Photo courtesy David Reddick, Powder

Most action sports stars make room for filmmaking. They take the time to create online video segments or full-length feature films that showcase their talents, and in turn these edits help popularize and progress their sports. But one action sports star, Clayton Vila, feels that the professionals in his sport, skiing, put undue emphasis on competitions, and virtually ignore filmmaking, which in turn is damaging the sport.

In a rather in-depth op-ed for Powder magazine, he writes:

Competition skiing is sick, but as a result of the mass of skiers trying to impress the same judges following the same score book, everyone is going to ski in the same manner if they want to win. This is turning a sport that used to be about freedom of expression into a sport of robotic calculation. Competition skiing is getting more and more stale every year. It’s often difficult to distinguish one skier from the other these days.

“That is a huge reason why I don’t compete,” says Level 1 film skier Parker White. “My style of skiing doesn’t fit into that mold that X and Dew have created. Not only do I not fit, I also don’t agree that the style of skiing that has become so popularly commended is necessarily better.”

Think Vila is right and want to read more about what he says? Click here to get the full Powder story.