Bald’s bold snowboarding mission

A TORQUAY snowboarder is pushing the limits of his sport and bringing supporters along for the ride in his debut film Crossroads.

21-year-old Gus Bald will premiere his film at 4Pines Brewery in Torquay tonight (Friday, November 14).

Crossroads marks the pivotal change in his snowboarding career, transitioning from full on competitive snowboarding to chasing the marvels and wonders of the backcountry environment.

Filmed by Isaac Podmore and Jeff Stein, the short film was shot in the back country of Perisher and Thredbo in New South Wales over the 2025 snow season.

Bald completed more than 400km on foot throughout the peak of filming to prepare jumps and landing spots to exhibit his insane tricks.

He said it was a thrill to be showcasing his talents in a more freestyling and relaxed manner, away from the competitive scene.

 

“It was just sick! We had one of the best years snow-wise in the past five to 10 years; it was just incredible up there.

“It was great to step away from the competitive mindset of how big I can spin and turning it into doing a 360 but putting more style and creativity into it.

“No one in Australia is really doing back-country stuff at the moment, so it was super cool to be able to nail that aspect with this film.”

He said there was plenty of trial and error with deciding where to best shoot the scenes.

“Most of the spots we filmed were at least a 40-minute walk from resorts, if not a bit further. It was a great adventure.

“It was so challenging to find a good spot to put a jump that had a solid landing spot and one you could get enough speed on with your approach.

“A lot of the days it would just be me going out by myself for eight or so hours and trying to find anything I could and then GPS mapping it.

“One of the main jumps was a three- or four-day build, so it was certainly a great challenge to get around without snowmobiles and so on.”

The premiere of Crossroads will also feature live music, giveaways and raffles.

Doors open at 6.30pm, before the film begins at 8pm.