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Eli’s Soul Quest: World Cup Champion Skier Searches for Life After Competition

Eli Garritzon conquered the Freeride World Tour, and then the elite freestyle skier went soul searching to find where her skiing could take her next.
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She won the Freeride World Tour in 2021 after 7 years of chasing that top spot on the podium. But Elisabeth “Eli” Gerritzen didn’t feel fulfilled by competition. The 29-year-old Faction-sponsored Swiss skier is a self-described “anti-systems person,” and sports competitions are very systematic. So, after winning the most elite freestyle skiing event in the world, she went on a soul quest to find her next step.

Gerritzen is a unique individual. She hails from the slopes of Verbier, and when she isn’t skiing, she’s pursuing a master’s degree in International Relations in Geneva. She clearly has an activist mind and wants to use her platform as a pro skier — even though “Sport isn’t supposed to be political,” she said.

Faction’s portrait short film about Gerritzen, titled Unfiltered, not only showcases this rad woman’s insane talent on the slopes but also gives us a peek into who she is and what she stands for. And she looks like an awful lot of fun. Check out her Instagram page to learn more about her skiing exploits.

Runtime: 13:50

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