The appeal of Quiksilver's snow team movie "SCORED" isn't the novelty of its mix of skiing and snowboarding. Rather, what struck me most was how naturally Sammy Carlson's riding style connected with Quiksilver's surfing-derived brand image.
That's why I wanted to introduce this particular work, rather than his previous solo projects.
Sammy's signature model, the Whitewalker, is less about cutting through powder and more about making it easy to maneuver freely in powder. This isn't just about the feel; it's a reflection of Sammy's ideal style of skiing, directly impacted by the ski's design. It's less about dominating the snow surface with sharp turns, and more about changing direction, letting the skis run, and engaging with the terrain
There's a sense of smoothly connecting those movements. What I mean by "surfy" skiing here is not about strongly dominating the snow surface, but about using weight transfer according to the terrain, and using the rebound from the snow to seamlessly connect lines. It's not about crashing into the terrain, but about riding the flow like a wave. And that directly connects to the air you launch from the snow
That feeling is even more pronounced when placed among snowboarders like Travis Rice, Werni Stock, and Miles Fallon.
Sammy doesn't stand out as the "only skier," but rather naturally embodies Quiksilver's "surf" worldview with a different tool.
It's also noteworthy that there are many shots of Sammy riding a single continuous line. I think the "flow" of his riding makes it easy to maintain the overall rhythm of the video.
Modern filming, centered around FPV, conveys Alaska's vast landscape not just as a distant view, but also including its flow and sense of distance. It's also easier to see what kind of riding the riders consider good.
"SCORED" is interesting not just as a big mountain sensation, but as a work that shows how the riders' riding embodies the brand. For young riders, it should also be an opportunity to think about what kind of image and values their "riding" is associated with, rather than just individual tricks or exposure on social media.