A couple weeks ago on Raising Rippers, I wrestled with the dilemma we face when writing or posting about rad kids and their outdoor antics. Are we exploiting them for our own purposes or holding them up as inspiration to all? The answer is obvious when you watch this jaw-dropping video of nine-year-old Estonian freestyle skier Kelly Sildaru, posted this week on and . Sildaru started skiing when she was two and was named best up-and-comer at the International Freeskiing Film Festival in France last fall. Riding the rails and launching 360s against a bluebird sky, this pint-size girl wonder in an orange parka radiates a simple, childlike joy for her sport. May we all play with such ease, grace, and fearless enthusiasm.
from on .
And her kid brother, Henry, can throw down some moves, too.
from on .
—Katie Arnold