Let’s admit it, if you’ve ever ridden a chairlift up through Avoriaz in the Portes du Soleil ski area and gazed down on the slanted rooftops covered in perfect, untouched powder… You may have licked your lips and thought ‘I wish I could ski that.’
And that is exactly what Red Bull speedrider Valentin Delluc managed to achieve during the quiet, locked down hours in the empty ski resort in France. The incredible feat was only made possible due to the chair lifts being closed and very few bodies on the ground.
Valentin Delluc speedrides inbetween buildings in Avoriaz, France on March 20, 2021 // Oliver Godbold / Red Bull Content Pool
There were many other technical challenges too for the freeriding legend – the weather conditions had to be almost perfect with no surprise updrafts of wind that would throw him off course.
The team also needed lengthy agreements and authorisations from the building and infrastructure owners across Avoriaz for Delluc to touch his skis on roofs, as well as building kickers and ramps across the village.
But the result is fantastic! The dream-like quality of the stunt ignites our childhood fantasies of scaling tall buildings and performing gravity-defying jumps and turns. The opportunity to capture content like this won’t be there forever as the end of the coronavirus pandemic appears to be in sight, and the now-empty resorts like Avoriaz will soon be bustling with activity once more.
Valentin Delluc speedrides on rooftop in Avoriaz, France on March 23, 2021 // Oliver Godbold / Red Bull Content Pool
Featured Image © Valentin Delluc / Red Bull Content Pool