All Images: Courtesy of Armada Skis | Skier : Mac Forehand
Mac Forehand has joined Armada Skis, cementing the AR team as one of the most well-rounded groups in freeski history. What was already an iconic group of athletes is now made stronger with the addition of Forehand, one of the few skiers who has shown they can produce competition wins and stellar film segments alike.
His two-year movie, " DUO ," debuted last fall to resounding love. Made with director Jack Price, the cinematography hits as hard as Mac's dub 10s. But more recently, he's coming off a legendary year in the comp scene. When the dust settled, he'd collected silver in big air at the Olympics with a never-been-done nose butter triple cork 2160, gold in slopestyle at the Aspen World Cup, and his second X Games big air gold.
Forehand brings a lot of promise to Armada, so we quickly got the main man on the horn for a few questions when we heard about the signing. From his top AR legends to favorite skis and future film projects, dive into the conversation, below.
FREESKIER: Congrats on signing with Armada, Mac. How does it feel to be an AR skier?
MF: Appreciate it. Signing with Armada felt super natural to me. The brand has been on my radar ever since I was a kid. Growing up, it seemed like all my favorite skiers rode for them.Ā
What specifically drew you to the company?
The skis and boots are fantastic, but the culture of Armada is what interested me most. They have one of the most diverse teams in all of skiing, and have managed to stay true to their roots over the years.
Which skis have you hopped on so far? Boots? Favorites at the moment?
When I went down to the Southern Hemisphere recently, I brought the ARV 88 , ARV 94 , and a pair of the new Kimbo 95s . All three pairs [of skis] are very unique, and it was refreshing to have multiple skis with each tailored to specific conditions.
The ARV 94 was perfect for soft spring park days at Perisher. The ARV 88, or āthe contest bladeā as I was calling it, was ideal for [the Jossi Wells Invitational] event, and it handled big jumps better than any ski Iāve ever been on.Ā
The Kimbo was a dream ski for me. It was perfectly suited for everything at Treblecone, from some small-scale all-mountain skiing to park laps. The new AR One boot was also incredible. The middle cable buckle hybrid really works! It kept my heel locked in at all times.Ā
Which skier are you most excited to learn from and ride with on the AR team?Ā
Thatās such a hard question to answer, considering how stacked the team is, but Iām really looking forward to some more time with Toby [Rafford] . His take on big mountain riding is so original, and I think I could really learn a lot from him down the line.Ā
You get to spend a day lapping the resort and hanging with one Armada legend in their prime. Anyone whoās ever been on the team. Who are you picking, and why?
JP Auclair . Like so many others, I wish I had the chance to ski with him while he was still here. He was such an iconic part of Armada and had a completely unique way of looking at skiing. Getting to spend a day with him and experiencing his creativity firsthand would have been a dream.
Iām sure heād be proud to have you on the team. If you had to pick one current AR skier to film a segment with, who are you taking?
Iām gonna have to pick Quinn [Wolferman] for this one. Heās already a good homie of mine, and also lives with me, so now by joining Armada, shooting with him is a no brainer for me.Ā
Weāll be excitedly waiting for that link up. On that note, favorite AR skier segment of all-time?
For me it has to be Henrik [Harlaut] in āSalute.ā Specifically, the backcountry booter segment with the massive bio seven. That whole movie just has banger after banger, and he was tackling a hectic contest schedule while filming, which resonates with me a lot.Ā
World Cup gold, X Games gold, Olympic silver; you had a banger comp season last year. Which one stands out the most?
The easy answer here would be the Olympic silver. Itās a day I will never forget for the rest of my life, but truly Iād have to pick the World Cup win in Aspen this year. It had already been such a stressful year trying to qualify for that Olympic team, and I hadnāt really gotten the results I was looking for yet. I really needed that win, and after it was over, I'd never felt so confident in my skiing. It was a moment that helped define the entirety of my 2025/26 season.
The nose butter triple cork 2160 in the Olympic was mind-blowing to watch. Walk me through that night. Did you know you were going to try it, or was it an impulse decision? Was that your favorite trick you've ever landed?
I definitely didnāt think I would try it that night, but it was for sure a possibility after I learned the nose butter (nb) trip 19 in practice. I usually never actually lace my first two hits in big air in that World Cup/Olympic style format. After doing my first two tricks the best I could, I found myself at the bottom trying to figure out what to do on my third hit.Ā
The choice was between three tricks I'd never tried in my life: a nb quad 19, a switch triple 23, or the nb trip 21. All pretty terrifying options, but I felt like I had the best chance to land the 21. So I went up there, gave it a shotā¦ the rest is history . Probably not my favorite trick Iāve ever landed just because of the pressure and stress surrounding it were insane, but in hindsight it was certainly a career-defining trick for me.Ā
Given your recent comp success, are you more drawn to filming or competing at this point in your career? What can we expect on deck for this winter?
Iām still pretty 50/50 on competing and filming. I had thought after the ā26 Olympic cycle ended, I would take a little break from competing, but I still have so much love for it. Plus, the new X Games League is really exciting since there are three [X Games] stops slated for the upcomingĀ season instead of the traditional one in Aspen, so youāll definitely find me at each of those.Ā
That said, I plan on filming a lot more this winter, so keep your eyes peeled for that project next fall. I get immense satisfaction out of being busy and productive throughout the winter, whether thatās competing or filming or both. That constant grind, surrounded by good people, is what I enjoy the most, so Iāll just keep doing me in whatever form that takes!
