2010: Jake Blauvelt was raised on the icy slopes of Vermont, USA. From a young age, Jake learned to use his board’s edges in the rock-hard pipes of the east—a fundamental skill that, over the years he’s developed to become one of the most fluid and controlled young pros of the new generation. Barely out of his teens, Jake tired of the pipe and slopestyle contest formats and sought out the freedom of powder and exploring the mountains. He just wanted to ride and film, and so he did—blending his technical freestyle abilities with the natural forms of the backcountry environment. In 2008 Jake shook things up by changing sponsors and moving up to the Pacific Northwest—to be closer to the legendary Mount Baker, Washington. Here Jake has sharpened his focused on dissecting natural terrain and gaining skill in all aspects of backcountry riding. Filming for NowHere this year was his first season with the Absinthe crew and for Jake it was a dream come true. He went to Alaska for the first time with Gigi Rüf and he explored the depths of Chatter Creek, B.C. with Nicolas Müller. Jake calls Absinthe “the real deal,” and is already looking forward to the next adventure.