All Images: Erik Olson | Skier: Will Wesson | Location: Mountain Creek Resort
Of all the illustrious events in the world of freeskiing, few can hold a candle to the brilliant party that transpires on the Tell A Friend Tour. Led by the one and only Andy Parry, TAFT has been a freeski staple for 13 years. This year, FREESKIER has joined forces with Parry and partners to bring you every aspect of the event.
TAFT sets itself apart by shining a spotlight on the freeski culture that exists in the Midwest, Northeast and Northwest pockets of the U.S. and Canada. Parry and a rotating roster of pro riders bring plenty of pizza, giveaways and more to each stop, ensuring that there’s never a dull part of the day.
Skiers of all levels are welcome and encouraged to stop by. If this is your first year on skis, this is the perfect opportunity to get a proper welcome to the freeski community, make new friends in the sport and get inspired for the season ahead. Or perhaps you’ve been greasing rails since you were ten. In that case, this is the best time to ride with your favorite pros and talk shop with like-minded riders.
But don’t just take our word for it. We hit up Parry himself to get a few words on what the Tour is all about and what makes it so successful year after year.
Thanks for talking, Andy. We’re stoked for the 2025 Tell A Friend Tour! How many years have you been running TAFT? What was the inspiration? Why keep it going?
This is our 13th year doing the tour. Honestly, the inspiration was born out of a need—a need for community in freeskiing that doesn’t involve a coach, a start gate, dues to pay, a special roped-off course or someone telling you what to do. There’s plenty of that in the industry, and there just needs to be something different. This is an event that allows people to come together and to love skiing in their own way. I keep [TAFT] going because I love it, and because it needs to keep going. Not just for me but for the health and growth of our community.
What’s your favorite feature you’ve ever seen a park crew build while on the tour?
It’s hard to say because we have done well over 200 events and the park crews are always bringing something new to the table, but last year Alpine Valley, WI made a really cool quad kink rail that stole the show.
Why should a young ripper come out for the day?
We have free pizza and gear! It’s also a cool opportunity to meet new people or to just shred around with friends. If you aren’t a local it’s a good excuse to get out to another resort, and if you are a local with a pass it’s 100% free.
Part of what makes TAFT so awesome are the pros that swing through each stop. Who can people expect to ski with this year?
Right now we have… Will Wesson, Kale Simperman, Simeon Glas, Kevin Merchant, Bennie Osnow and myself. We always end up with more people tagging along so the full list is unknown. It’s usually made up of members of the LINE Skis team, but you never know who might show up.
What’s the best part of today’s freeski culture as you see it today?
I think we are in a new Golden Age of media. There so many crews producing really incredible stuff. It’s cool watching a film with people I have never heard of doing absolutely insane tricks, and it wasn’t always like that. The level of talent has grown both in terms of the caliber of skiing and of smaller productions. I also like what Jib League is doing. It’s refreshing to see competition skiers pushing outside the status quo and making something that’s unique and fun to watch. Skiing is growing in a lot of great ways, and that doesn’t always get talked about.
