SCOUTED: searching for talent across the country and featuring stand out skiers one at a time. In this edition of Scout, we catch up with Eli Panning-Osendarp.
Hi Eli Panning-Osendarp, introduce yourself, please.
Born and raised in Canmore, Alberta, I hopped on a pair of skis at age 2. I started competing on the junior big mountain circuit at age 12 and ripped it up until I was 17 – my best finish was a 4th place at the Canadian Nationals at Red Mountain. In 2012, I traded my bib for a coach’s pass and started helping younger RMF members with line choice at competitions. This upcoming season will be my second coaching for Ullr Big Mountain. When I’m not skiing I work as a project coordinator for The Resilience Institute, an NGO that works in Climate Change Adaptation with rural and indigenous communities in Alberta and Internationally.
FAST FACTS
Age: 27
Hometown: Canmore, AB
Team: ULLR Big Mountain
Best Trick: Double backflip
Claim to Fame: First-hit backflips
Years Skiing: 25
INTERVIEW WITH ELI PANNING-OSENDARP
How would you describe your signature style?
EPO: Fast and aggressive. I love to charge!
Goals for the upcoming season?
EPO: I want to get out and film a lot more and shoot some photos with the great photographers we have in the Bow Valley.
What progression have you seen in yourself?
EPO: I’ve been getting a lot more creative with my line choice, trying to ski features in a different way. I’ve also developed as a coach.
What do you think is trending in ski culture that shouldn’t be?
EPO: Not so much something that’s trending but a trend that’s been bothering me. There’s an overrepresentation of white men in all aspects of the ski industry. This leaves little room for women and people of colour. Skill levels are often underestimated, leading to the wrong gear being sold to the wrong people and an overall assumption that women and people of colour can’t ski as hard.
What are you crushing on your playlist?
EPO: I’ve been listening to a lot of Fidlar when it’s time to get sendy. If I’m just having a chill day I’ll usually put on something surfy.
How did you bounce back from your big injury?
EPO: I tore my meniscus in early March this past year and had surgery in June. The surgery and rehab through the summer went really well and it’s back to feeling 100%. I’m stoked to get back after it this winter!
Any thoughts for the aspiring pro skiers out there?
EPO: Keep having fun and don’t take yourself too seriously.
How are you cross-training these days?
EPO: I’ve been doing a bunch of climbing and mountain biking in the summer and fall. I’ve also been keeping up with my physio program to strengthen my knee for the upcoming season. Once the season starts I tend to cross-train less because I’m out skiing so much.
Any shout outs?
EPO: Shout out to the next generation of shredders coming through ULLR Big Mountain, Monod Sports for being the best ski shop out there, and Womb Tang Clan.
