Meet The Godfather Of Modern Half Pipe Skiing

When I was growing up, Simon Dumont was the professional skier to watch. He had it all: style, tricks, and the will to attempt record-breaking moves, like his huge 35-foot quarter pipe air.

Earlier this week, on August 28th, @cypherski shared a video on Instagram telling the story of Dumont's legendary skiing career.

See it below.

I'm glad @cypherski took this one away because the breadth of Dumont's career is far too enormous to cover in a brief, trending news article.

But I want to touch on one thing @cypherski addressed: Dumont's 2009 Slumdog Illionaire video.

I saw this video when I was probably 12 or 13 years old, and let me tell you, it rocked my world. The music, the style, all of it was so fresh and new for the time, setting the tone for years of freestyle skiing.

Sure, aspects of this video are dated. Freestyle skiing is no longer enamored with gangster rap in the same way that it used to be. Outerwear selections amongst pros -- excluding names like Henrik Harlaut -- have gotten noticeably slimmer.

But Dumont's skiing? That's timeless. If he dropped this video today, it would turn heads, even in a freestyle world dominated by 13-year-olds throwing triple corks.

Dumont's now retired from skiing, focusing on other hobbies, like photography. Yet, occasionally, he returns to the slopes, donning his iconic Oakley suits to remind everyone that he still has it.

This 2021 clip was a total nostalgia overload, particularly because it features the song Requiem For A Dream, a remix of which appeared in the intro section of Matchstick Production's classic ski movie Push.

Anyway, that's enough of a trip down memory lane for a Friday morning. If you're looking for more videos that explain the backstories of famous figures in skiing, @cypherski is your guy.

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