Colin Gomez

For this season I would say: having good results in competition, no injuries and a good video with the team. For the future I would like to: have contracts with sponsors, be a professional free ride skier, make a lot of ski films and trips.

I don’t have one in particular but I have ridden some lines that I am proud of.

You need so much time to ski and even more to make a good video. You need the bests weather conditions, snow conditions, spots… So I can say the time is a big problem in this sport.

It’s also very difficult to be known in this sport because there are two big ways: competitions and videos. When you start competition, you start with little competitions and you are not getting enough points for the ranking, so the sponsors are not yet interested in your person.

The second way is also very difficult because everybody can film with his embarked camera but if you want a good video you need some external images and so you need a cameraman which is quite difficult to find one when you are a beginner.

When you choose a line at the bottom of the face and you say to yourself ‘’that’s a hard line but I know that I can ride it’’, it gives you some pressure and boost your adrenalin levels, so the only thing you want is to ride it well. When you have just ridden it like you wanted, you are so happy and proud of yourself.

So I would say: challenging yourself and completing the challenge is so satisfying.

Another thing which makes you love this sport is being on the mountain with your friends, alone, and having a brand new spot untraced. You ride it with your friends, it’s a unique moment.

When you free ride, you are never alone, that’s a key rule and that makes the whole thing interesting. You ride your line and at the bottom your friends tell you what was wrong and what you have to change. You practice your techniques by looking yourself and the others skiing and following any piece of advice.

The technical part of the sport can almost be practiced only in the mountains when you ski (contrary to the physical part).

You need to be prepared physically for this sport so during the summer I make a lot of endurance sports. During autumn, I prepare myself for the resistance and the power.

Falling, this is the worst thing when you have only one run. You can do your best line ever and fall at the end and you will be at the end of the ranking. This is very frustrating.

I don’t have any fans yet, I am not known in this sport. But those who support me are my family and my friends.

My parents support me financially and they push me to try new things and participate in competitions.

My friends support me by giving me advices and pushing me when I hesitate to jump a cliff or choose a hard line.

I don’t know if it’s really an advice, but for sure it has to be taken carefully, but I believe in the following: ‘’when you hesitate to jump off a cliff means that you are capable of jumping it.

I hope I will film this winter and participate to some competitions. If money is there, I will travel.

I don’t think that I am in a position to give some big advices but I can tell one or two things for those who begin now: the earlier you will ski with friends, the faster you will progress. If you want to be known in this sport, spend some time to film.

And the most important, read a lot, do some trainings, ask questions about security, the avalanche risks, the reflex you have to acquire, how to prepare a run…