Eric Iberg of Excelsior is shown at Mount Hood in Oregon in 2002 while filming his second movie, Stereotype. Photo: Philippe Larose
Eric Iberg shares his love for skiing through film and on the hills.
Minnesota and winter go hand in hand. While known for its seasonal changes, all things winter likely come to mind when thinking about this northern state. Embracing winter helps make what can seem like a never-ending season full of low temperatures and high snow piles more bearable—Excelsior’s Eric Iberg is a prime example of this tenet.
The Edina native loves skiing—always has. Iberg refers to local ski hills as his babysitters while growing up. Going from school to the slopes was a winter routine and something he looked forward to doing. Eventually, skiing is what he made his career out of, and he strives to inspire others to get involved in the sport.
In 1996, Eric Iberg takes to the air at Hyland Hills Ski Area in Bloomington.
Iberg is co-founder of Armada Skis, a company with a mission “to support the pioneering athletes and build the products that would redefine skiing,” according to its website. He is also a co-founder of Inspired brands, which include music and video production, and is working to organize Midwest ski events for youth. “I’m working with the governing body that oversees youth development for freestyle skiing,” he says. “My goal is to bring the best in the skiing industry to come meet these kids.”
Iberg knows firsthand the possibilities that exist in the professional world of skiing. Growing up, he loved the sport but ultimately saw a future in baseball. He left Minnesota to play baseball at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, choosing a college near mountains so he could ski in his free time. The baseball dream was cut short just about a month into college due to an arm injury.
Eric Iberg with the original Armada Skis team during the summer of 2003 on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.
Around the same time, skiers were performing some incredibly challenging tricks on skis, which always interested Iberg. Iberg started viewing ski movies in his spare time. “I always loved ski movies, and only a few people make them in the whole world,” he says. It didn’t take long for the college freshman to quit school and buy a camera to commence filming his own movies.
Iberg admits making movies was more challenging than he originally anticipated. Back in Minnesota, the aspiring filmmaker made connections and organized a ski jump event at Buck Hill in Burnsville in 1999 that attracted about 150 people from around the Midwest. “It was awesome,” he says of the event that turned out to be the first of many he would help organize.
At 21, Iberg made his first ski movie, Royalty, and positive feedback spurred him to explore starting a ski company. “I was working with a lot of people who weren’t being listened to by their ski companies,” he says. “Looking back, all these kids left these big budget salaries and joined forces with a lot of people who started our ski company.”
Now, 20 years later, after traveling the world, taking part in more than 20 ski films and working with some of the best in the business, Iberg and his family are back in Minnesota. His next career goal is presenting opportunities in the ski industry to youth—whether it’s participating in skiing, filming it, judging it or more. “There aren’t a lot of opportunities in Minnesota to take twin-tip skiing to the next level,” he says. “I want to help change that … I want kids to be able to go somewhere like Duluth or Brainerd to see what’s out there. They need direction and need to be nurtured to take it to the next level.”
Iberg says skiing adds value away from the sport of it. “Skiing is what has brought me my best friends from all different parts of the globe … Skiing has introduced me to different cultures and allowed me to bring different cultures together,” he says.
Skier Phil Larose from Quebec hits the rails in front of the Minnesota state capitol while filming Eric Iberg’s movie Royalty in 2000.
Plan on It
B Dog Off the Leash is set to be at Wild Mountain in Taylor Falls on March 2. Iberg is B Dog’s (aka professional skier Phil Casabon) personal manager. Follow @casablunt and @inspiredmediatv on Instagram for updated information.
What are twin-tip skis?
Twin-tip skies are modified versions of their alpine counterparts and are designed to enable a skier to take off and land backward while jumping and to ski backwards (switch) down a slope with curved tips and tails. The name comes from the dual shape of the ski.
Q & A with Excelsior’s Eric Iberg
Where is your favorite spot to ski?
Mammoth Mountain, California. I got the chance to live there for a couple years of my life. It is sunny every day. It snows 10 feet at night. It’s 50 degrees in January. Ski season is from November through July. It is beautiful and in the middle of nowhere.
Is there a place you haven’t skied that you’d like to some day?
Trojena, Saudi Arabia
What does your family think about what you’ve accomplished?
I would hope my family is proud of what I have accomplished. For their opinion on me is the only opinion I care about in this world.
What is the bottom-line advice you have for someone who is as passionate about the skiing industry as you are and would like to make it a career?
If you want to take my ski world path, I suggest creating your own lane and be different. Don’t be lazy. Most importantly, love what you do.
INSPIRED MVMT
Instagram: @inspiredmediatv
Armada Skis
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Instagram: @armadaskis
