Mallory Duncan: Redefining Skiing Through Jazz and Creative Freedom
Mallory Duncan, a professional skier, award-winning filmmaker, entrepreneur, and saxophonist, has embraced a unique perspective on his place in the ski industry. "I've come to accept that I don't always fit into the ski industry," says Duncan, who resides in Portland and values city life, music, and integrating art into his work. He believes that diverse experiences fuel his creativity across all endeavors.
From Olympic Dreams to Soulful Exploration
Growing up in the Hayward Hills near Oakland, California, Duncan led a hybrid childhood. Weekdays involved school antics, while weekends at Alpine Meadows ski resort were for cliff jumps and powder skiing with friends. Sundays featured dinners at his grandfather's house, football, and jazz. Initially aiming for Olympic gold, Duncan's ambitions shifted as he sought deeper meaning in skiing.
He learned to ski at 18 months and joined the Alpine Meadows development program at eight, eventually earning a scholarship to Sugar Bowl Academy. By 13, he was the second-ranked skier in his division. However, the regimented life of competitive skiing felt stifling, and after not making the US Ski Team at the University of Vermont, he stepped away from racing.
The Jazz-Skiing Connection
Duncan draws a profound link between jazz and skiing, rooted in his early exposure to a Charlie Parker album at his grandfather's. He started playing saxophone in third grade, favoring memorization over sheet music, a trait that persists today. Similarly, his return to skiing post-racing felt like "relearning how to ski"—a soulful, improvisational experience akin to jazz.
"Without gates, it felt like playing music from the soul, flowing with what felt natural," Duncan explains. He compares skiing to jazz: both are disruptive, improvisational, and offer endless opportunities for self-expression, free from rigid rules.
Breaking Barriers and Building a Creative Legacy
In 2019, Duncan signed his first ski sponsor, coinciding with a pandemic-driven surge in backcountry skiing. He also launched a creative agency focused on sales, marketing, and film projects. As one of the few Black pro skiers, Duncan emphasizes action over words, stating, "I like to be about things, not talk about them."
His award-winning short film, Blackcountry Journal, premiered in fall 2023, blending backcountry skiing with jazz to subtly showcase Black representation in skiing. "Jazz is a historically Black discipline, but by not saying that explicitly, it opened the door for more people to connect with it," he notes.
Expanding What It Means to Be a Skier
Duncan's goals have evolved from traditional achievements to personal style and creativity. He no longer seeks to be the fastest or perform the biggest tricks; instead, he aims to "look up to see art" after a backcountry line. He reflects on feeling "othered" in ski-centric spaces, driven by a desire for freedom rather than conformity.
"I'm trying to expand what it means to be a skier so others can have that," Duncan says, highlighting his mission to redefine the sport through inclusivity and artistic expression.
