PowderPeople | Maude Besse

Jojo: Your passion for skiing came through your father and started with alpine skiing. When did you start backcountry skiing and freeriding and why?

When I was 16 my motivations changed, I craved more freedom, and so I stopped Alpine Skiing and focused on backcountry.

Jojo: Did you also compete in alpine skiing? How was that for you?

Yeah, I did a bit and I loved it. I still love it. It’s so cool and for me my favorite has to be the downhill and speed race. Like the big slalom races, with jumps. I love it so much.

Jojo: Do you prefer freeriding in the resort or backcountry skiing? Or do you prefer alpine skiing over everything?

It’s much of a muchness really for me, I just think of how incredibly lucky I am to be here in Verbie. It’s such an insane spot for riding. Saying that it can get busy, I like it when the mountain is quiet, getting out with good people and being surrounded by friends.

Jojo: Can you snowboard or monoski ski as well?

I’ve tried monoski a bit, but not too much, same for snowboarding, both are cool but for me, it will always be skis.  

Jojo: What is your favorite ski resort?

It has to be Verbs for sure. However, there’s also this little resort in Wallis, the Téléconthey – Mayens de Conthey. The terrain in the valleys is just crazy, so I'm very lucky. If I don't go to Wallis I’ll go anywhere I can find good snow.

Jojo: Safety and especially avalanches are a big part of backcountry skiing. Have you ever been buried by an avalanche or had to dig somebody out? Did that change your perspective? How do you manage this risk involved?

No, no and I'm lucky for this of course! I’ve had a bad experience and a close call with a friend about five years ago, it was so scary but in the end everything ended up being ok. I did not ski for one week because I was a bit scared after that. I learned from this though. Learning from the mountain, listening to it, and then it did not change anything for me. I also don't use an avalanche backpack, just my shovel, probe and beacon and I practice with friends.

Jojo: A long dream came true when you got the wildcard to the 2019 FWT, and then you even got a podium in Hakuba the same year. In your “Close up w/ Maude Besse” YouTube video, you say that: “you are living your best life on skiis, after you stopped competing”. How did competing influence your riding and your relationship to the mountains? What was the reason you stopped competing?

First reason: I am so stressed with a bib on and this impacts my skiing in a bad way. Second reason: For me, freeriding is just free riding. You can use your personality,  your ideas, and just choose to take the best line for you and enjoy it. If you go to the competition, you get judged by five guys with binoculars and you never know what is the best. For me, it was a big problem. So I stopped competition.

Jojo: Since 2020 the FWT male and female riders get the same price money, do you feel that this had an effect on the acceptance of female riders within the scene?

Prize money in the FWT is not very good generally compared to the risk the athletes take. For me, this should just be the norm, because we need to stop comparing women and men and just enjoy. It should just be a given to have the same prize money for women and men.  

Jojo: Since you stopped competing, how many days do you manage to get onto your skis nowadays?

I ski more now because I don’t have to go somewhere and wait for the competition. I am so happy with this decision and I have some good projects coming up with Arc'teryx and Völkl. So it's cool and I’m very excited. I also work as a topographer in summer, so I just found the perfect balance for me. I am living the real life and it’s a dream, so it's perfect for me and I’m so happy!

Jojo: You also love painting, when will we see a ski signature series?

One day, maybe. Yes it’s a dream, so I have to speak with Völkl about this. Maybe on the Revolt 121.