It is a rare type of person who has the ability to revolutionise a sport, become a style icon and leave a legacy that continues to inspire freestyle skiers across the world to this day. Wayne Wong is one such person.
We are honored to announce our new partnership with Wayne; centred on our shared values of expression, fun, style and high-level performance, the VALLON x Wayne Wong Ski Aviators are the same pure-white white colorway that came to be synonymous with the soulful hotdogging star.
So who exactly is the man behind the lens?
In a world where freestyle skiing has become mainstream, it is hard to grasp the scale of the impact Wayne had when he showcased his unique tricks, techniques and style on the slopes in the early 70’s for the first time.
In 1972 he won Skiing Magazine Freestyle Skier of the Year and went on to invent multiple tricks, such as the Wong Banger and Wong Mill. In Wayne's world, everyone would have the opportunity to embrace the freestyle movement.
“To this day, people continue to associate me and my white sunglasses with the freestyle skiing movement”
It’s not hard to see why; the effortlessly slick design and polar-white aviator frames emphasize everything cool and fun about freestyle skiing in the 70’s.
There is however, real substance behind the style, and Wong is true student of gear design and the science behind it, whilst also finding the time to impart his wisdom to Olympic hopefuls.
Fans of all ages were inspired by his fearless spirit, creativity and an overriding passion for expressing himself on the slopes; it wasn’t just his hotdogging that caught the eye and it is no surprise that even today his legacy still thrives through his tricks as well as his style.
Check out some classic footage of Wayne below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUyXZ0vhTAQ&ab_channel=OHSFilmandVideoArchives
Hi, I got to ski with Wayne at the summer ski camp at Whistler mnt in about 1980. He was one of my few childhood hero’s. A little story he might remember. Wayne, Greg, Floyd and I (and one other ) hiked up Little Whistler peak. We scoped out this cliff to jump off of. As we fired one up, the clouds moved up to right below our feet. We then jumped into the clouds for the landing below. I am happy to have such a fond memory of skiing with Wonger. At age 58, I am now a ski instructor at Mt Ashland ski area in Southern Oregon. I hope he is doing well and your business partnership is successful.