In Winter 2013, it was the first time I dedicated my life to snowboarding and decided to push myself in competitions.
Freeride contest are a special discipline, for sure your snowboarding skills are really important, your physical condition as weel, but the most important factor is your mental. A lot of factor can make you crash or miss your line : stress, fear, too much confidence or excitation all this factor you must learn to avoid, at least from the top to the bottom of you line.
In 2012, I score for the first time in La Clusaz Radikal Mountain, I was coming from the open, mange to pass the qualification and finish 3rd in Final. iIn 2013, this competition was really important for myself cause of my result the year before, but also cause of the seeding list. The seeding list, in fact is more important than your ranking, it is an external ranking based on your 3 best result of the pas 52 weeks, it is the list events used for accept riders in their contest. Knowing my best result of 2012 was a third place in La Clusaz Radikal Mountain, if I fail, I could be in trouble for enter 4* contest in the season. And I failed badly, 3 turn in fresh powder, a baby jump and tumble ! All the run was a nightmare. Bad position then, and bad ranking on the seeding list at the start of the season ; but a good lesson for 2014, in january, I was not focus enough on my riding, concentrate on external project. Hopefully, the second stop of the season Engadin Snow was not taking in consideration La Clusaz Result, direction German Switzerland for the second 4* of the winter.
With my freeride mates Mike Aeschbach & Claire Mc Gregor, we used to travel together, from the same home resort, verbier. Weird resort Engadin, I though Verbier was posh, but this place is incredible, from the price of the coffee to the tourist in town. Anyway, as the resort, the contest was king of weird too, cause of the weather condition for sure, as any kite-surfing place, the wind never stopped and also the organizer spend lots of money on a “super-final” where riders were competing against each other 2 by 2 on the same face and going up by helicopter. If you have the money to invest in 2 helli ( one for the riders & one for filming ) I guess you could offer a bit more than a coffee to the competitor, knowing accommodation cost a fortune and the travel too.
Anyway, knowing the snow condition was pretty bad, I choose a easy line, fastest way down with 4 cliff on the way. Sadly on the last drop, I landed in a hole which made me tumble, but on overall impression, it was a good run : 5th place. A lot of laughs with mike about the fact we just tumble all the time since the beginning of the winter, but confidence is kind of back and my legs too.
A 5th place was not enough for have a good ranking in the seeding list and as I was afraid of, I couldn’t enter Big Mountain Hochfuggen 4*. Considered as the most prestigious event on the FWQ, the selection of the rider is hard, I will hopefully will be choose next winter to this great event. Back to Verbier for some days, just in time to enter a local competition, The Dahu Bruson Freeride. Crash again, what is wrong with me ? Arrive too fast inside a steep double cliff, lose control and tumble the 2 cliffs, great !
Being a “professional” snowboarder involve sponsors and partners, the best place to find some is the ISPO in Munich, great meeting of all the brand in the world. On the road again, thanks to Maarten of Poederbaas for the lift. With David Vicente, we passed the full day between stands and stands meeting head marketing, team manager of brand, beautiful girl and bears. It looks like this meeting is kind of a big show where brands fight against each other to know who have the biggest. Good experience anyway, and some good contacts made threw this day in Germany.
Time to go to the south, Eldorado Freeride in Andorra, this winter, spain took more than any country in Europe so the expectation of all the riders and myself are big. Sadly, it looks that the resort of the contest suffered of the wind as much as Engadin, time to shred some ice again…On the competition day, it was hard to say if it will happen cause of the hight wind and the bad visibility, but it happened and I have never been so cold in my life. Strong wind in both way on the crest where we were waiting , people were digging hole in the snow for protect themselves and I saw a poor dude stop his run in the middle of his line cause of a big Rafalle of wind. First snowboarder to drop, I din’t wait for the end of the countdown, bombing down the face, I just wanted to escape this crest. I was not really happy of my line but I didn’t tumble, It is a miracle….5th place on this 4 stars event, things looks brighter.
Big Road trip are over, because the next 2 stops will be in the valais in switzerland, less than an hour away. Direction the First Track in St Luc, 3* event . Small budget as the size of the resort but great spirit of the organizers and the people involve in the contest day, it is probably my favorite event on the FWQ. As all the season, the weather played with us and 2 days of competitions became 1, so just one chance to gave your best. In 2012, I crashed in a couloir called “the impossible”, so I came back this year for take my revenge. Sadly the impossible was full of rock, and all the poor guys who tried to play in it paid the price. So, I needed to find a new line…Where is the fastest way down. Found it ! 7 meters cliff drop at the top with an expose landing, 2 turns, second cliff and straight down ! Pretty stoke of my run and first place for this events, finally.
I still have my chance to qualify to the FWT if I won the next event : Nendaz Freeride, in the 4 valley domains, I am supposed to know this faces very well, but sadly I don’t. Lesson for the future again : use your advantage, go train on the contest face when it is at home . I passed the qualification, 2 nice lines, let’s focus on the final now. A lot of pressure at the top, maybe scare to do well. Really bad line, missed the landing of my 2 drops, finished the season how it started, badly.
On the overall the season my ranking is 7th at the end of the winter, good result, not enough for enter the FWT 2014, but I will try harder next winter. During this travel and events, my snowboarding skills have progress a lot, as my experience in line lecture but I still need the deal more with the stress factor which is the last barrier between me and a qualification in the real deal ! The Freeride World Tour ! First stop : La Clusaz Radikal Mountain in January 2014.
Travel around Europe was an amazing experience, share with mates from my home resort was the best way to know them better and all this trips were full of meeting, new powder friend for share the same passion on different mountains. All this people which always shine with a smile higher than their ears when they are riding and take pleasure. I am proud and really happy to be part of this community.
Thanks for reading, and until next winter, enjoy the ride !!!
