Alta’s Terrain Pushes Two Freeride Skiers to the Limit in Exciting SLVSH Match

If you ever needed a reminder to visit Alta Ski Area, Utah, let this be it.

Last April, freeride skiers Ross Tester and Tristen Lilly faced off in an all-mountain game of SLVSH at Alta, fighting for the win as they made ample use of the resort’s natural jumps and cliffs.

Both skiers came into the casual competition with plenty of bona fides. 

If you’re a Freeride World Tour fan, Tester is a name you’ll recognize. He’s put down more than a few memorable lines on the circuit and finished sixth overall last season.

Lilly isn’t quite as well known, but you may have seen his showstopping trick—a wild hand drag cork 720—at the Kings & Queens of Corbet’s competition in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

In short, these guys know what they’re doing on skis and, to cite a meme that’s so tired it might not even be a meme anymore, they know how to make the whole mountain their playground.

Grab a seat, pour your favorite drink, and lock in. Here’s the game.

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What Is SLVSH?

Ever played HORSE? What about SKATE? If you have, you’ve basically played SLVSH. 

The game works like this. One skier chooses a trick and tries it. If their opponent can’t repeat the trick, they get a letter of SLVSH. Whoever hits five letters first loses. Additional wrinkles, like revenge letters and mulligans on the final letter, add some strategy. 

SLVSH is more than a game, though. It’s a long-running YouTube channel that’s achieved enduring popularity.

Highly technical World Cup slopestyle competitions sometimes fly over the heads of the average ski viewer. SLVSH, with its basic but exciting premise, is easier to follow. Plus, it sets the stage for some incredible photo finishes as skiers fight to avoid getting hit with the final letter.

While most of the series’ matches are in the terrain park, occasional all-mountain games—like this one at Alta—mix things up. Here, a slightly different set of skills is required.

Instead of manicured park jumps, skiers face undulating terrain, sometimes shoddy take-offs, and cliffs—to some SLVSH fans, that makes for a more interesting game. 

Whichever you prefer, though, one thing is clear: the match-up between Tester and Lilly is one of the better ways to spend 20 minutes. It might also serve as some inspiration for the coming season, depending on how rowdy you plan to get.

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