Freeride & Big Mountain
Cody Townsend
- Freeride Skiing
- Nationality
- United States
- Hometown
- Tahoe City, California, USA
- Born
- 13 March 1983
- Turned pro
- 1999
- Primary discipline
- Freeride Skiing
About Cody Townsend
American big-mountain freeskiing legend from Tahoe City, California, raised at Squaw Valley under the tutelage of Shane McConkey and Kent Kreitler. A longtime Salomon athlete (since 1999), best known for chasing 'The Fifty' - his quest to ski all 50 lines from the 'Fifty Classic Ski Descents of North America' book, documented in his own video series. Won Powder Magazine's 2014 Line of the Year for an Alaska Tordrillo Mountains couloir descent filmed for MSP's 'Days of My Youth.'
Salomon athlete confirmed via Salomon's own athlete page (with Salomon since 1999). Line of the Year 2014 confirmed - Powder Magazine's 2014 Best Line award for an Alaska Tordrillo Mountains couloir line filmed for MSP's 'Days of My Youth,' one of four awards he won that night at the Powder Awards. However, 'skiing 50 Classic Descents' overstates the project's status: Townsend halted The Fifty Project in March 2024 after completing 46 of the 50 lines from the 'Fifty Classic Ski Descents of North America' book (Newhard/Burrows/Davenport) - not all 50, and the project has not been completed. Equipment: rode the Salomon QST 106 for the majority of Fifty Project trips (also uses the QST 118 as a favorite for heli/sled powder trips), paired with Salomon's S/Lab MTN boot and mostly the MTN touring binding (occasionally the Shift binding), per Salomon's own gear features and FREESKIER's gear-spotlight piece on his Fifty Project kit.
Sponsors: Salomon
Setup
3 items
Skis
Salomon QST 106
- Off-piste
106mm waist
Go-to ski for the majority of Fifty Project trips.
106mm-waist all-mountain/freeride ski with Cork Damplifier Technology in tip and tail; Townsend's go-to ski for the majority of his Fifty Project trips. He also favors the wider QST 118 for dedicated heli/sled powder trips.
Boots
Salomon S/Lab MTN
- Off-piste
Used for the majority of Fifty Project missions.
Touring-specific boot with a carbon/composite fiber spine for a true alpine feel on descents; used for the majority of Townsend's Fifty Project missions.
Bindings
Salomon MTN
- Off-piste
Primary binding for most Fifty Project trips.
Lightweight touring binding; Townsend's primary binding for most of his Fifty Project trips (occasionally swapping to the Shift binding for more alpine-oriented days).
Setup verified 20 July 2026