Logo
    Show
    Hide
    Login
    Close

    SITE LOGIN

    • Forgot your password?

    ROUTES LOGIN HERE

    Register

    Backcountry Skiing Guides
    • REVIEWS
      • Ski Gear
        • Skis
        • Boots
        • Bindings
        • Climbing Skins
        • Poles
        • Snowboards
      • Clothing
        • Hard Shells
        • Soft Shells
        • Insulation
        • Mid Layers
        • Base Layers
        • Gloves
        • Socks
      • Accessories
        • Safety Gear
        • Goggles and Helmets
        • Ski Touring Packs
        • Ski Boxes and Bags
        • Sleeping Bags - 4 Season
        • Technology
        • Sunglasses
        • Insoles & Braces
        • Books
      • Off-Season Gear
        • Hiking
          • Rain Shells
          • Day Packs
          • Apparel
          • Footwear
          • Safety
        • Camping
          • Backpacks
          • Sleeping Bags
          • Sleeping Pads
          • Tents
          • Coolers / Cooking
          • Furniture / Storage
          • Lighting / Power
        • Biking
        • Paddling
        • Climbing
        • Mountaineering
        • Running
      • Lifestyle
      • Lodges and Accommodation
      • Nutrition
      • Manufacturers
      • Destinations
      • Training
      • Gear of the Year
      • Pro Skier Interviews
    • FORUMS
    • STORE
      • Guides & Maps
      • Gear Deals
        • Alpine Touring Boots
        • Backcountry Skis
        • Alpine Touring Bindings
        • Backcountry Accessories
        • Off-Season Gear
        • Climbing Skins
    • ROUTES
      • Coast Mountains
        • Callaghan Valley
        • Coquihalla Highway
        • Cypress Provincial Park
        • Duffey Lake
        • Elfin Lakes Squamish
        • Howson Range
        • Shames Mountain
        • Smithers
        • Vancouver Island
        • Whistler/Blackcomb
      • Interior Mountains
        • Bonningtons Traverse
          • Copper Hut Routes
          • Grassy Hut Routes
          • Huckleberry Hut Routes
          • Steed Hut Routes
        • Goat Range
        • Kicking Horse Mountain Resort
        • Kokanee Glacier Park
        • Kootenay Pass
        • Red Mountain Resort
        • Revelstoke
        • Revelstoke Mountain Resort
        • Rossland Range
        • Rogers Pass
        • Trout Lake
        • Whitewater Ski Resort
      • Rocky Mountains
        • Banff National Park
        • Bow Yoho Traverse
        • Fernie
        • Jasper National Park
        • Kananaskis Country
        • Kootenay National Park
        • Lake Louise Ski Resort
        • Sunshine Village Ski Resort
        • Wapta Traverse
          • Balfour Hut Routes
          • Bow Hut Routes
          • Peyto Hut Routes
          • Scott Duncan Hut Routes
        • Yoho National Park
      • Quebec
      • Newfoundland
      • Ontario
      • Yukon
      • Submit A New Route
    • LODGING
      • Coast Mountains
      • Interior Mountains
      • Rocky Mountains
    • VIDEOS
      • 2018/19 Gear Reviews
      • 2017/18 Gear Reviews
      • 2016/17 Gear Reviews
      • 2015/16 Gear Reviews
      • 2014/15 Gear Reviews
      • 2013/14 Gear Reviews
      • 2012/13 Gear Reviews
      • 2011/12 Gear Reviews
      • 2019 Outdoor Retailer
      • 2018 Outdoor Retailer
      • 2017 Outdoor Presscamp
      • 2017 Outdoor Retailer
      • 2016 Outdoor Presscamp
      • 2016 Outdoor Retailer
      • 2015 SIA Show
      • 2014 Outdoor Retailer
      • 2013 SIA Show
      • 2012 Outdoor Retailer
      • Tips and Tricks
      • Backcountry Skiing
    • SAFETY
      • Plan Ahead
      • Equipment
      • Resources
      • Avalanche Skills Training
      • Managing warmth & heat loss
    • ABOUT
      • Advertise
      • Glossary
      • Contact Us
    • REVIEWS
      • Ski Gear
      • Clothing
      • Accessories
      • Off-Season Gear
      • Lifestyle
      • Lodges and Accommodation
      • Nutrition
      • Manufacturers
      • Destinations
      • Training
      • Gear of the Year
      • Pro Skier Interviews
    • FORUMS
    • STORE
      • Guides & Maps
      • Gear Deals
    • ROUTES
      • Coast Mountains
      • Interior Mountains
      • Rocky Mountains
      • Quebec
      • Newfoundland
      • Ontario
      • Yukon
      • Submit A New Route
    • LODGING
      • Coast Mountains
      • Interior Mountains
      • Rocky Mountains
    • VIDEOS
      • 2018/19 Gear Reviews
      • 2017/18 Gear Reviews
      • 2016/17 Gear Reviews
      • 2015/16 Gear Reviews
      • 2014/15 Gear Reviews
      • 2013/14 Gear Reviews
      • 2012/13 Gear Reviews
      • 2011/12 Gear Reviews
      • 2019 Outdoor Retailer
      • 2018 Outdoor Retailer
      • 2017 Outdoor Presscamp
      • 2017 Outdoor Retailer
      • 2016 Outdoor Presscamp
      • 2016 Outdoor Retailer
      • 2015 SIA Show
      • 2014 Outdoor Retailer
      • 2013 SIA Show
      • 2012 Outdoor Retailer
      • Tips and Tricks
      • Backcountry Skiing
    • SAFETY
      • Plan Ahead
      • Equipment
      • Resources
      • Avalanche Skills Training
      • Managing warmth & heat loss
    • ABOUT
      • Advertise
      • Glossary
      • Contact Us

