Born and raised in Mammoth Lakes, Chris Benchetler has spent nearly his entire life on snow. Now he’s bringing his unique personality to a new Signature Series from Dakine.
Starting with the alpine team, he cut his teeth on ice, pushing himself on the racecourse between blue & red gates. Years later, Benchetler started to look beyond the GS course, heading out to the terrain park to further explore both his skills and the mountain’s more adventurous terrain.
His unique style and ingenuity quickly emerged onto the freeskiing competition scene and led to appearances on the sport’s biggest stages, from the X Games to the U.S. Open.
Making the leap from amateur to professional at age 15, the continued progression and evolution of his skiing has led him to become one of the world’s most prolific backcountry skiers for over two decades, He is now one of the sports most recognized, prolific and artistic skiers in the game, both on and off the snow.
With his friends’ crew (E.Pollard, P.Fujas and co.) Chris has travelled the globe, filming segments for companies leading in the freeski business, he appeared in his first ski movie, from Poor Boyz Productions, when he was just a teenager.
With years spent in front of the lens, they started their own production company, launching Nimbus Independent. Several films later, this experience provided the perfect segue into the artistic world. Through art, Chris has dedicated his time and energy to the craft of translating his perspectives as a professional freeskier athlete to the design and creation of mixed mediums.
Combining talent with performance, Chris has developed some of the most sought-after products in ski, working with some of the biggest brands in the outdoor sports & lifestyle category.
A Dakine athlete for many years, he has now created a new, bespoke product collection of signature mitts and packs. The result is iconic designs that are unique, like him, and products built to meet the needs of the best and most demanding freeskiers. The focus is to create a true collaboration with the brand and Chris to create products reflecting his personality.
“I always draw inspiration from my roots, mountain and coastal influence, and the continual journey of deeper consciousness through the connection to the natural world…”
