Nelson freeride skier Trace Cooke is hosting a celebration of winter with a special Capitol screening of Matchstick Productions’ Fade to Winter on Dec. 11. The 20-year-old athlete is raising funds that will go towards him attending the Freeride World Tour.
“I’ve looked up to those riders my whole life,” the 20-year-old told the Star, while describing the film. “I’ve always wanted to be a Matchstick rider. They make it look so easy, and their tricks are next level stuff I dream about doing.”
That includes a triple cork with spin and grab—as demonstrated by skier Bobby Brown—as well as an inverted 720 with a grab off a 70-foot cliff. Cooke said the film will also feature a fair amount of urban riding, with skiers grinding along sidewalks and jumping on and off railings.
“I’m at a level competitively where I can’t go any higher,” said Cooke. “So that extra step will be doing competitions and then incorporating a film segment into my career. It’s my dream to see myself on the big screen in one of those movies.”
That dreams isn’t far off, and he’s already appeared in a number of ski-related film projects.
“I’m really, really close,” he said.
Cooke said he’s turning his nervousness into “stoke” for the upcoming competition in Andorra, which he leaves for in early January. He’s one of two Canadian men who qualified for the competition, and the funds raised will pay for his travel and accommodations.
“I’m so thankful,” Cooke said. He recently completed a $3,500 crowd-funder, and he’s been amazed at the generosity of the community. He’s especially thankful to his sponsor, Whitewater Ski Resort.
“I want to give back to Whitewater because they’ve been supporting me at that resort since I was two years old. It was the most joyful part of my life when my Dad brought me up there.”
After the 7 p.m. screening on Dec. 11, there will be an afterparty at the Adventure Hotel attended by Cooke, his sister Haley and other Freeride competitors.
Organizer David Ritchie said the film features footage from B.C., Japan, Iceland and Vermont, among other places. It’s a follow up to last year’s film Days of My Youth.
“This year’s movie is about fun. It’s a celebration of winter. It doesn’t matter if you’re a professional like Trace or still in ski school, you can still go out there and have the same level of enjoyment.”