    HOTTEST REVIEWS


    Elan Ripstick 106 Skis Fritschi Xenic 10 Bindings Arc'teryx Nuclei FL Jacket Gregory Targhee 32 Pieps Micro Transceiver Scott Freeguide Boots ZAG SLAP 104 Skis

    VIDEOS YOU'LL LIKE


    Marker Duke PT Bindings Salomon Shift Pro Boots Black Crows 2020 Skis Dalbello Quantum Boots Atomic Shift MNC Binding Scarpa F1 LT Boots New G3 2020 Poles

    NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

    Unsubscribe
    • Home
    • »
    • REVIEWS
    • »
    • Pro Skier Interviews
    • »
    • Brody Leven Interview

    Brody Leven

    Brody Leven is a 28 year old professional skier/mountaineer now based in Salt Lake City Utah. In March of 2015, Brody and the Salomon Freeski TV Team set out to film and document a photographer's goal of capturing a solitary image of a skier silhouetted by a solar eclipse. The group traveled to Svalbard Norway the only place on Earth where there was a good view of the Eclipse and a mountain with snow. The trip to Svalbard took them inside the Arctic circle during one of the coldest periods of the year possible. They experienced polar bears, extreme cold weather and even saw a period of rain caused by climate change. Brody agreed to a short interview to give us some more details about the trip.

    Brody Leven

    After the world premiere for this film there was a whirlwind of press and interviews for you, thank you for taking the time.
    No problem, happy to help.

    You grew up skiing in the Midwest and were at one point a freestyle skier, what is your focus now? 
    I am as much of an uphill skier as a down hill skier, I really enjoy a variety of ski conditions from corn, fresh snow and all the way to firm conditions. I have skied all over the world and I really just like human powered skiing. I don't need lifts or helicopters to enjoy myself. 

    The three skiers, Brody, Cody and Chris enjoy a moment with a great view of the glacier and Svalbard mountains ahead.

    Brody Leven
    SHOW THE REST OF THE INTERVIEW / PHOTOS / VIDEOS

    Or powder?
    Powder is nice of course but I am more into exploring new areas and I am comfortable in all sorts of snow. When the snow is stable it might not be as deep but you can safely ski things that wouldn't be as safe with really heavy snow loads. On the Eclipse trip the snow was very manageable in regards to stability, that's an important factor when you are climbing and skiing down large features very far away from any additional support. 

    Where is the most unique ski location you have experienced? 
    Well, I have been lucky enough to ski all over the world, the arctic, north america, south america etc but Svalbard during the Eclipse was the most unique. It was truly an amazing thing to witness in those surroundings. I doubt that I will have that experience again in my life. 

