Eric Hjorliefson
Sponsored Athlete – Big Mountain/Freestyle
Brands: Diamir, Deuter, Komperdell, Hestra, Colltex
Other sponsors: 4Frnt skis, Smith
Location: Banff/Rockies, Everywhere
Defining yourself as a skier is about developing your own style. For 22 year-old Banff, Alberta, native Eric Hjorleifson, the equation is simple: ski fast, pick nasty lines in harsh terrain, and throw that cork 720 off any natural feature you can find. Ski film directors covet Hjorleifson's big-air-meets-big-mountain ways, but until he hit the silver screen in Matchstick Productions' The Hit List this year, only a handful of Canadian ski photographers knew (or could pronounce) his name. "The 'j' makes a 'y' sound," he says. "Hyor-leaf-son. It's Swedish." Eric’s father was a gymnastics coach and a stone mason, so Eric comes by his athleticism and strength honestly.
He is a perfect fit for our brands as he is a passionate big mountain skier which means he knows how to climb up the peaks as well as ski down them and he is not afraid to sweat his way to new lines. He skied the spectacular East Face of Mt. Victoria this summer, a personal tick for Eric.
"Eric is on another planet," says Ingrid Backstrom, who skied with Hjorleifson in Tulsequah, BC, last season. "Mind-blowing airs over massive exposure, crazy slough management, and huge tricks."
Eric is the quintessential Canadian kid: tons of humility… gentle in spirit but super serious about what he does…it is just that he does it with a big smile on his face. He has been called “the future of skiing” by some of the biggest names in the business. We are proud to have him on our team. The first issue of POWDER magazine this year saw Eric spread over four pages and was also featured in the following issue.
Chic Scott – www.chicscott.com
Status – Sponsored Athlete (Backcountry Skiing , Climbing, Mountaineering)
Brands: Movement Skis, Deuter, Diamir, Komperdell, Colltex, Deuter
Location: Banff/Rockies
It has been forty years since Chic Scott discovered the magic of high places. During a lifetime of adventure he has climbed and skied around the world, organized clubs and foundations, written books and worked as a mountain guide.
His odyssey has taken him from the icefields of the Canadian Rockies to the historic climbs of the European Alps, from the grandeur of the Himalayas to the icy solitude of Mount Logan. In all seasons, on foot and on skis he has followed his passion.
Some of his major adventures over the years have been a first winter ascent of Mount Assiniboine (1967), the first Jasper to Lake Louise High Level Ski Traverse (1967), the Aiguille du Dru North Face in the French Alps (1973), and Myagdi Matha (1973) — the first Himalayan summit reached by a Canadian. His guidebook “Summits and Icefields” is a classic of the genre, while “Pushing the Limits, the Story of Canadian Mountaineering", is considered the authority on the subject.
In recent years Chic has received several awards - honorary memberships in the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (1995), the Calgary Mountain Club (1997) and The Alpine Club of Canada (2000), and the Bill March Summit of Excellence Award (2000). His magnum opus "Pushing the Limits, the story of Canadian Mountaineering" has won four awards including Alberta Trade Book of the Year, and the Wilfred Eggleston Award for Non Fiction.
Chic now resides in Cochrane, Alberta where he earns his living writing books and magazine articles and giving slide shows on mountain topics. When not at his computer Chic can be found hiking, skiing, or climbing in the nearby Rocky Mountains, or perhaps sitting around the fire at one of the ACC huts telling stories.
ROI sponsors Chic because he is one of the Elders of mountaineering and adventure skiing in Canada. He is articulate, gentle, funny and truly a “hard core”! He is working on a guidebook/picture book of ski touring in the Great Ranges around the world which should be a remarkable contribution to the sport as well as writing the biography of Hans Gmoser.
Chris Eby
Sponsored Skier – Big mountain/Freestyle
Brands: Deuter, Hestra, Komperdell, Diamir, Colltex
Other sponsors: Head/Tyrolia, Columbia, Smith, Giro
Location: Whistler/Pemberton
Chris came to us as an already established force in skiing. As Chris sent his update this year, “I have got a ton of exposure for the brands you supplied me with last year. How does 13 episodes of TV, two feature films (including Warren Miller), Source for Sports calendar feature, Columbia and Head adds, a poster and the cover of Skiing mag next month all with your logos sound or a start to the 06/07 season?”
He has been working as a Pro-Skier for many years and appeared in several features including: Warren Miller productions as a featured athlete, segments in twelve ski films, as well as many other TV and promotional spots. He is a senior member of the Xtremely Canadian Ski School team, the Head Freeski team and he travels around the world on his various gigs skiing big mountains.
