TAHOE BASIN, Calif./Nev. – Pangea Collective is set to release four character-driven freeride films, each following a different athlete through the highs, lows, and defining moments of the 2025 Freeride World Tour season. Each film stands on its own while collectively offering a vivid portrait of skiing and snowboarding at the highest level of big-mountain freeride.
Two of the featured athletes have trained on Tahoe’s mountains, bringing a hometown connection to the global stage.
Filmed at iconic FWT venues and rooted in vérité filmmaking, the collection blends cinematic action with deeply personal storytelling. Each film delves into an athlete’s internal world — the history they bring to the mountains, the challenges they face, and the emotions that shape every decision before they drop into a face. Collectively, the films reveal the risk, creativity, resilience and raw realities of life on tour.
Director Ethan Herman brings his signature immersive storytelling to the collection, combining cinematic visuals with intimate athlete moments. The films explore injury recovery, identity, reinvention, pressure, fear and pure joy:
Ross Tester — “Comeback”
After stepping away from competition to reconnect with skiing on a personal level, Ross Tester, a Team Palisades Tahoe alum, returns for the 2025 season with renewed focus. Yet the weight of expectation shadows every decision on the snow. The film explores the emotional toll of early success and the pressure of being considered one of the most naturally talented freeriders of his generation.
Through candid interviews and raw verité moments, Comeback captures Ross wrestling with identity, purpose and the quest to rediscover joy after burnout. On the mountain, he showcases his trademark creativity — massive airs, playful features and flowing lines that feel effortless. Off the mountain, the film reveals doubt, introspection and the patient work of rebuilding confidence, offering a rare, intimate look at an athlete redefining both his career and himself.
Holden Samuels — “Outlier”
Growing up on a skier-only freeride team in Big Sky, Holden Samuels had to fight for legitimacy in a system that left little room for snowboarders. That experience shaped his stubbornness, creativity and distinctive style, qualities that have made him one of the most compelling young riders on the Freeride World Tour today.
Outlier delves into Holden’s journey of identity and belonging, showing how navigating difference became a source of self-confidence and expression. Through verité footage of his home mountain, intimate moments with family, and the high-pressure backdrop of the 2025 Tour, the film captures a young athlete coming into his own, confronting expectations and striving to prove that he belongs at the highest level of the sport.
Taylor Dobyns — “Redemption”
After a violent crash in Verbier ended her 2024 season, leaving her physically and emotionally shaken, Taylor Dobyns spent months rebuilding both her body and her trust in herself. Redemption captures the quiet, often unseen moments that define long recoveries: the frustration of slow progress, the fear of re-injury and the internal struggle to stay connected to her identity as an athlete.
The film reveals Taylor’s strength beyond the surface, not just her determination to return, but her honesty in admitting when she feels scared, overwhelmed or unsure. When she finally steps back into the start gate in Baqueira, the stakes are higher than ever. The film follows her cautious first run, the intense pressure of skiing after trauma and the catharsis of rediscovering confidence on snow, offering a raw and intimate look at resilience in the face of adversity.
Jonathan Penfield — “Technician”
Technician explores how Jonathan Penfield, a TahoeLab athlete, uses his analytical mind to shape his approach to freeride snowboarding. His meticulous line selection, deep snowpack analysis and methodical style set him apart in the often-chaotic world of big-mountain competition. Through quiet moments at home, forested terrain and striking on-mountain visuals, the film captures the intersection of intellect and instinct, showing how logic helps him manage fear, precision creates freedom and his scientific perspective informs every choice, from risk assessment to line selection.
Yet the story isn’t just about calculation — it’s about balance. Penfield juggles two careers and two identities, striving for peak performance on snow while maintaining a rigorous professional life off it. Technician offers an intimate look at the discipline, focus and adaptability required to excel in both worlds.
Each film in the Pangea FWT collection will be available for free on the Pangea Collective YouTube channel, with the full series accessible ahead of the 2026 Freeride World Tour season opener in Baqueira-Beret on Jan. 16, 2026.
Release schedule
- Dec. 12, 2025 — Ross Tester: Comeback
- Dec. 19, 2025 — Holden Samuels: Outlier
- Jan. 2, 2026 — Taylor Dobyns: Redemption
- Jan. 9, 2026 — Jonathan Penfield: Technician
For screeners or more information, contact Pangea Collective at ethan@pangea-collective.com or visit www.pangea-collective.com.
