journals > Team > 2023: A Year in Review
2023: A Year in Review
12.29.2023

2023 was, in many ways, a transitional year for our brand and our team. We can thank Tommy for that. When he signed on in the early part of the year, he inadvertently reacquainted us with the roots of our brand: the pure joy of riding with your friends. ATLAS became a beacon of direction for us. Start with the athletes, then make the products that work for their style and terrain choice.

We are lucky to have an eclectic team of skiers and riders, whose talent and versatility drive us to design equally as versatile outerwear. From Keegan and Blake ripping sleds in the backcountry in Camp Robbers, Jake jibbing around Montreal in Level1’s Wind for Whistles, to Jar and all the heavy hitters in Knights of the Brown Table, and the impeccable style of LDM and Sampo in The Art of Recreation—it was a big year in both snowfall and our team, to say the least.

1/27/2023
WELCOME TOMMY

Tommy Gesme joined our team at the beginning of this year. It became a grounding moment for us as a brand—a return to self—if you will. Though we respect all facets of snowboarding, our mantra remains ‘culture over contest.’ This is exactly why Tommy was the perfect fit. Humble, innovative, and hardworking, he lives for the culture. Though he’d never admit it, Tommy has the personality that drives this culture.

He immediately jumped right into traveling overseas with Colton, Darrah, Forest and Riley for the filming of ATLAS, and hasn’t taken his foot off the gas since. We couldn’t be more inspired.

10/23/2023
B4BC FUNDRAISER

This year, we joined forces with Boarding for Breast Cancer (B4BC) during Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a collaboration product, the “Camille” Hydra jacket. The jacket payed homage to a loving friend of both B4BC and 686, and breast cancer thriver, Camille Herrera. All proceeds of the jacket benefited a breast cancer survivor’s attendance at B4BC’s Chasing Sunshine Mountain Wellness Retreat in 2024. During Mammoth’s “LOVE YOUR PEAKS” event in May, we joined Camille’s family and the B4BC crew for a party run to celebrate our dear friend.

11/2/2023
CAMP ROBBERS

Blake Moller and Keegan Hosefros chose the perfect winter to test our brand new ATV Collection and dive headfirst into Mother Nature's venerable frozen offering. From waist-deep days in Utah to the classic mashed potatoes of Baker, with bits of Tahoe and Idaho sprinkled in, director Brendan Hupp chronicles some serious Camp Robber activities. We continue to be mind-blown by Blake and Keegan’s efforts in any and all terrains—the sky is the limit for these two and we can’t wait to see what they do next year.

11/8/2023
WIND FOR WHISTLES

Jake Mageau syncs up with friend and Director Brady Perron for the third installment of their collaboration with Level1: ‘Wind for Whistles’. The film unfolds a special place and time in freeskiing, a place where Mageau’s athleticism meets his artistry—where past meets present. From the eastern seaboard to the most northwestern locations, Mango astonishes us with his inimitable style in Wind for Whistles.

11/13/2023
ATLAS

A worldwide exploration of places and spaces, ATLAS is an inside look at a modern tale of friendship and travel in the digital age—an era when one can roam avenues on the other side of the planet, searching for spots via their smartphone. Directed by Colton Feldman, ATLAS chronicles a single winter of spots, backdrops, tricks, and aesthetics combined and presented through the prisms of Tommy Gesme, Riley Nickerson, Darrah Reid-McLean, and Forest Bailey.

12/4/2023
KNIGHTS OF THE BROWN TABLE

Two words: heavy, heavy, heavy hitters. Okay, that was four words but two didn’t suffice for the Brown Cinema’s two-year film “Knights of the Brown Table,” featuring our own Mason Lemery. Brown serves up a raw take that reinforces the most timeless tradition of snowboarding: the full-length video. From the highest peaks, all the way down to the lowest mountain valleys, this crew embarks on a journey that will be remembered for generations to come. Jar throws down a three-minute part that makes us want to shotgun a beer, strap up and go all gas, no breaks.

12/13/2023
THE ART OF RECREATION

The Art of Recreation is more than just a ski film—it’s a gorgeous visual and riding experience showcasing our EU crew Sampo Vallotton and Laurent De Martin. This unexpected short film is a visual manifesto of their first winter with their new Swiss ski brand Simply, and an organic result of being surrounded by talented filmmakers and photographers whom they can proudly call friends.

Written by: SAYER