The LINE Traveling Circus Returns for Its 18th Season

In the past two or so decades, skiing has changed a lot. There’s new equipment, new pros, and new trends. The mountains feel busier. You can now visit 50-plus ski resorts for the price of a single season pass—a concept that might make the brains of skiers from the 1980s melt. Hallowed institutions have crumbled. Everyone seems to engage with skiing mostly on social media.

Somehow, though, amidst these tectonic shifts, the Traveling Circus still exists. I grew up watching it. And despite all this “getting old” business, I still watch it, more than a decade later.

That consistency’s rare. It’s also a special testament to the crew behind the Traveling Circus. You could dream up a fresh take on the skiing webisode format, but why shelve something that, over the years, has been honed to perfection? You shouldn’t, if you can.

To those unfamiliar, the Traveling Circus was launched by LINE skiers Well Wesson and Andy Parry.

Fresh out of college, the two friends decided that they weren't ready to stop being ski bums. So they lobbied LINE to help them create the pilot for a roving web series, and the brand signed off. Since then, the crew acquired a now-iconic yellow van emblematic of the Traveling Circus spirit.

While most everyone featured in the Traveling Circus is ripping skiers, the home video, almost-documentary approach makes the on-screen action feel more attainable. 

Your average skier might see a helicopter skiing segment and think, “Yeah, that was really rad.” After an episode of the Traveling Circus, though, the mountains feel closer. All you need, really, is a few friends and a destination. Once that’s sorted, everything else will fall into place.