Vasu Sojitra is a professional skier who lives in Montana. But in his youth, Sojitra lived in India. For many years, the professional adaptive skier has dreamed of venturing back to ski in his home country, in its Kashmiri Province high in the Western Himalayas, to better understand where he comes from.
In Aikyam (which means “Oneness” in Sanskrit), The Faction Collective follows Sojitra across the Pacific Ocean to India’s only ski resort: Gulmarg. The amputee skier not only takes to the lifts and shreds the slopes in bounds at Gulmarg, but he also throws on some skins and hits the uphill to ski some backcountry pow stashes.
It’s an affirmation for Sojitra that this sport is for everyone. That’s no matter where you come from, where you live, adaptive or not. Skiing is about being outside, enjoying the mountains, the snow, the fresh air, and the ultimate freedom that comes with it. And no matter where you go, there will be a community of people who bond over it.
For more videos and ski films like Aikyam, check out The Faction Collective’s YouTube page. To see more of Vasu Sojitra’s skiing, visit his website and Instagram.
Run time: 5:08
