Genius or Absurd? Sam Pilgrim Attaches Wheels to Skis and Goes “Urban Skiing”

Originally posted on Powder | By Izzy Lidsky | Last updated Aug 5, 2025 5:58 PM ET

We all get a bit desperate and unhinged waiting for ski season to roll around in the heat of summer, even pro mountain bikers, apparently. Sam Pilgrim, known mostly for his mountain biking antics, decided to experiment with ways to ski despite there being no snow on the ground.

With his predisposition for wheeled crafts, it's not surprising that Pilgrim chose to drill holes through an old pair of skis and attach trolley wheels to them (which he later swapped out for skateboard wheels), so he could roll downhill in the absence of snow.

Equipped with a pair of broom handles as poles, Pilgrim takes to a grass hill, then a parking garage, and then the streets on his contraptions to do something that could only vaguely be described as "skiing."

You can watch below and keep reading for more.

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If you make it through all ten minutes of this video, you'll get to see Pilgrim trying his contraptions on steeper and steeper terrain and getting progressively more impressed with his own contraption.

While there's some amount of ingenuity and genuine excitement that has to be applauded here, it's hard not to wonder if anyone has ever told Pilgrim that something like his "invention" already exists? Nordic skiers often use literal skate skis to train in the summer, and while they might not be strapped into alpine bindings like Pilgrim, it's not far off.

Not to further rain on his parade, but there's little about Pilgrim's "urban skiing" that's actually anything at all like skiing, given the edges of his skis aren't touching the ground, let alone engaged.

But hey, there's something to be said for trying to find that magical sensation of whooshing downhill when there's no snow to be found and a little bit of fun on a budget.

Lucky for Pilgrim (or maybe not, considering he's a mountain biker?) and anyone else considering making a contraption like these, winter isn't too far away. Until then... guess he'll be... Urban skiing?

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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