This is Armada: Sammy Carlson
Sammy Carlson, who just permanently relocated to Revelstoke, BC, discusses his lifelong passion to ski and to always keep it fun.
"It's an honor to get to ski for armada and try to add to the legacy of all the riders before me" -Sammy Carlson
armadaskis.com
Sammy Carlson
Sammy Carlson is an American freeskiing legend whose impact spans competition, film, style, and backcountry exploration. Born on January 11, 1989, in Portland, Oregon, he was raised in a ski environment near Mount Hood and developed a deep affinity for varied terrain from a very young age. Carlson has become renowned not just for tricks, but for pushing the boundaries of what freeskiing means—integrating creativity, risk, terrain, style, and storytelling. Early life and competition beginning Carlson grew up skiing with his family around Mount Hood, starting at about age four. His exposure to ski camps and summer park terrain shaped his early style. By age twelve he was attending more formal ski camps and spending summers focusing on tricks, rails, jumps and slopestyle terrain. His early competition success came in his late teens. Major competitive achievements and technical milestones One of the standout moments in his career was in summer 2010, when he successfully landed the first switch triple rodeo 1260—a complex trick combining switch take-off, multiple rotations, and aerial orientation. That solidified his reputation as a technical innovator. He earned multiple X Games medals, including a gold in slopestyle in 2011. He also won a silver medal at the FIS World Championships in slopestyle in 2011. These results placed him among the top freeskiing competitors of his generation. In early 2012 Carlson attempted a triple cork 1620 in an X Games big air final but suffered a serious knee injury, torn ligament, which forced him into a recovery period. This injury was a turning point—after it, his priorities shifted more toward creative freedom and backcountry skiing instead of just contest results. Transition toward film, backcountry and style evolution After his injury, Carlson invested more effort in video segments and backcountry skiing. He became widely known for his video work in the Real Ski Backcountry competition, which emphasizes creative ski film pieces filmed in natural mountain environments, away from traditional competition runs. He won this Real Ski Backcountry contest multiple times, displaying a blend of technical park tricks, terrain features such as pillows and natural jumps, and flowing transitions. Carlson’s style is often praised for its fluidity, for bringing surf-like motions to powder, for creative use of natural terrain features, and for blending daring with grace. This style has inspired many skiers who want more than just competitive success—they want expression, aesthetic, adventure. Recent work, philosophy, and legacy In the last several years, Carlson has focused strongly on backcountry film projects, exploring remote zones in British Columbia, exploring safety and risk more carefully, improving his narrative voice in his videos, and emphasizing maturity in decision-making in mountain environments. He has released feature-length works and shorter segments that highlight not only his skiing, but his evolution as a person, an athlete, and someone wrestling with risk, creativity, and joy. Even though he stepped back from being a full-time competitor, he remains active, and many see his current era as one of artistic peak—where his influence through video, style, and exploring uncharted terrain is as important as any medal. His equipment sponsors and brand relationships reflect this balance: they support both quality performance gear and the freedom to film and experiment. Samson Carlson (commonly called Sammy C) is based now much of the time in British Columbia during winter seasons, which gives him access to prime backcountry terrain.
British Columbia
British Columbia, a province in western Canada, is known for its vast mountain ranges and a history deeply tied to forestry and mining, before becoming a top outdoor tourism destination. As early as the 20th century, local pioneers explored snowy peaks, paving the way for strong alpine and backcountry skiing development. The province has nurtured or attracted great skiers and freeriders like Mike Douglas and Sammy Carlson, drawn by its exceptional snow quality. Among its flagship destinations are Whistler Blackcomb, one of the largest ski resorts in North America, Revelstoke famed for massive vertical drops and backcountry access, as well as Fernie and Kicking Horse with their technical slopes and deep powder. The Nelson and Rossland areas are also famous for their freeride culture and intimate resorts. Thus, British Columbia is today a true paradise for ski enthusiasts, whether seeking groomed runs or wild backcountry adventures.
Armada
Armada’s origin story is inseparable from the rise of newschool skiing. Instead of adapting race tools for creatives, the brand started with what riders actually needed: symmetric and directional twin tips that press, pivot, and land switch; floaty shapes for deep days; and durable constructions for rails and hard landings. Over two decades, the catalog matured without losing that voice. The brand joined a larger sports family later on, leveraging European manufacturing while keeping athlete-led development and media at its core. The result is a blend of indie energy and big-factory consistency. Product ecosystem Armada’s freestyle roots remain visible in the ARV series (all-mountain/park) and the women’s ARW line, built for playful daily laps that can handle everything from corduroy to side hits and rail gardens. Signature pro models such as the Edollo and BDog reflect two distinct philosophies of park skiing—pop and power versus buttery, press-friendly feel—while the JJ and its descendants carry the powder-freestyle torch with surfy rockered shapes and smearable tips and tails. On the freeride/all-mountain front, directional platforms add stability and edge hold for technical terrain and variable snow. For human-powered missions, the lightweight touring family uses lively wood cores and weight-savvy laminates to keep skintrack efficiency high without turning skittish on the descent. Construction and feel Durability and “feel” are through-lines across the range. Thick, impact-oriented edges, sintered bases that take wax well, and rubber damping in key zones help skis stay quiet at speed and survive seasons of abuse. Rocker-camber-rocker profiles are tuned by length and use case: more camber and contact length for resort drive, deeper rocker lines and tapered tips for soft-snow release. Mount points are thoughtfully chosen—center or near-center for park, more traditional for directional freeride and touring—so buyers can land on a predictable stance without fighting the ski. Boots, bindings, and compatibility Armada’s skis pair naturally with modern alpine and hybrid bindings, including models that allow efficient uphill travel and elastic downhill performance on one setup. Many riders run one-ski/one-binding quivers for travel and resort powder weeks, while park skiers opt for lighter alpine bindings with predictable release and solid elasticity for repeated switch landings. Athletes, media, and culture Armada’s team has long included influential freestylers and film leaders whose styles span urban, park, and backcountry freestyle. Pro models like the Edollo, BDog, Whitewalker, and various JJ iterations come straight from that collaboration loop: riders push lines in the streets or high alpine; product teams translate those needs into shape, flex, and construction tweaks; films and seasonal edits close the loop with proof on snow. The brand’s YouTube and social channels showcase this process with product walk-throughs, team movies, and behind-the-scenes clips that keep skiers connected to the why behind each ski. How to choose Resort-first skiers who split time between groomers, trees, and park will feel at home on ARV/ARW models sized to nose-eye height for agility; add length for stability if your speed runs high. Powder-minded riders who value playful line choice should look to JJ-style shapes for float and drift. Directional chargers who want bite on wind-buff and firm afternoons should target the all-mountain/freeride family with a slightly rearward mount. For touring, match waist width to your snowpack: narrower, lighter for big vert and spring missions; mid-fat for mid-winter soft snow with enough backbone for refrozen exits. Yes—Armada maintains an active YouTube presence, signature pro models tied to its athletes, and ongoing collaborations with film crews. The brand’s evolution from core freeski upstart to full-line manufacturer never abandoned its central idea: skis should be built around the way skiers actually ride.
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