Steve Thomas
Ambassador – Skier
Brands: Movement Skis, Helmets, Komperdell, Colltex, Hestra, Deuter
Location: Mammoth Mountain, CA
Steve is the consummate professional. He is a 27 year old, PSIA Level III Alpine Certified Ski Instructor. He graduated from the University of Maine at Farmington in 2002 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business/Economics winter a concentration in Ski Industries Program.
His teaching experience includes 11 total seasons including working everywhere from Sugarloaf/USA, Maine to Wanaka, New Zealand. Steve has received awards from his supervisors and peers including “New Instructor of the Year” honors at Crystal Mt, WA and Cardrona, NZ. Also, “Full-Time Instructor of the Year” at Crystal Mt, WA. He was a staff trainer at June Mt and taught at the Main Lodge in Mammoth in the spring shoulder season. He plans to move to Canyon Lodge upon its opening next season.
He has taken a keen interest in the freestyle aspect of our sport and he is constantly developing his skills through scaring himself silly (switch 540’s, kinked rails, and going bigger in the pipe).
Steve will work on the ground for Movement in this key freeride/freestyle market as a backup and support person to our efforts there.
Chris Roy
Ambassador – Skier
Brands: Movement Skis, Helmets, Deuter, Hestra, Komperdell, Colltex
Location: Jackson Hole, Wyo
Discipline: Big Mtn. Skiing, Ski Mountaineering, Sea kayaking, White Water Canoe
Favorite Powder stash: I’ll have to take you too it, Teton Range
Bag of tricks he can’t live without: Yerba Mate’
Born on Cape Cod, Chris has been skiing since he learned to walk. From the machine groomed trails of the Northeast to the Rocky Mountains and beyond, Chris has been refining his skills along the way, pushing the limits of Big Mountain skiing. With ski summits ranging from Glacier National Park, Teton National Park and the N. Cascades, skiing is a year round journey for him. Chris found a passion for ski mountaineering during his time in the Tetons and is learning from some of the world’s best guides.
Currently residing in Bellingham, WA Chris spends his summer months traveling the glacier peaks of the Cascades. Having Mt. Baker in his backyard he summits it annually with a new friend, wanna go? When not skiing he works for Elakah Sea Kayak Expeditions, leading trips in the beautiful San Juan Islands.
Getting out on the river to white water canoe or a mountain bike single-track always makes for a good summer story as well.
Marc Ledwidge
Ambassador – Mountain Guide, Backcountry Skier
Brands: Movement Skis, Colltex, Hestra, Deuter, Diamir
Location: Banff/Rockies
Marc is a senior guide with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides and a Senior mountain Safety Specialist. He has been a Senior Warden in Banff, Yoho and Glacier National parks for over 20 years. He perhaps knows more about the backcountry of the Rockies than anyone else alive. He is an outspoken supporter of mohair skins, especially Colltex. Marc is adamant that the efficiencies in glide are in the range of 20% gains using Colltex compared to a nylon/synthetic skin. He should know as he spends most of the winter winching his way up pretty much every slope in his beloved Rockies. He is also an outspoken supporter of Movement skis as THE backcountry ski. The conditions he typically works in are uncompromising so all of the gear we provide him is thoroughly tested and abused!
Antoine Choquette
Sponsored Skier – Park and Pipe/Freestyle
Brands: Movement Skis (bindings, helmets), Komperdell, Hestra, Deuter
Location: Quebec
Antoine is 16 years old and an up and coming force in the very hot Quebec Freestyle movement. He is also sponsored by Orage (Chantal Simard) and Brunelle Sport (Marc Magnis) and Oakley (Phillipe Poirer). He is full of energy, enthusiasm matched with great skill. He has already been involved in several film projects including paralines, and he is a fixture at Mont St. Anne and Stoneham parks. Antoine is known as a very strong spinner 900’s and rail rider…and he continues to gain success and exposure as a rising Quebec star.
JÉrÉmie Duchaine
Ambassador – Big Mountain Skier
Brands: Movement Skis, Helmets, Deuter, Hestra, Komperdell, Diamir, Colltex, High Gear
Location: Fernie
Jérémie Duchaine is originally from Québec City but he lives in Fernie BC during the winter season. He started five years old in Québec City. He enjoyed alpine ski racing for 11 years where and he coached alpine ski racing for four years on the provincial scene. His good friends began their career as pro skiers (Phil Bélanger, Phil Larose, Phil Dion, Tom Rinfret) and he decided to focus on the big mountain skiing aspect. He has recieved great exposure in ski magazines like Freeze and Skier and segments in professional ski movies like 2 Tracks Productions, Level 1 Productions and Advance Vision. He has received additional exposure in Skier Magazine Winter04, Spring04, Winter 05, Spring 05. Skier Magazine recognized his comeback on the scene by giving Jérémie a spot on the Radar Section and many other articles. He is known as an exceptional all-around skier with super strong technical skills but his passion is big mountain terrain at speed.
