The first time I met Erin Spong was at a ski test where she was sporting a bulky, bright green bandage that covered the entirety of her thumb. When I asked what had happened, she told me she’d gotten it stuck in a Pivot binding in the parking lot and almost taken half her thumb off. The very same week, I watched her ski a steep, mogul-y couloir on a carving ski with a 13 meter turn radius, and it’s still one of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen.
Our friendship really blossomed months later as I passed through the little Idaho town she calls home, and stopped to grab a quick coffee with her and catch up. A quick coffee stop turned into three hours and now two years of friendship.
What I had learned about Erin while watching her wrangle ski testers, media, and somehow still finding time to ski laps all day, all with only one working opposable thumb, held true the more I got to know her and is exemplified in her new film, Consonance.
Erin is as hard-charging and driven on skis as she is thoughtful, creative, and visionary in all of her pursuits. Consonance takes more of an experimental approach than the typical ski film formula.
Meaning “harmony or agreement among components,” Consonance uses compelling editing and music to showcase the relationship between movement, breath, and skiing. Filmed by Sara Robbins alongside Iz La Motte, who also edited the film, is now available to watch on YouTube or below.
Keep reading to learn more about the film in a Q&A with Spong. Tap or click to watch below.
What was the initial inspiration for Consonance?
I really wanted to make something that was abstract and diverted a bit from the typical ski film. I didn’t want to talk at all but I still wanted to convey a message—that being a connection between breath and movement. In the dictionary, the definition of consonance is agreement or harmony among components, as well as the recurrence of sounds. I brought the abstract concept to Iz and Sarah and they saw my vision. I’m very grateful to them for honoring the initial concept and seeing it through.
You’re a ski industry Swiss army knife—athlete, writer, etc—how have your many perspectives of the industry influenced or inspired the film projects you’ve made?
Because I’m always writing about skiing, I tend to see just about every piece of ski content that’s out there. I see where personality and creativity shine and I take note of what gets me personally excited. There will always be a place for traditional storytelling as well as banger ski porn edits, but those aren’t the only two boxes in which to create from.
Given the theme of Consonance, can you talk about how movement as a whole impacts your day to day as both an athlete and human being?
It’s something we all do whether we’re paying attention or not, and it’s one of the most underrated tools we all have in our toolbox. I try to meditate everyday and a way that I do that is by concentrating on my breath. Noticing every inhale and exhale centers me, brings me back to the present moment, and there’s no better time to utilize that skill than on top of a ski line.
Photo: Sara Beam Robbins
Did you have a specific experience or motivation that brought you to a breath work practice, or to diversify the ways you move from skiing?
I found a breath work & movement practice after my first hip surgery when I was a teenager. I was lured in by the physical benefits—strength, mobility, flexibility—but I stayed for the intangible aspects of the practice that have benefited my mental health. Other than skiing, that practice is where I am the most present in life, completely lost in the flow.
Are there other films and/or skiers that you grew up looking up to and finding inspiration in? What about skiers that you draw inspiration from now, if it’s changed?
I grew up a ski racer in Minnesota and I am a little embarrassed to say that I didn’t really even realize freeride skiing was a thing until I quit racing in college. I knew ski racing and park skiing, I didn’t know anything about backcountry or big mountain until I watched McConkey like my junior year of college.
Once I saw that, I realized how much more there was to the sport and dove head-first into Ingrid Backstrom edits, Angel Collinson, Michelle Parker—all charging skiers. I still love watching fast, aggressive skiing, especially from Caite Zeliff, but I also love watching girls like Piper Kunst and Manon Loschi combine creativity and tricks with their technically sound skiing. I feel like I draw inspiration from it all, I love watching it all.
Do you have anything in the works for this upcoming season you’re particularly excited about?
There is another project in the making, I’m honestly not sure how much I should or should not say about it [laughs]. Working with a couple Nordica teammates, Lucy Sackbauer and Nat Segal. Really looking forward to learning from two industry veterans.
Anything else you want to add about the film or skiing as a whole?
Just so grateful for the support! Thank you to Nordica and Mountain Hardwear, Iz and Sara. It’s a dream to be able to make art and call it skiing.
Related: Colby Stevenson & Co. Chat About His Mind-Melting Solo Project ‘Proof’
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