Find Your Horizon | Craig Murray

Just like every freeride line, every skier is different. But it’s in our differences where the essence of freeriding resides. A collective spirit that unites skiers and terrain, together as one.

This New Zealander has podiumed on the Freeride World Tour, raced the mountain bike World Cup, and produced some of the finest ski parts (as both rider and director) the sport has seen. Plus, through youth camps hosted alongside other world-class athletes, he’s giving back to the South Island community that raised him. We caught up with Craig Murray to learn more about his vision as a skier — from his personal competition journey to community building and beyond.

How did you start your journey to becoming a professional skier?

We grew up in an outdoor family that had a small cottage in the mountains, so our parents would take us away all the time. We didn't have a TV.
We didn't have any video games. We didn't have phones.
So we were just out there in the elements and fending for ourselves, looking out for each other.
That was a very unique upbringing, and it took me until recently to realize that we're the weird ones.


Overcoming so many small challenges and hardships in the outdoors when we were young really set us up to excel at whatever we chose to focus on as we got older, which for me, was skiing. I was also really lucky to have had parents that would take me up the mountain each weekend and encourage me to follow my dreams. I naturally fell into a pathway through the competition realm where I was getting results and improving year on year. That was just like a jump start into the ski world and into a professional career that I’m fortunate to now make a living out of.

What was the moment you realized that you were on a journey to finding your own horizon in skiing?

I think my first winter trip to Alaska on a film trip was when I kind of thought that I was on my own journey.
And I had, you know, the ability to shape my own pathway.

That trip was special in the way that it was also the first time I properly saw unlimited terrain with good snow.
I I also think that's when my mind started to really wander, and I had a convergence of my physical ability and my mental state. I could start to piece together the type of skiing that I wanted to show.

How have you been able to find a balance in the different aspects of your career?

For me, the main thing that keeps me balanced and grounded is my friends and family. That's everything to me.
I think without them my horizons would look very different. They're so encouraging and I'm so grateful and lucky to have them there.

What challenges have you faced on your journey to finding that balance? 

There’s definitely been a few challenges over the years, whether it's my personal life or injuries or spending time away from friends and family, which always takes a toll on your relationships. I definitely find it tough being on the move.
But for me, overcoming all of those challenges has been easier through connecting with nature or spending time in the mountains.That really helps to close the loop.

You've pushed your creative boundaries through your film projects, but how has your artistic side of this journey influenced your approach to freeride skiing?

I think my artistic side allows for the approach to shift because, now I look at things and know that anything's possible.
It's just a matter of putting your mind to it, or dreaming enough and seeing if someone else shares a vision to make it happen. I think there's so many opportunities out there.
Enjoy leaving space for that artistic and creative element to come through, then see where it ends up.

You're also continually pushing your limits, not only as an athlete, but also as a filmmaker.
How do you balance the ambition to achieve more with the need to also reflect on your growth and your accomplishments so far?

It's tough when the goal posts are always moving. You don't often appreciate where you are at the time, obviously, but I'm more deeply connected after the fact.
I can really feel that through reflection, when I sit down or if I meditate, I can pull myself back to those moments and hold on to those memories. At the time I'm so focused.
Say it's a day in the mountains, and I'm really working on my performance or trying to get that line or that track. I come out of that day exhausted, but I think if I can come through in the following weeks and months and reflect on that in a calm way — it's a beautiful way for me to connect everything and round that experience out.

Together with your brother, you’ve been running Gritt — a mentoring and coaching platform that aims to provide pathways for kids to get into the outdoors through action sports — since 2018. Have the ski camps shaped the way that you view your own skiing journey? 

The kids’ perspectives are so special because they make me appreciate where we are with our local ski scene here, and where I've come from.
There's way too many people to thank, but it all started right there in front of me — just the same as it is with these kids. That's a wild concept, but I'm grateful for them because it makes me so appreciative of what I've achieved and where I've been.

How does giving back to your community motivate you? 

I don't think I could justify what I do and the life I live without it. I'm so grateful to have that community there — it really makes me complete as a person. I wouldn't have a horizon if I didn't have community. And without giving back, I don't think I could be focused and motivated towards my personal growth and progression.

What lessons do you hope to pass down to the younger skiers coming up through the camps?

It's important for me to help the next generation of skiers come through, otherwise I just see it as knowledge and experience wasted. I just hope they can have a clearer and easier pathway. I don't think there's gonna be any shortcuts, but at least if I can be there to help out and be a sounding board for some things, I'll be stoked.

What are the next horizons that you're excited to explore, both in your skiing career and with your filmmaking projects? 

I'm excited to keep pushing and progressing myself and my skiing.
It's really cool to have taken a whole year outside the competition scene to do that, and I'm excited to keep going forward next year.
I'm just trying to progress and see how far I can go.

With a big film project in the works with Arc'teryx and his sights firmly set on bigger backcountry missions, Craig’s career is as inspirational as it is impressive. And from his personal competition journey to community building and beyond, it’s a career that’s constantly shifting — just like his horizons.

Stay tuned for more insights from Atomic athletes Jossi Wells and Chris Rubens as we continue to explore what it means to find your horizon.