On a photoshoot last season, the Arc’teryx team sure gets a big surprise on this bad weather day– a closed ski resort to themselves
In March 2011, French skier Seb Mayer and a crew of fellow Arc’teryx riders were testing the brand’s 2012 collection in Italy. The conditions were ideal for putting gear through its paces – cold, windy and dumping snow – but not so ideal for the pistes. Tipped off about a tiny resort in the Piedmont region, they found it closed. However, in return for a jacket from the new Arc’ collection, they persuaded the resort’s manager, who’s also the piste basher driver, to ferry them into the woods by snowcat.
and wearing Arc’teryx’s Crossbow jacket and Sabre pants,” says Seb. “Both are super comfortable and well fitted to freeride and my way of riding – fast and powerful.” A ski instructor based in Verbier, Switzerland, Seb’s home is near the resort of La Grave in France, where he’s proved his tele mettle by winning the freeride Derby de la Meije four times. The team’s sworn not to tell the name of the resort– but if you see a piste basher driver wearing a red Arc’teryx jacket…