The Art of Making Waves

Xtreme—that’s the name of the mindblowing event synonymous with the dizzying ballet of the world’s best freeriders. But here’s the twist: this thrilling competition has surprising aquatic roots. It all began with a passion for surfing, which in 1991 sparked a wild ideas in the minds of Nicolas Hale-Woods and Philippe Buttet: to found the Swiss Surfing Association in a land without waves or swell—a feat that no nation without access to sea had ever attempted. "We did it for fun, thinking that if the Jamaicans could form a bobsleigh team to qualify for the Olympics, why couldn’t we?" At the same time, with their new production company, they set out to make a film showcasing the parallels between surfing on water and on snow. Their decision to tackle the daunting north face of the Bec des Rosses with a camera on their shoulders would ignite the unfolding of an incredible story.