“I for sure like to ride pow, but I don’t think hiking is the thing for me.” – Marcus Kleveland
How quickly Marcus Kleveland changed his tune… All he had to do was find his footing in that Japow and he was already talking about “retiring” from competitive life (down the road) to spend more time in the backcountry.
Yep, the wonderkid was STOKED.
But it didn’t start out that way. On the first walkup with powder veterans Eero Ettala and Heiki Sors, Marcus was hesitating in a way we hadn’t seen before from the flatground enthusiast.
He looked timid and even spoke as much when declaring that he wouldn’t be the first off any jumps. However, as expected, that was faaar from the case come the end of the trip when he got more comfortable with the terrain in Asahi-dake, Japan. And that is what is ultimately so cool about this edit. There are so many parts we see of these dudes ripping like there was never any learning curve and they were born this way; but that simply isn’t the case. It takes time to acclimate to new environments, and lots and lots of falls.
However, when these dudes do indeed acclimate, they’re back at home, doing what they do best.
Think he looks comfortable?
We do.
Almost TOO comfortable.
