20 Questions
Describe your skiing background:
I was put on skis at a very early age and grew up racing; I tried snowboarding for a couple of years and also tried competing in freestyle. I was fortunate enough to go to a school where we would ski one day a week and go on hut trips twice a year where I learned to telemark ski and love the backcountry. I lived in Chamonix my freshmen year of high school and telemarked a bit but mostly went off-piste with good skiers and greatly improved my skills and knowledge. My sophomore year I attended Colorado Rocky Mountain School where I got twin-tip tele skies and soon converted to the freeheel. With the amazing coaching from the master, Kayo Ogilby, I quickly improved and fell deeply in love with freeheeling. Since then I have devoted myself to telemark skiing and the pursuit of speed, deep powder, steep and gnarly lines and happiness.

Describe a skiing experience when things got out of hand:
Last spring I was climbing and skiing in Bishop California, the conditions were great and I decided to ski this awesome chute that loomed above my camp spot. After a long and grueling approach my dog and I reached the summit to find out it had snowed about foot at higher elevations. After putting on my skis I stepped closer to the run and the entire bowl fractured right in front of me, the slide funneled down into a narrow chute and launched off a cliff to the basin below. I was so shocked I just stood there for a minute in disbelief. I decided that the slide path was the safest way down but soon realized that I was on the wrong line and had cliffed out in the bottom of a steep and narrow chute. I hiked back up and had to traverse above the enormous cliff band till I found a way down. After a ten-hour adventure my dog and I made it safely back to camp. Things definitely got out of hand and I was pretty freaked out about the whole experience. It was a good lesson and I feel like I was being looked after.

What are you up to when you’re not skiing?
When I am not skiing I am thinking about it. I do lots of yoga, play hockey and in the summer I am usually rock climbing, mountain biking, kayaking, hiking, slacklining, listening to good music and trying to prepare for skiing.

Any training advice or suggestions?
I think that yoga is the key, it is physically and mentally the best training for skiing and life. I mountain bike a lot and slackline, this seems to be great training and lots of fun.

Who or what inspires you?
Well powder definitely inspires me. Motivated and disciplined people are inspiring, Paramahasana Yogananda inspires and guides me and as far as skiing goes I look up to Seth Morrison.

How do you see skiing evolving in the next five years?
I think telemark skiing is going to gain popularity and become the new thing. Big mountain telemarking is the future of skiing and will be pushed to new levels.

Do you think the best skiers today are better than the best skiers twenty years ago?
I would say yes, although skiers twenty years ago defiantly ripped hard, it’s just a different style. Modern equipment enables skiers to push the limits.

How does fear affect your skiing?
Fear usually hinders my skiing, I know I can do something but it is really scary. It is important to fully commit and not be scared. Although when I am skiing a scary line and I’m in motion the fear can help me to react quick and precisely.

Ever been caught speeding or ever been arrested?
Um yeah, I have been caught speeding a few times, what can I say I like to go fast on and off the slopes.

What are your future plans or goals in skiing?
My ultimate ski goal is to go heli skiing big lines in Alaska. I also want to climb and ski big mountains all over the world.