With open arms, the FWT welcomed Cooper Bathgate to the family this season. Unfortunately, that’s not shaping up quite as expected, but Cooper Bathgate is still going to shred his skier heart out this season – as expected. Meet the young gun here.
HI COOPER BATHGATE
My name is Cooper Bathgate, I am 21 years old, born and raised in Whistler, BC. My home mountain has always been Whistler Blackcomb, the skiing here is so much fun. I got into Freeride skiing at a pretty young age through the local ski programs and did that growing up. That brought me to the junior comps in the IFSA and eventually to the FJWC with my sights set on the FWT eventually. Very stoked to show what I’ve got in the big show!
Sponsor by Helly Hansen, BCA, K2 Skis, Oakley.
Previous FWQ events, 1st Revelstoke 4* FWQ, 2nd Crested Butte 4*
TELL US ABOUT THE FWT.
My game plan is to not be a one and done (haha) and qualify for the Verbier Xtreme, but ideally, I’ll land some solid results before then and get to explore some cool places along the way.
Do you have a “back up plan”?
Sort of, I just bought a new snowmobile and have plans on putting together an all killer no filler short film showcasing what the Sea to Sky has to offer. So if the worst case happens and the FWT cannot run due to the pandemic it would give me the whole season to focus on that, which wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.
How are you coping and what are you staying focused on?
Just trying to not think about it really, the tour is still a long way off time-wise so anything can happen! Trying to ski and sled as much as possible until we hear a definite word. Then I’ll start focusing on what the season will be like.
Who did you look up to in your younger years of skiing?
Like most kids who grew up in the same time frame, I did one of my idols was always Shane McConkey. Being from Whistler I also always looked up to Sean Pettit who made skiing professionally look a bit more attainable after seeing him all over the mountains growing up.
Who do you look up to now?
I look up to my twin brother Jackson more than anyone else these days, it’s always nice to have someone at the exact same level to be pushing you day in and day out. Another person I look up to a lot these days is Jake Carney, I’ve been getting out in the backcountry more and more with him over the past few years, and seeing the way he brings his style from the park to the big mountain is second to none. I find it super refreshing skiing with someone like that because it makes you look at lines you normally wouldn’t and get a bit more creative.`
How are you giving back to the community that helped build your ski career?
I would like to hope I’m a good role model for the new groms (haha). I think just trying to set an example of having fun and never taking yourself too seriously is what I’m trying to get across. After all, it is just skiing, not worth taking it too seriously! Ideally, I will pursue coaching in the not too distant future so I can really try and give back to everyone that played a role in helping me get to where I am.
