Moffat, and other talented skiers as they continue to redefine the freeskiing competition landscape under the visionary leadership of Ferdinand Dahl, Øystein Bråten, and James Woods.
P.S.: If you’re interested in learning the technical aspects of many tricks featured in Max and Jesper’s edit, check out Steep Steep’s reaction video. He breaks down nearly every trick thrown in the video, I highly recommend!
