Extreme skiers take to the dirt in the middle of the desert
When the temperatures rise and the sun shines for most of the day, what are avid skiers to do while the snow is gone? For a group of skiing professionals travelling the world, they show us that snow isn’t always needed for skiing.
Led by Austrian skier Fabian Lentsch, the group has been in search of adventure. In the group’s most recent escapade, they found themselves in the less than snowy Persian Gulf region. While in Iran, they came upon a stack of skiable spines on the island of Qeshm. The group was not deterred by a complete lack of snow in the area.
They simply strapped on their skis for some dirt skiing.
Lentsch is a freeskier who was born in Innsbruck, Austria. He spent some time competing in a variety of races and competitions. But now, with the help of Red Bull, he is absolutely loving skiing in some of the world’s most remote places.
“When I was 15-years-old, I won the first two competitions I competed in,” Lentsch said to Red Bull. “That’s when I realised I can achieve something in this kind of sport.
“Right now the tour is just not the place to be for me," he says. "I’m sure that I will try to come back one day and show you guys some good skiing. Instead I’ve been focusing on filming and exploring new regions of skiing terrain all over the world."
The group of young skiers collaborated to create a film called Passenger. The film was released to acclaim in late 2015. After the film, the young skiers continue to travel in search of new slopes and experiences.
The team from Red Bull are not the only ones who have taken to the dirt for some excitement. With the help of National Geographic, three young men travelled through the North American Rockies from Yellowstone to Glacier National Park. The journey covered over 400 miles and included some unique dirt skiing there as well.
See their adventures here.
Don’t let the beginning of summer bring you down. Although there is plenty of dirt around, preparing for the ideal ski holiday next winter may be a better plan. There are plenty of luxury ski chalets in France available next season, and there should be plenty of snow to enjoy as well.
Image Credit: Patrick Nouhailler (flickr.com)