While skiing with Brendan, I have always tried to follow and mimic his graceful descents; and skiing without him this season, the Fernie Storm Troopers felt the void of his absence. Throughout Brendan’s European season he has made a name for himself as the unknown Canadian, who enjoys standing on the podiums of Europes’ Freeski competitions.

Where did you learn to ski, who taught you, who were/are your influences?

I learned to ski in Fernie where I was born and I’ve had a lot of great teachers. Firstly, my parents and brother. Then the Griz took me under his guidance and taught me how to fire the powder musket. That’s where I get my ‘mad pow disease’.

My influences are everybody that I ski with and that I’ve watched ski. When I was younger, I was always watching Fernie locs like Peter Then, Nels Amundsen, and Ross Janzen ripping around. I still aspire to be able to ski as fast as Pete. Over the past few years it has been the families: the Treadways, Oakdens, and McDirts … and there’s also that Richardson character.

What are your favorite aspects of skiing, and how would you describe your style?

The best thing about skiing is that it is fun. It’s the actual sport of skiing: rippin through the snow up in the mountains. It’s also learning: hitting new lines, going faster, going bigger. But one thing that I’ve learned this year is that it’s the friends. Skiing is not as fun for me if I don’t have friends there to experience it with.

As for my style, it’s pretty basic right now. Just your basic buzz-cut. Not like McDirt’s crazy mullet. But even though it’s simple, I’ve put some serious effort into it. I like to keep it smooth and controlled, but still really fast. And I’m always working on my technique.

Where is your favorite place to ski, and with whom?

There’s no place like home. I’m glad that I’ve done a season away from Fernie, but one of my friends was right when he said ‘Why are you going to Europe? Your friends are here. Your posse is here.’ It’s fun to ski new places and meet new people, but it’s all the boys and girls back at home that get me pumped. Especially that crazy bastard with the camo-boler and the gun.

What are your competition results?

Well, it’s been a pretty good year. Besides winning ‘Best Alternate Chef’ at my co-workers Iron Chef competition, I’ve been told that I was the European Freeski Tour Champ with a seventh at the Red Bull Snowthrill of Kanin, a win at the Mad Goat Ride in Bulgaria, www.befsa.com and another win at the Verbier Ride in Switzerland www.verbierride.com . But, it’s a little shady because only one of the three Euro Tour events happened (Verbier Ride). We’ll see what the IFSA decides to do. I have one more comp up in Sweden, so hopefully I’ll be able to impress up there and get the ‘no-one’ replaced with something Swedish.

Where are you currently living, and what are you doing there?

I’m currently just outside of Zürich Switzerland doing my internship as part of my engineering degree at the U of C. Besides wasting work time by reading Biglines articles, I’m drinking a lot of beer and giving a lot of half-clothed speeches. As for skiing, I made Verbier my home base. It’s England’s winter playground, but I’ve still been able to practice some French and it’s been great to ski at one of the biggest ski areas in the world.

How does Euro competition compare to Canadian?

In general, the vibe at the Euro events doesn’t come close to the Red and Fernie comps. The exception to that was Bulgaria as everyone was staying at the same hotel and the organizers took our request to heart and didn’t use the weather day so that we could just be seriously hung over instead of competing. Of course I’m not including my ten minutes in a speeding car thinking that I was going to be shot by the Bulgarian mafia. That would bring down the vibe score a lot.

How has skiing in Europe effected your skiing?

It’s crazy to have lift access to inspiring big mountain terrain. To get off a lift and have the plethora of options that the ‘don’t go if you don’t know’ European ski society offers is amazing. I wouldn’t say that my mind-set has changed much from previous years, but Europe has allowed me to harvest it. Fernie has windows of opportunity as well, but you have to have more drive, organization, and the ski partners to utilize them. So, I’m going to have to be on it next year if I want to be give’n er.

What is the best and worst thing about living/skiing in Europe?

Best: Swedish women who have yet to realize the potential of Canadians.

Worst: One thing I’ve learned since I’ve been here is how to find lines and landings that don’t have rocks in them. ‘Nuff said.

Where would do you see yourself next season?

Back in Calgary finishing up my degree. But I’m going to have a car next year so I’ll be able to catch the windows of opportunity when they arise. And my classmates know that I don’t mind taking time off school.

What direction would you like to take your skiing?

Terrain-park tricks to the big mountain - Hell no! Smoother, bigger, steeper, more exposed, and faster. Tricks are fun and I hit grabs in comps for the points but that’s not where the soul is for me. I also really want to be faster with my decision making while I’m actually skiing; dealing with terrain as it comes instead of planning and/or stopping.

Besides the virtue of patience, what has skiing with the McDirty brothers taught you?

Todd has taught me how to pick out the right donuts and how to be innovative on skis. Rod has taught me how to pick my nose and eat it and how to make as few turns as possible.

Do you hunt? If so, what is your best and or biggest kill?

I’m currently hunting wild cats. It’s spring and they’re in season right now. As for my favourite, it’s small compared to McDee’s deer and the one that the Treadway clan bapped, but it was a big-ass pickerel near Wawa in Northern Ontario.
Wawa is Ojiboway for land of the goose.

What kind of plans do you have for making skis?

It’s my goal to make the best skis in the world. I’ll be done my degree next year and I’ll be taking care of the engineering side of things with some personal designs. In terms of mass production, I don’t want to bring them out until I have a solid product. It’s going to be an all-Canadian company with construction in the West. I’ll be making skis that my riders want. Maybe I can bring out ‘The Redneck’ for those boys from Northern Ontario and the interior of BC. ;) Keep the name Thrust in your mind and watch out for a mulleted Humpmonger as the business director.

Read Daryls Other Articles
Road Trip - If you don't go, you'll never know
Big Lines=Big Minds
The Lizard Headwall
Behind the Scenes at the Red Mountain Comp
Mike Berard Interview
Castle Mountain - Always Steep

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