Each year the ski internet buzzes with predictions for who will win Level 1′s Superunknown competition. As each wave of finalist edits are released, the speculation only increases. This year, Alaska native Logan Imlach took the honors by mixing backcountry with some creative and burly urban. Level 1′s Freedle Coty was kind enough to answer a few questions about judging, past winners, and Logan’s future with the crew.

This is the seventh year of Superunknown– has the contest changed now that most of the contestants are already minor celebs with edits all over the internet?

Not necessarily, first off there’s plenty of people we haven’t heard of as we don’t have time to sit and watch every edit, all day. Every year a few kids come out of the woodwork that are unknowns even in the internet edit culture. This year I personally had heard of, or knew, 5 of the top selections. Kids who watch edits religiously definitely have a better tab on this kind of stuff on a day to day basis.

How aware were you of Logan prior to the contest?

Not aware. I had never heard of him.

When the edits are submitted, what does the judging process look like?

We go through all the videos one by one when they come in, that’s the mind numbing part. This year Berman did all that himself because no one else was around; he has a good eye for that. Sometimes you can tell right away what will make it or not and from there we select a top tier, and watch those more closely. Now with the amount, and the level of talent, it comes down to two tiers, and that’s what we released on Vimeo. The top tier we show as many people who are close to or in our crew and try to come to a consensus. It’s not democratic necessarily, nor is it a “best edit” contest which I think a lot of people confuse for. We look for an overall impression of talent and personality primarily, with potential being the biggest factor. It’s not easy. The last two years we struggled on choosing the winner, but this year I think it was slightly easier.

Does it ever get like a draft, where you’re looking to fill a particular hole in your “team”?

Yeah, I guess that can be a factor, but it’s not really the deciding one. There isn’t a rulebook for it, we want diversity. It definitely helps to choose somebody who adds to our crew and movie in some way.

Freedle keeping his opinions to himself.

Would you say there was a strong consensus this year? Were there any strong voices pulling for other guys?

Berman could answer that one better. There was no strong push for anyone else, but a few of us made a strong push for Logan. Ultimately, I think Berman, Decker, and myself felt real good about it

So you guys all agree then do you call the skier or has he been notified way in advance? Do you plan to get shots with him right away?

Yeah Berman notifies in advance and yeah we are planning on shooting with him. Making plans as we speak actually. Normally it has been basically bringing the winner out to spring park shoots. That’s what we’ve always done, but this year I’m going to try to shoot with him up in Alaska if possible, seeing as how that’s where he’s from and whatnot. Try to mix it up a bit.

Are you headed up there with a plan, or is he going to be skier and local tour guide?

Yeah, coincidently I am headed to Valdez this year, which is 5 hours from Anchorage. He has some things in mind there if we can find a window and same with the Anchorage/Alyeska area. We’ll see how it goes. He’s in school right now and obviously anything in Alaska isn’t really guaranteed weather/schedule wise, but I really want to make it happen, at least a few shots.

Are we talking mostly backcountry lines and booters? Because I thought one thing that stood out in his edit is how even Alaska urban looks distinct.

Yeah mostly that would be the easiest if we are in Valdez and with the crew we’re with. It would be dope too- complete departure from our “standard” Superunknown introduction. But he wants to shoot urban as well, not sure if there will be a window for that though. It would be cool to get him and Will together.

Who else is going?

Wiley Miller, Duncan Adams, and Josh Bibby.

Very cool, so once you’ve planned the shoot and the new winner is mixed in with the whole crew, is it just on him to get noticed and get shots? I could imagine that being pretty intimidating.

I think it’s even more intimidating in a park shoot setting with like 15 skiers on the top of their game; much harder to stand out in that environment. We don’t want someone to go out there and huck just to try and prove themselves, but it’s just like bringing in anyone else new– they have to eventually fit in somehow if they want to do it for real. That doesn’t always happen the first year, but everyone on the outside seems to have a lot of expectations. Niklas did well in mammoth last year for sure, and Wallisch obviously got right to it and got some solid play in Realtime.

As a filmer, do you try to coach the new guys?

Yeah, as much as I can. Not everybody is used to the filming process and everything. We all try to be welcoming, but we don’t try to force anything. Just see how everything works, no pressures.

If I’m right, there are one or two guys who won that no longer film with Level 1. What are the guarantees as far as getting shots and filming if you win Superunknown?

There are no guarantees. There are no guarantees for anyone trying to film, but usually we try to make it happen as best we can. It was especially tough for Brogan when he won because he still had high school to complete the year later. Niklas lives in Sweden with minimal travel budget, and he hurt is knee last year as well.

Some people reading this might at least dream of putting together an edit for Superunknown someday. What is the biggest sin/mistake you see in submissions?

Hmm, good question, Berman might be able to answer that better. Repetition or style and tricks for sure, or emulation. It’s not good to have a video that looks the same as 20 others

Have you ever skipped an edit because the song was just so bad?

No.

Muted?

Yeah.

So I think the internet would kill me if I didn’t ask…is Brogan going to have his breakout year?

I’m afraid not

Elaborate or are you leaving it cryptic?

Well this is his first year of moving out of home, being on a more open schedule. He’s got some decent urban in for sure and he’ll get some park stuff in, but we didn’t have availability for him all season, and he’s on the Colorado program– skiing park. He’s hard on himself too, and he’s got other interests as well. Everybody has a lot of expectations for him to explode or something. I think he had the unfortunate circumstance of following up Wallisch in Superunknown lineage. That’s pretty much my answer on that one, Brogan certainly rips though, and has dirty style.

Hard on himself as far as progressing his skiing? Does that get in the way?

Yeah, park skiing if you haven’t noticed is going to crazy heights right now. It’s been a particularly insane year for that discipline, especially after that X-Games Big Air. That took it on a rocket into space. Every park you ski into these days seems like X-Games practice and if you’re not on that double-cork-whatever program, I think it can get to people’s heads. There are so many more kids doing it now than ever before too, which is awesome. I just feel bad for the up-and-comer trying to fit in when the “progression” bar is set so high, but people innovate outside of that too, which is an inspiring thing.

Cork 3, no trampoline required.

I think that’s why I like the Logan choice so much…he doesn’t seem like he’s on the tramp a few hours a day dialing in that next rotation.

Yeah that’s part of what sets him apart to be sure.

Alright man. keep it up and make sure to get some heli shots of heli’s with Logan narrating about “epicness.”

All of the above.

***Logan photo taken from Level 1′s site, where it was taken from Logan’s Facebook.