Footage of the Year is a video nerd's dream. If Rider of the Year looks at everything—covers, contest results, overall influence in our sphere—then Footage of the Year is just for the ones who are putting in the work behind—in front?—of the lens. This is for the ones who know what it takes to film a great video part.

Emma Crosby – It would be cliché to say that Emma Crosby is no stranger to putting out good footage. But it’s hard to describe it any other way. Whether it’s a full part or just a couple of cameo clips, Emma makes her presence on screen known, and, more importantly, she makes it unforgettable.

Kennedi Deck – Kennedi Deck is a snowboarder’s snowboarder. They have taste, whether it’s spot selection or trick selection, nobody can deny that Kennedi has taste. With standout clips in Blitz! along with some cameo clips in Streetstyle_24, Kennedi’s footage always feels like a breath of fresh air in a world that is too often dominated by excess. 

Henna Ikola – Henna is a high impact rider, an antidote to the online trolls who complain about fifty-fiftys and ride on grinds. As misplaced as those trolls may be, Henna certainly gives them no fuel to light their fire with. In Horsepower, she rides with the type of energy that perhaps served as the video’s title: big drops, big rails, and speed, lots of speed into everything.

Ivika Jürgensen – In the time of instant gratification, few boarders have the drive to stay on for a two-year. Ivika is one of those few. A true warrior in the streets, Ivika had showstopping clips in the European opus Transparent and the Rome team video Particle, with each video being better for her being in it.

Jill Perkins – If you don’t know Jill, it would be impossible to describe the level of work she puts into her craft. To her, this is a job, and we mean that as praise. Work, to the right kind of person, is a source of pride. Jill is that kind of person. It’s hard not to admire someone who takes this—snowboarding, the thing we’ve all practically given our lives too—seriously. And it’s hard not to stand there in awe when the clips finally come onto the screen.

Ylfa Rúnarsdóttir – This footage has been fabled since her Method Mag cover from nearly three years ago. Meeting Rene Rinnekangas’ energy in Heaven, she provided a vital counterpart to an already legendary full-length.

Elena Hight – Elena has stood on the forefront of change before and she is standing there again now. This list may shine more light on the street riders, but with bar setting clips in Aesthetics and Every Island Has a Name, we had to put respect—and a nomination—on the name Elena Hight.

Sam Anderson – Sam Anderson is the kind of boarder who makes you gasp. This is not hyperbole. Seriously, watch Sam board and count the number of times your jaw goes slack and your mouth hangs open. The kid is on video game mode. He does the tricks you throw down in Shredders because you’d never do them in real life. Pickpocket is all the proof you need.

Victor De Le Rue – It can be boring being the best. Well, we can only imagine. And, what is boredom if not a launching pad back into the exciting. For Victor, that meant near-verticle lines down icebergs in Antarctica. For everyone else, it meant watching with sweat palms to see if he’d make it out alive. 

Jared Elston – Jared Elston has an authority to his riding, the kind where you assume the mountains shake behind him as he rides away from his tricks. It’s fearless, full-throttle. He is defining himself as part of the new class of backcountry snowboarding. Every Island Has a Name and Screwdriver made that loud and clear.

Kas Lemmens – Kas footage always feels like a treat, like some sort of indulgence. Maybe that’s because, like any indulgence, it’s a rarity. This is not to say that Kas isn’t out there putting in the work. No, it’s the opposite. Kas is spending his time wisely, carefully crafting video parts that can bring tears to even the most hardened eyes. Transparent is his latest project and however painful the wait was, the watch was worth every second. 

Ethan Morgan – There is no other Ethan Morgan, nobody who rides like him. Fast, scary, loose, but undeniable. His solo project The Ride brought an entirely different energy, refreshing in every way. The backcountry clips, the trick list, the b-roll—top tier.

Rene Rinnekangas – Well. The fact that Rene had this footage, and everyone agrees it belongs on this list, says enough. It’s rare to see so many different sects of snowboarding align on anything, but here we are—street riders, backcountry purists, and park kids all nodding in unison. Heaven backed that up with an almost X Games Real Snow-caliber street riding, backcountry lines, and, of course, it even had the elusive and fabled waterslide spot.

Reid Smith – Reid has been on a steady climb, rising through the ranks, going from am to pro, from short videos to long ones. His ender part in Search Party is a culmination of everything we’ve been seeing over Reid for the past decade. This was the footage we’ve been waiting for him to drop, and it did not disappoint. 

Cooper Whittier – Cooper Whittier has the kind of raw talent that makes you scratch your head and ask, how did he do that? Cooper closed out The Spirit Video, with a scarcely seen mixture of tech boarding and big handrail boarding. The premiere cheers were deafening when this one debuted and that should bring a smile to even the most jaded of boarders.