ZEAL SURFER
ptor Spricenieks
Ptor grew up in Bolton, Ontario, learning to ski in his backyard ravine and the local micro ski-hill called Edelweiss. The lyrics of Neil Peart, the drummer of the iconic Canadian band Rush, were his initial education/exposure towards a 'wider' perspective on life. His second childhood was in Whistler B.C., where he moved to begin utilizing his education as an engineer to 'engineer' a lifestyle to follow his dreams as a skier in the mountains. It was in Whistler where he met his initial skiing inspirations like Trevor Peterson, Eric Pehota and Ingemar Stenmark. Then, travel adventures connected him to the greater 'ski world' and all the other inspirational people in it. In 1995, the successful and committing ski descent of the North Face of Mt. Robson crystallized his life as a skier and set the stage for pursuing his aesthetic inspirations on skis. Meeting the Kogi people in northern Colombia in 1999 was one of the most amazing things that has happened to him from skiing. Meeting Reinhold Messner in the summer of 2014 has been a highlight of his mountain journey and brought the last 20 some years back full circle. You can catch Ptor breaking trail and cutting steep and deep skin tracks in the wee hours of the backcountry morning amongst the French Alps in La Grave, France, where he now calls home. Follow Ptor's journey at [@skiherenow](https://www.instagram.com/skiherenow/). Photo cred: Mika Merikanto, Le Guillou Guillaume, Kurt Dienel and Uncle Moe
"People say you are what you eat, but I believe you also 'are what you wear.' Living sustainably isn't just about what you do, but also about what you put on your body. Wearing eco eye protection is #1 RAD, #2 benefits the planet, and #3 helps you see the world through eco lenses. Thanks ZEAL for making that possible!"
- Alison Teal
Explore More
Lost And Found In Kyrgyzstan With 40 Tribes Backcountry
This response became the standard reply from friends and colleagues about the upcoming backcountry splitboard destination of Kyrgyzstan, followed by various degrees of confusion, and incredulity.
Ptor’s Whistler Summer Vacation
Last time we visited Grandma in Whistler, we had an exceptionally cold and rainy time. Fortunately this July/August we returned for 3 weeks of some sweet summer redemption and managed to avoid the smoky days.
Paramountviso
The worst spring ever rages on and my dear old friend Colin Samuels and I finally reconnected in the mountains for yet another crucial adventure.
