Owen Leeper on How He Lands 100 Foot Cliffs

Leeper first arrived in Jackson in 2013. Before that, as a University of Colorado student, he competed in the halfpipe and slopestyle circuit. But the allure of the big mountains proved too difficult to ignore, and Jackson, with its combined backcountry and resort access, became his next home.

Since then, Leeper’s put on a freeride clinic with his self-produced seasonal video offerings that, without fail, include drops that fall somewhere in the middle of the “skiing” and “skydiving” spectrum. Here, the margin for error is, unsurprisingly, thin. But Leeper clearly does his homework—otherwise, he couldn't continue making it out of the mountains in one piece. Fellow cliff-hucker Julian Carr calls him the “cyborg” because of his cold and calculated approach to pulse-spiking lines.

To learn a bit more about Leeper’s latest edit—and what else is new in his life—we shot him an email.

Of all the lines you skied last season, which one stands out from the rest? How come?

"So many of the lines in the edit are classic Jackson lines, but the huge cliff I hit was the highlight of my Jackson season. I only get the chance to hit the big ones every couple of years and the rush is amazing. My favorite trip of the season, not in the video, but we skied around in Austria, explored lines in Norway and even got a few runs in Iceland, which were all bucket list locations."

What's your process for tackling enormous cliffs? How do you ensure that you stay safe?

"The most important part is the landing, I probe the landing before storms and make sure the snow is deep enough right where I am going to land. A rock or hard layer in the snow can mean the difference between skiing away and the hospital."

As a professional skier, you've leaned heavily into the self-publishing content route on YouTube. What are some of the benefits and challenges of putting out all your content on your own? Do you edit all your videos yourself?

"By filming all my content and self-producing, I own my content. I've shot with other companies before and they end up with all the rights to it, and if it doesn't make the movie, sometimes I never even get to see it, let alone use it. I found posting content and providing it to sponsors throughout the season is more beneficial for both of us. It is a lot of work, and you have to put in the time, but I enjoy editing my videos and reliving the moments when I go through all the footage. What I love the most is that I am in full control of where I get to ski and when."

This is a less-skiing specific question, but I noticed that the first song in your video sounds like it's a Jackson Hole-themed rock song. What's the deal there?

"Ha, yes, I spent hours looking for licensable music to use in my video, and after almost giving up, I decided to try out AI music. I thought the lyrics and beat were pretty good, and something different so I decided to try it out. Finding music is the first thing I want to sub out for making videos, so if anyone wants the job, send me a DM."

What are your plans for this upcoming season? More skiing at Jackson Hole? Any trips on the docket?

"Big changes this winter, we are expecting our first baby in December, so I will likely" be spending most of my time around Jackson with short trips chasing storms.

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