Born to Ride
Mountains
"To really understand who Carter is — where he comes from, what drives him, and why the mountains matter — watch his story."
Watch the Film →Carter Durlacher is 17 years old, from Whistler, BC, and already one of the most compelling young freeriders in North America. In 2026 he swept three consecutive IFSA Jr National 3-star events — Kicking Horse, Lake Louise, and Whistler — and finished #2 overall in the Jr National Freeride standings across all of North and South America. Those numbers are real. But they're not who he is.
Off the hill, Carter is as much at home in the forest as he is on a mountain face. He is deeply connected to nature — not as a backdrop, but as a way of life. His brother is his best friend. His family is his foundation. He grew up in Whistler, strapped on skis well before he could read, and was touring backcountry terrain with his family by the age of seven. By 8, he was ripping around on a snowmobile.
And since he was eight years old, he has also been showing up in other ways: selling at artisan fairs, running passion projects, building something from scratch. At fifteen he added a new hustle — heading into the bush, dropping trees, hauling cords of firewood, cutting, splitting, and delivering every stick himself. Now at seventeen, he scales that hustle around after-school hours — pouring everything into summer and fall so that when winter arrives, he can give himself to the mountains completely.
That kind of work ethic isn't something you teach a kid. It's character — deeply ingrained, entirely his own. All of it traces back to the same north star: doing what he loves. Funding his passions. Staying well-equipped. Keeping himself outside, in the mountains, in the environments that make him who he is.
Carter lives by a quiet set of values — peace, kindness, mental and physical wellbeing, and being true to himself. Skiing isn't what he does to chase trophies. It's how he expresses who he already is.
At 14, he decided to see what it was like to compete on the IFSA Junior Tour — and posted standout results immediately, finishing 2nd overall on the entire tour in the U15 category in his very first full season, a result that signalled something special. He carried that momentum into the U19 ranks and continued to do what he loves to do. Ski for fun!
His skiing blends technical precision with raw mountain intuition — built over a lifetime in the Coast Mountains and honed across every slope, chute, and line in his own backyard.
Carter's talent caught the attention of the world's top outdoor brands early. Selected to the GoPro Athlete Team at just 15 years old — one of only 70 chosen globally — he has also had the privilege to partner with Oakley and Armada, as well as Cast Touring and the Whistler Old School Initiative, and he works hard to represent and continue to grow strong partnerships with each of his sponsors. He has also been featured in internationally published ski magazines, including Ski & Snow New Zealand, and has been sought out to work with several well-known filmmakers and photographers.
"To really understand who Carter is — where he comes from, what drives him, and why the mountains matter — watch his story."
Watch the Film →