Skiers Build Terrain Park in London With Real Snow

Big Ben. The Tower Bridge. London is many things. A ski destination, however, it is not. 

That changed last weekend, when Peak Performance and its athlete, Max Palm, hosted an in-person event to launch a new outerwear line. The setting? London’s White Grounds Skatepark, with a twist: instead of skating ledges, invited skiers to hit street features thanks to 30 tons of real snow.

The day began with coaching sessions, but then, at 2:30 p.m., a crew of professionals took center stage. They had a custom six-foot-high rail feature and wall ride to play with. For speed, a motorized winch hauled them into the features.

Palm, of course, participated. He was joined by the likes of Annabelle Santerre, Ella Hall, and Paddy Graham. A DJ kept the crowd moving. After the jam session, the party moved to Hop Kingdom, an indoor bar and skatepark, for more tunes.

Here’s a look.

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It wasn’t the first time Peak Performance carted snow to London. To commemorate the opening of its first UK store, the brand hosted a rail jam in Covent Garden Piazza. Earlier this year, another brand, the long underwear company Icebreaker, held a pond skim near London’s Tower Bridge, also using real snow.

For Palm, the session at White Grounds Skatepark helped reveal his pro model outerwear with Peak Performance. The flagship pink jacket from that launch has already sold out, but if you’re in the market for some pants, those are still available. 

Palm is best known for his talents as a freeride skier—he did the first double backflip on the Freeride World Tour a few years ago—but him holding a jam session at a skatepark isn’t too far-fetched. He’s a skateboarder and previously told POWDER that he draws much of his inspiration from snowboarding. This past winter, Palm competed in the inaugural Natural Selection Tour ski event in Alaska. 

He’s also a recent recruit to Armada, the storied ski brand that associated with big names like Tanner Hall and Sammy Carlson.