Lathan Levy

Aidan and Liam Pippine sit down in their backyard. They love to spend time outdoors skiing, biking and snowboarding together. “Liam and I like going off and doing our own things on the mountain because we’re at a different skill level than our parents,” Aidan said. (Photo by Lathan Levy)

Whether flying in a plane, skiing down mountains, riding a bike or driving in a car, the Pippine brothers have never stopped moving. While change can be a challenging factor in any person’s life, moving four times across the country before being able to drive was a reality for Aidan (10) and Liam Pippine (11), leading them to a passion for extreme outdoor sports.

Liam and Aidan were born in Detroit, Michigan where they lived for a few years before their mom’s job eventually required them to move to Dallas, Texas, then Vancouver, Washington and finally to St. Louis, Missouri in 2022. Through these moves, the meaning of home has changed for the Pippine brothers.

“Moving was definitely difficult,” Liam said. “I’ve had to make new friends multiple times and every move got harder as I went.”

Moving so many times across the country caused many changing circumstances in their growing up, but the one thing that stayed
consistent throughout it all is their love for extreme sports.

“I started skiing when I was about 3 years old at a little bunny hill in Michigan,” Liam said. “I didn’t really start biking until I moved to Washington where I met a couple of friends who introduced me to the sport. I picked up snowboarding during COVID, so it’s been three years of snowboarding but way more skiing.”

Transitioning from such an outdoor oriented lifestyle in Washington to a more urban way of living in St. Louis was a major challenge for Liam and Aidan when they moved. The brothers were used to getting at least 30 days of skiing or snowboarding every winter in Washington and at least 20 days of biking now, their total days are nearly cut in half.

“Now that I’m here, I don’t have as many opportunities for [skiing and snowboarding] except on breaks and long weekends,” Aidan said. “I ski about 15 days a year now and mountain bike around 10.”

Even with the fewer opportunities to get out and participate in their sports, the Pippine family makes it a priority to get on the mountain as much as they can. They plan to spend a lot of time this winter traveling to different ski destinations, including Utah and Colorado.

“My dad and mom don’t like snowboarding as much because they’ve always skied, but they ski and bike with us all the time,” Liam said. “They have both improved as I’ve gotten more into the sport, so they’ve learned with me rather than teaching me.”

In the winter, Liam and Aidan often go to Hidden Valley, a ski resort about 45 minutes from Ladue. There, they tend to practice tricks in the park due to a lack of intensity on the runs.

“Out west is a different monster,” Liam said. “Real mountains mean real snow and endless powder.”

Going skiing and snowboarding aren’t the only times the brothers find themselves in the mountains. They both started their biking journeys in Washington and have since continued their love for the sport. Finding places to bike in Missouri was relatively easy because of the amount of bikers and trails.

“After getting out to the trails one day, the local [biking] community in St. Louis put me on at least four different bike spots,” Liam said.

Through the moves and constant changes of scenery, these sports serve as constants for the Pippine family. Skiing, snowboarding and biking are a powerful social tool that they have used to meet people and spend time with friends.

“One of the reasons I continue to bike and ski here is the community and opportunity to be with friends,” Liam said.