Jelt Life Feature: Ben Goertzen
In the Spirit of the February Winter Games, we recently relaunched our retro-inspired The USA Stripe Elastic Belt and had Ben Goertzen, this month's featured Jelter, take it for a spin up to Bridger Bowl.
Ben is a professional skier and videographer out of Bozeman. His creativity and inspirations thrive in this area, offering the scenic landscapes and hardcore terrain. Like Jelt, Ben feels a certain responsibility to give back to Bozeman and the natural world surrounding us, which can be seen in Ben's work and we are so honored to have him wear our product. Jelt is the perfect belt for ski pants so it's only natural he brought one along for a powder day.
This month's feature will inspire you to get outside and geared up for adventure.
Jelt: Tell us about yourself.
Ben Goertzen: I was born and raised in the mountains around Bozeman, Montana. My passion is to document and preserve the place I grew up recreating in, from an early age. After years of competing as a professional skier on the Freeskiing Tour, I directed my attention away from competitions and focused on storytelling through media projects. In 2015, I started working with Vision Hawk Films and various other prestigious production companies to leverage my ability in showcase wildlife positively. Now, I combine my three passions for skiing, environmental and wildlife conservation, and filmmaking to influence policy and preserve our world for future generations. Today, I consider myself a professional skier and wildlife and adventure filmmaker.
Jelt: Why do you do it?
Ben Goertzen: My goal of documenting authentic stories, from humans to wildlife, stems from a moral obligation to protect the natural world that has given me so much life. Our world is changing at an astonishing rate and film provides me with an effective medium to tell meaningful stories quickly.
Jelt: How do you like to wear your (Jelt) belt.
Ben Goertzen: The nature of my work keeps me on the move. Having a belt that is low-profile, durable, and functional is just one less thing I have to worry about, especially when our 25 cases of film gear gets stuck in a foreign country’s customs office.
Jelt: Where do we send our followers to find you/your work?
Ben Goertzen: You can check out my website at: RedYetiProductions.com, Instagram: @benjamingoertzen, Facebook: Ben Goertzen
Photo by: Augie Schield