Chris Benchetler

Chris Benchetler born November 13, 1986is an American artist, filmmaker, and professional freeskier from Mammoth Lakes, California. Voted the second most popular male skier in Powder Magazine’s 2019 Reader Poll, he’s been called one of the most prolific and artistic skiers in the game.
 
A co-founding member (alongside Eric Pollard, Pep Fujas, and Andy Mahre) of the film company Nimbus Independent, Benchetler has also starred in ski movies from companies like Warren Miller Entertainment, Flagship Independent, GoPro, Teton Gravity Research, MSP Films, Poor Boyz Productions, and Sweetgrass Productions. 
 
Benchetler’s collaboration with the Grateful Dead resulted in a 2019 film he produced, called “Fire on the Mountain” narrated by Hall Of Fame Basketball player Bill Walton and paired with custom artwork for a limited edition Grateful Dead vinyl LP of the film’s soundtrack, a book, as well as product designs for companies like Atomic, Dakine, and Smartwool.
As an artist, his partnership with muralist Skye Walker has resulted in many large-scale murals on the sides of buildings, lodges, vans, and other structures. In 2019, he collaborated with New York-based artist Todd DiCiurcio and held a show at the World Of McIntosh Experience Center in New York.
 
Benchetler was born in Bishop, California. He grew up skiing Mammoth Mountain from a young age and began to compete in slopestyle contests. Benchetler got his first ski sponsor when he was 14. His father, who had immigrated to America as a child from Budapest during the Hungarian Revolution, died of lung cancer when Chris was 16. Benchetler appeared in his first ski movie, from Poor Boyz Productions, when he was just a teenager.
 
When he was 16, Benchetler met Kimmy Fasani, then 19, who would go on to become a professional snowboarder. The two married in 2011 and welcomed their first son in 2018.
 
• 2019: “Fire on the Mountain” award-winning film at Coast Film Festival. Airing on ESPN prime time and ABC. Nominated for Best Post Production and Best Cinematography at Powder Awards
• 2019: Gold Medal, X Games Zoom Photography contest
• 2019: Second place, Men’s Powder Poll, Powder Awards
• 2017: Third place, Men’s Powder Poll, Powder Award
• 2008: Co-founded Nimbus Independent 
• 2008: Powder Photo Annual, cover image and photo of the year
• 2008: Award-winning pro-model ski with Atomic, called the Bent Chetler, first debuts
• 2020: Flagship Independent, Unraveling
• 2019: Flagship Independent, Fire on the Mountain
• 2019: Red Bull, Originate series
• 2018: Flagship Independent, 10 Years of the Atomic Bent Chetler
• 2017: GoPro, Chasing AdVANture
• 2016: GoPro, Chasing El Niño
• 2015: GoPro, The Search For Perfection 
• 2015: Nimbus Independent, After the Sky Falls
• 2015: Warren Miller Entertainment, Chasing Shadows
• 2014: Sweetgrass Productions, Afterglow
• 2013: ESPN Real Ski Backcountry Finalist
• 2012: TGR, The Dream Factory
• 2011: TGR, One For the Road
• 2009: Nimbus Independent, Contrast, plus closing segment
• 2008: Nimbus Independent, Hunting Yeti
• 2008: Poor Boyz, Reasons, plus opening segment• 2007: Warren Miller Entertainment, Dynasty• 2007: Poor Boyz, Idea
• 2007: Poor Boyz, Yeah Dude, plus closing segment
• 2007: Warren Miller Entertainment, Playground
• 2006: Poor Boyz, Ski Porn
• 2005: Poor Boyz, War
• 2005: MSP, Hit List, plus closing segment
• 2004: Poor Boyz, Ten 
Category:1986 births
Category:American artists
Category:American freeskiers