STRATTON MATTESON LEGACY FUND

The Stratton Matteson Legacy Fund exists to carry forward the vision and ethos of a young man who was a pioneering backcountry snowboarder, dedicated environmentalist, and gifted film maker and photographer. Stratton made a profound impact on the hearts and minds of those who knew and loved him, as well as the thousands who followed him through his social media and films on his “bike-to-board” adventures.

About Stratton

Stratton Matteson loved snow, mountains, and roaming wild places. By the time he passed away at age 28, Stratton had not only become a renowned professional backcountry snowboarder; he was also an icon of climate change activism through personal action.

Stratton believed his happiness in snowboarding should not come at the expense of others, including the Earth herself. It was this basic principle, rooted in the knowledge that all of us, human and other-than-human, are inextricably entangled with each other, that guided his life and actions.

Growing up in both the western U.S. and northern New England, Stratton and his sister, Summer Wuerthner, were immersed in wild places early on. Their parents, George Wuerthner and Malia Matteson, took them to hundreds of national parks, wilderness areas, wildlife refuges and other natural areas around the country throughout their childhoods. Both kids felt completely at home deep in the backcountry with nothing more to play with than rocks, mud and sticks. Stratton’s particular passion, however, was always snow. By the time he was nine, he had discovered that riding down snow while standing on a board was a direct pathway to joy.

In his early 20s, Stratton became increasingly aware of the harmful impacts of human-caused climate change on the places and activities he loved. Mountain glaciers were melting rapidly around the world; winters were becoming less snowy; drought and fire were becoming more routine and severe in many regions.

Stratton decided he needed to find a way to bring his snowboarding pursuits in greater alignment with his ethics. So he sold his car and eschewed fossil-fuel vehicles to access or travel through the mountains. Fully human-powered for five years, he would pedal his bike from his home in Bend, Oregon to local trailheads as well as destinations around the Pacific Northwest. It was customary for him to spend more than half the nights of the year out camping, usually on snow. In the summer, Stratton operated his own native plant landscaping business by bike, as well.

Through his popular social media channels and several films, including “Shift” and “Sierra to Baker: A Bike-to-Board Journey,” Stratton shared his stoke for the mountains and his dedication to lighter living on the Earth. In this way, thousands of people participated in his exhilarating and joy-filled adventures. They were also able to witness what one person can accomplish when they commit themselves to doing what they love, while also acting with care toward the future.

Stratton died in an avalanche in February 2026, while snowboarding in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia. His family decided to establish a fund that would carry his vision forward. The purpose of the Stratton Matteson Legacy Fund is to promote ethical, direct, and high-spirited engagement with life, which was the core of who Stratton was. The Fund will focus on human-powered travel, transport, and livelihood; knowledge, love and use of native plants; and an Earth-centered approach to recreation and adventure.

The fund is managed by Stratton’s family. Your contribution to keeping Stratton’s vision alive in the world is deeply appreciated.

To learn more about Stratton and other projects his family has initiated in his memory, go to strattonmatteson.com.