Chris Benchetler’s Latest Arc’teryx Drop Honors the Grateful Dead’s 60th Anniversary
Skier and artist Chris Benchetler is back with another collaboration with his creative muse, the Grateful Dead. In partnership with the band and his outerwear sponsor Arc’teryx, he’s released a limited edition jacket.
In a social media post, Benchetler wrote that the Grateful Dead have “deeply inspired” his pursuits. That includes Mountains of the Moon, a forthcoming film project set to the band’s music. Arc’teryx, meanwhile, has been Benchetler’s partner on video and design projects for the past few years.
“Bringing these worlds together felt not only natural, but inevitable,” he continued. Check out Benchetler wearing the jacket in the Instagram post below. Tap or click the arrow to the right to progress through the slides.
The 2026 POWDER Photo Annual is here! Look for a print copy on a newsstand near you, or click here to have a copy shipped directly to your front door.
The collaborative jacket is Arc’teryx’s Sabre model, a shell the brand designed for freeride skiers and snowboarders. It costs $900 and comes in black with a shoulder and breast insignia celebrating the Grateful Dead’s 60th anniversary that Benchetler designed.
“Look forward to seeing it out in the wild,” he wrote at the end of his post.
It’s not the only Arc’teryx jacket featuring Benchetler’s art. The skier and brand also worked together on another Sabre line commemorating the release of Mountains of the Moon. The pants and jacket are trippier than the 60th anniversary coat, with Benchetler’s linework appearing on the hood, shoulders, and pockets.
Check it out below.
Elsewhere, you can find Benchetler’s stamp on Atomic’s titular Bent collection, a series of surfy skis that range in waist width from 85mm to 120mm. Throw in a pair of the Dragon RVX MAG IR Benchetler Goggles, and you could, hypothetically, rock head-to-toe Benchetler gear. The skier’s artwork has even made its way outside of snowsports, gracing the mountain bike of freerider Carson Storch and appearing in the Las Vegas Sphere.
All told, the slew of collaborations makes Benchetler one of skiing’s most visible artists. Anywhere you go in the mountains, you’re bound to catch his handiwork on topsheets or ski coats. When Mountains of the Moon releases online, that ubiquity will probably go further—one member of the POWDER staff has already seen the movie and said it was incredible.
Leave a Reply