As we wait with bated breath for the first edition of Natural Selection Ski to be broadcast to the masses from the towering peaks of Alaska, we caught up with two Canadian freeride legends during the lead-up to the monumental event. Kye Petersen and Sam Kuch share their thoughts on their mountain roots, the thrill of the competition, and what it’s like to ski in the land of endless lines and big drops. From Whistler to Whitewater to Alaska, we’ll be cheering for these guys as they push their limits in one of the gnarliest terrains on the planet!
Where did you grow up skiing?
Kye Petersen
“I grew up skiing in Whistler, British Columbia. I live in Pemberton now, and spent my formative years learning in Whistler.”
Sam Kuch
“I grew up skiing at Whitewater ski resort in Nelson. BC it’s a small resort, just three lifts. A beautiful little place to grow up skiing.”
How did that terrain influence your skiing, and how will this help you to ski at this event?
Kye Petersen
“I think the terrain in BC, on the coast, is quite a good combination of Alpine, sub-alpine, and treeline skiing. So I think growing up there, I just learned to ski the whole mountain top to bottom, so over time, you learn to navigate certain terrain, and I think Alaska is just a northern progression of that. There are a lot of similarities.”
Sam Kuch
“I think the terrain at Whitewater is super playful and tight, and you’re always looking for the opening between trees and whatnot. And we also have, like, our fair share of cliff drops and everything, and generally, a lot of snow. Growing up at Whitewater influenced my skiing, just based on how playful the terrain is and and that bred a whole group of skiers that ski the same way that I do, and we just feed off each other. The ski community at Whitewater is like no other. There’s a serious energy there.”
What are your thoughts on the venue that Travis Rice has selected, and how does it rank in your locations that you have skied before?
Kye Petersen
“The venue that Travis selected is amazing. It’s the kind of venue that opens up so many options, which I think is what we need in this kind of event. It’s cool to be put on terrain that’s inspiring. I think that’s where the most creative skiing comes from. Is being in an environment that inspires us to ski in the way that we really want to be skiing.”
Sam Kuch
“The venue that Travis selected is the perfect venue for a comp like this, particularly for skiers. There are plenty of possibilities for big airs, there are transitions, there’s transfers, flat landings, for anyone that wants that. This venue is honestly the perfect proving ground for the best skiers in the world. And that’s who’s all here. It ranks up there as one of the best faces in the world.”
Will this competitive atmosphere elevate your skiing and motivate you to throw down harder than normal, or will your mindset be consistent with a film shoot on similar terrain?
Kye Petersen
“I think my mindset in the comp will be similar to as if we were filming on this kind of terrain. Although with competition, it’s in the moment, in those conditions, at that time you are dropping, you also know that you’re supposed to perform in a certain way. So it can go so many different directions, right, like but having the opportunity to be in the best terrain and possibly the best conditions to throw down what you have in your mind is a great opportunity. Being in this terrain, and trying to read it and adjust to it on-site and then compete on it is all part of this journey.”
Sam Kuch
“This competition brings together an element of filming and an element of competition. The people that I’m competing with, are skiers that I would normally be on a film shoot with, and the face that we’re skiing we would normally be skiing for a movie. This time, we just happen to be getting ranked for it. So for this one, we’ll all be doing things that we maybe wouldn’t normally do on a film shoot, but at the same time, there isn’t this pressure to win. There’s just pressure to put on a good show. And that’s what everyone’s here for.”
Links
For more info on the event, click here.
For our interview with Travis Rice on the NST Ski, click here
Title photo credit: Chad Chomlak / Natural Selection
