Adrien Grabinski is not in it for the clicks. The 25-year-old ski patrol director at Shames Mountain in Terrace, BC is about as dedicated to the sport as anyone could be—whether he’s plowing the Shames parking lot at 6 a.m. or skiing big lines at top speeds. 

His love for the small, community-run ski hill in northwestern BC is unmatched, in it for the no-frills soul skiing and the people who make up the Shames community. “The Best Skier You’ve Never Heard Of,” directed by Mattias Fredriksson, longtime contributor to The Ski Journal, first premiered in 2023, a finalist at the 2023 Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival. The 7-minute film is now available to stream online.

If you want to dive a little deeper, grab a copy of TSKJ 16.2, where Grabinski joins writer and photographer Matthew Tufts in Kyrgzstan’s Tien Shan region.

Caretaker and ski patrol director at Shames Mountain, BC, Adrien Grabinski is undaunted by early mornings. Photo: Mattias Fredriksson

One of many good days to live in Terrace, BC. Shames Mountain backcountry. Photo: Mattias Fredriksson