Athlete Profile

My parents got me into skiing and the mountains at a young age. My training followed a traditional ski racing path that progressed to freeriding the front country. It didn’t take long for me to pursue powder stashes and develop a longing to keep going farther and farther to see what would be around the next corner. That, combined with the fact that I like to push myself to the maximum in the mountains and test the limits of my physical abilities, drive me to race. I have been racing in the Pro/Elite category as both a ski mountaineer and mountain biker. Even in non-race mode, every day on the mountain brings out a drive to attain greater distances and speeds in pursuit of steep skiing and speed traverses.

Q&A

• Favorite G3 Gear: I would have to say the Empire ski. I've been trying to get a hold of ski like this ever since Shane Mckonkey developed the first big fat ski. Looking forward to getting in my alpine boots for the big storm day, riding the chair lift. Just charging on the hill to all my favourite powder stashes and doing laps all day. And of course the Alpinist skins.The new tip connector is second to none. I think the most important thing in a skin is to have good glide. The Alpinist Skin glides on the flats and and cruises on the climbs. OK, maybe the ZenOxide ski too; light, fast and able to rip in all backcountry conditions.The weight you save on the climbs gives you the ability to have big days climbing in the mountains, but still have energy to enjoy the descent.
• Favorite Peak: Mt. Baker-Washington volcano. Such a cool low key feel. Everyone is out to have fun there. Not to mention they get some of the most snow accumulation in the world. I can ski every month of the year on this mountain, and train my skills for steep ski mountaineering lines on the glaciers.
• How Did You Get Started Backcountry Skiing: I was always exploring in the trees when I was a kid, jumping off cliffs and looking for powder stashes. I was getting bored of just skiing the lifts. So one day I just started boot packing up a sun exposed slope and ended up on Disease Ridge behind Blackcomb. I ran into some friends and we ended up skiing one of the chutes. From then on I knew I wanted to keep exploring.
• Favourite Backcountry Accomplishments: 3 consecutive years climbing 1 million feet on the mountain bike and backcountry skiing. Skied 3 North Faces on Mt. Baker and Mt.Shuksan, including a new line in one season. 4 time Alpental ski mountaineering champ, with 9 consecutive podiums. 3 time Canadian National ski mountaineering champion. Waddington to Whitemantle ski traverse. First descent of Mt. Chris Spencer. 9 time Canadian national ski mountaineering team member. Competed in the 2008 World Ski Mountaineering Championships and qualified for the 2010 Worlds. 14 first ski descents.
• Best Backcountry Advice: Check the weather and avalanche bulletin. Gather all the information you can on recent conditions. On the drive up to the mountains, lift up the hill, and beginning of the tour,  look for recent activity in the mountains. Watch for warning signs - recent avalanche activity, cracking, settlement. Feel the snow. When the adrenaline is high, check the fun meter. This is when you are in the moment and sometimes the exhileration of skiing something can take over. Be patient. The mountain will always be there. Try again another day when the conditons set up. Always respect the mountains.
• Skiing Bucket List: I like to call mine the The Hit List. Ultimately I would like to ski all the 7 continents. In the meantime there is too many ski mountaineering objectives to count. Once you ski one, there is always another one that arises. But a few that come to mind are Atwell West Face, Mt Rainier's Fuhrer Finger, Tanatalus Range, Waddington. Linking up multiple ski descents in a day. So much to do.
• I Choose G3 Because: For one, they are based close to my neigbourhood, made in Canada. The gear is built to last and performs at the highest level, whether you are skiing a steep line on a remote peak, charging hard on the ski hill after a big storm, or any other ski adventure that arises.