Kings & Queens
Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is a skier’s paradise. It’s a place of legend—where names are forever remembered, etched into the history books through ski-bound achievements alone. Massive cliff bands, iconic peaks and a culture that’s defined by jaw-dropping moments of lore mark it as one of the most fabled locales in the skiing community. Apart from the boundless backcountry access in the Teton Range, within Jackson Hole’s resort boundaries lies one of—if not the most—well-known steep skiing lines in North America. Corbet’s Couloir is named for pioneering ski mountaineer, Barry Corbet, who noticed the small, snow-filled opening near the top of Jackson’s Rendezvous Mountain in the 1960s. Unbeknownst to Corbet, today’s skiers and riders wouldn’t just descend the line—they’d take to the air, progressing skiing in ways even most professionals didn’t think possible.
In its third year, Jackson Hole’s Kings and Queens of Corbet’s competition brought 24 of the best riders from across the globe to the iconic in-bounds run for an event that’s—hands down—the rowdiest, most unique contest in the world of winter sports. Kings and Queens of Corbet’s pits athletes against one another in a peer-judged competition that has skiers and snowboarders send massive, stomach-churning airs into the couloir. Once the athletes enter the chute and head toward the runout and the crowd, it’s up to each individual to select the most impressive line choice, utilizing a series of man-made jumps and features constructed by Jackson Hole’s terrain park crew to further enhance their score. Most skiers “billy goat” into the couloir, hopping and skirting their way into the massive line, but during the Kings and Queens competition that approach isn’t on anyone’s mind…