    Svalbard Base Camp.

    Brody Leven

    How long have you been an athlete with Salomon? 
    I have skied for Salomon for two years.

    As a relative newcomer to the Salomon Team how did you end up on this trip? 
    I was lucky that for this trip a few of the more experienced veterans on the Salomon Team turned down the trip idea because of the risks involved. Skiing in Svalbard with the goal of capturing people skiing during an Eclipse was a very rare experience and I decided to go because of that reason. 

    Did you have reservations about going? 
    I have skied in the Arctic before and I knew that there would be a very serious survival risk when it came to the temperatures we would experience. I also knew that the possibility of us not getting the shot was pretty high. I went because it would be something new, I had never skied during an eclipse obviously. 

    Did you feel much pressure placed on the plan succeeding? 
    Personally I didn't. Thing is, ski mountaineering/touring in Svalbard in -40F during a Solar Eclipse is a great story in of itself regardless of whether we got the photo that Reuben wanted. 

    A Shot of skiers Cody Townsend, Chris Rubens, and Brody Leven on a ridge line in Svalbard Norway during the Solar Eclipse March 2014. Shot by Photographer Reuben Krabbe.

    Brody Leven

    During the film you made a comment that you would be unsure of how you might react to a possible polar bear encounter. 
    Yeah, we did training with rifles as a precaution and also flare guns. I think that because of the fact that I am a lifelong vegetarian I would likely accept my fate if a Polar Bear did decide to try and eat me. The interesting thing about the flare gun was that the flares fire off 30 feet into the air and so the guide warned that if the bear got close and you used a flare you could cause the bear to run towards you if the flare exploded behind the bear. So after the training I decided that I probably wouldn't be using the rifle or the flare gun to protect against a polar bear attack. 

    How long were you in Svalbard? 
    We were in Svalbard for a month. We went to the Russian ghost town and then we were at Basecamp for 2 weeks on the glacier. Many of our early day were spent scouting for Eclipse locations. After the eclipse we managed to ski for another five or so days. 

    After a rewarding hike up it's time to test the Svalbard snow.

    Brody Leven

    Brody Leven hiking up a couloir in Svalbard, finally getting a chance to go ski. 

    Brody Leven

    What was something that the Eclipse film failed to show about the trip. 
    I think that it was hard to show the struggle we were all going through in regards to the temperatures and the weather. We all had to be out in extreme cold, gear was failing, the camera operators had to keep warm too. During the Eclipse itself it was -40F and we were on a ridge top for over an hour. Everyone got frost bite. Staying alive was a very real challenge. We were very prepared for the weather with our base camp but all the times out filming tested everyone. 

    Any other instances where you saw the risk involved? 
    When Sten the assistant guide flipped the snowmobile on the lake I ran out to help without even thinking really. The ice was quite thin, everyone except one other person stayed back and we both just went out to help, not really thinking about the risk of the ice breaking, we all got lucky in that situation. Had the ice broken that would have be a big problem. 

    So I noticed that you used tech fit touring bindings on the trip, is this something you always use now? 
    Yeah, I have long accepted that tech bindings are the way to go for back country use especially. I trust them for all my skiing. There are lot's of people who feel like they need more beef out of a binding for their descents, but I really think it's a head game. If you feel like you need more there are companies out there that keep putting out new heavier duty products but I don't need them myself. 

    Out on the glacier with the new Salomon MTN Explore Boot and MTN Explore skis. 

    Brody Leven

    Geared up and ready for anything with the new Salomon kit.

    Brody Leven

    Intense sun and views all around.

    Brody Leven

    Did we miss something? Are we totally out to lunch? Let us know what you think. People like/dislike gear for different reasons so chime in below and we'll get a well-rounded evaluation.

    Leave a Comment:

    Back to the rest of the reviews.

    We built this backcountry skiing community for you, the passionate skier, and hope you enjoy the hard work we put into all the reviews, routes, videos and posts we create. It’s been free from day one but that doesn’t mean it’s not a valuable resource. If you enjoy this web site and value the content we create for you, then please support Backountry Skiing Canada by donating today. Thank you!

    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

    Copyright © 2021-22 Backcountry Skiing Canada. All Rights Reserved. 

    Website by: FROLIX DESIGN