Featured Image: Courtesy of J Skis, Icelantic Skis
You're witnessing freeski history. In an industry-first move that's taken the wide world of skiing by surprise, Icelantic and J Skis have teamed up to release a collaborative ski. Two competitors, linking up to work side by side. Counterintutive? Maybe. Inspirational? Definitely.
The project, named after the top sheet created by Icelantic co-founder and artist Travis Parr, has been aptly dubbed "UNDERCATS." The graphic has been plastered onto two highly praised models. Icelantic has released it on the Nomad 106. For J, it's being released on the Escalator. Both of these lightweight, freeride planks have earned high praise over the last few seasons.
Art has played a massive role in the stories of each of these independent American ski companies. In 2005, Ben Anderson founded Icelantic alongside Parr, with the brand's topsheets playing a crucial role in their lasting success.
Nearly a decade later, in 2013, industry veteran Jason Leventhal began J Skis with artist Mark “Fank” Fankhauser by his side. Parr has created every Icelantic topsheet for over 20 years, while Fank has contributed tons of topsheets to J's ever-rotating arsenal of limited-edition releases.
The Icelantic Nomad 106 (left) and J Skis' Escalator (right), adorned in the new "UNDERCATS" topsheet
Levinthal, who's overseen countless collaborations and releases throughout his storied career at Line Skis and J, spoke with enthusism on the new project, saying, "Two brands, same products in the same industry, collaborating on a ski together. It’s never been done, so we had to do it!"
"Watching Parr and Fank develop the art was like watching a jam session between two musicians who had never met but immediately spoke the same language," said Icelantic co-founder Ben Anderson. "It’s nuts how good this came out!"
Like all J Skis releases, there's a select number of "UNDERCATS" skis available. Once they're gone, they're gone. Cheers to each of these family-owned brands for staying true to their original visions of creative freedom. Let's hope more brands follow the lead of these pioneers.