Jérémie has been travelling and competing this winter in Freeride contests, big air and many others. He had a great spring trip to the Alps where he won the contest for longest rail...+40 m long!!
Jerry Kobalenko
Ambassador – Adventure/Explorer
Brands: Colltex
Location: Ontario/Ellesmere Island/Far North
Jerry Kobalenko, a resourceful, self-reliant arctic trekker and photojournalist, tirelessly criss-crosses Canada’s northernmost island and discovers a world where extremism is essential…and why he fits right in.
Ellesmere Island lies 450 miles from the North Pole in Canada’s High Arctic. The island’s mountainous landscape features the highest peaks in the Western Hemisphere east of the Rockies. Jerry Kobalenko has spent the past fifteen years exploring Ellesmere Island, covering more frozen tundra there than anyone else alive. He travels on foot/skis, pulling a sled full of food and gear. That’s it. No dogs, no phone, no radio.
Kobalenko makes one of the world’s most remote places much more accessible to one’s imagination. Part travelogue, part historical research, part natural science and part adventure mystery, Kobalenko’s presentations describe, on a very human level, the personal and physical effort of the arctic experience. His articles and stories, photos have appeared in National Geographic, The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, Outside, etc.
Les Manley
Sponsored Athlete – Big Mountain Skier
Brands: Movement, Hestra, Deuter, Komperdell, Colltex, Diamir
Location: Vancouver
Les has is a progressive big mountain skier, with a focus on backcountry travel. He has been skiing for over 18 years, with a background in racing, and freestyle. He has spent the past three Southern Hemisphere ski seasons working as a ski guide in Las Lenas, Argentina. Last season he traveled extensively in B.C. and the US, honing his ski mountaineering skills. In the spring Les traveled through five countries in Europe researching some of the best skiing there for the free-skiing webzine Doglotion.com.
Les has appeared on several magazine covers over the last few years including Skier, Ski Canada and Le Skieur (France) as well as many catalogue features and other assorted articles. He is a committed big mountain skier who is passionate about exploring the big ranges of the world on skis. Les has also been a regular contributing writer to the magazines relating his trips and experiences.
Sponsored Athlete – Big Mtn skier/ Biglines.com athlete
Brands: Movement, Hestra
Location: Whistler, BC
Dominic has competed and won at the highest levels in big mountain freeskiing comps (No. 1 at Fernie last year) as well as earned the respect of many of the biggest skiers in Whistler. Originally from New Brunswick, he had totally dedicated his life to all forms of freeskiing. Whether winching up huge glaciers to tackle new north faces, or ripping laps in the trees off his favourite lift, you will always find him skiing for the pure joy of it. He is a featured skier with Biglines.com and has a long association with the website as a gear tester, video subject and story writer. He will be a great ambassador for us this year especially with his relationships in the industry and the freeride community.
Sponsored Athlete - Big mountain and freestyle skier/telemarker
Brands: Movement
Location: Steamboat Springs, CO
Aryeh is arguably our best all around athlete. His level of proficiency on snow regardless of what he has on his feet is really unmatched. He can rip huge superpipe floaters on his telemark skis just as easily as he can ski nasty couloirs on his fat alpine gear. With so much talent, it is particularly cool to see him give back so much to his community. He is the coach and inspiration for a whole posse of kids looking to set new standards in freestyle - telemark, skiing and snowboarding. Aryeh has been an equipment tester for many magazines and manufacturers because few people can evaluate the performance of the gear in so many diverse uses and situations as Aryeh. Besides, he is just so much fun to ski with...we are proud to have him on our team.
Brands: Hestra, Deuter, Komperdell, Diamir, Colltex, High Gear
Location: Nelson , B.C.
Peter has won a lot of freesking titles over the years including the Canadian Freeskiing Championships in 2005. He is extremely well respected by his peers and has continued in competitions but more predominantly as a contest judge rather than as a competitior while recovering from indjury. Peter is know for his flawlessly smooth and powerful style. Particularly strong in fast technical terrain with mandatory 40 ft drops, he makes it look very, very easy. He is a favourite athlete with many major photographers because as one put it " he always looks perfect!" . What can you add to that?
