When the COVID-19 lockdown hit Elias Elhardt’s adopted hometown of Innsbruck, Austria on March 16, 2020, it was swift and uncompromising. Citizens were only allowed outside under strict circumstances, with police quickly handing out 17,000 tickets to rule-breakers. In the weeks prior to the lockdown, Elias’ career was entering what rock critics like to call the “imperial phase,” that glorious, golden period when every project comes to critical and creative fruition at the right time. Now, he’s had to slow down and reflect. 

But that’s OK with Elias—as something of an anomaly in the snowboard world, Elias likes to question how his on-mountain pursuits relate to broader cultural intricacies. For Elias, there’s much more to snowboarding than what happens on the hill… 

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“Elias has endless energy and a pure love for snowboarding. He’s someone that pushes you to keep up all the time. To be there, to share those moments and follow those paths that will take you where you want to go. Sometimes they’ll be experienced far off in the backcountry, other times right in front of your window, as seen here at Positivity Camp at Val Formazza, Italy.” Photo: Carlos Blanchard