The mastermind behind the Zermatt summer park, he changed the potential of summer skiing in Europe.
So its high time he got some attention… this is his story in his own words.
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Tell me about your background?
Where are you from, when did you start skiing…
Im from Lenk / Adelboden.
I started skiing when I was 2 years old.
My mom always told me that I could ski before I could walk…
So I quit racing when I was 14 and threw myself into the pow and the streets.
And how did you get so damn good at tech tricks?!
Haha, I don’t think Im good!
But I guess it was many, many long hiking sessions.
I remember thats how I learned 2p2.
It took me forever but I got it and after that, I wanted more.
I got a big boost from my man Will Wesson who came to Zermatt for three summers…
I always wanted to ski consistently as he does and with the same skills.
And also how much effort and time he took to get a sick shot.
You were on the Line team in Switzerland for a while, but how did you get started shaping?
I started to love skiing so much that I wanted to ski in the summer too.
So I went to Zermatt for a holiday and I met Janne van Enckevort, who was shaping there.
I was so stoked about his lifestyle.
because he was able to ski more than most of the pros those days.
And he was free, he could ski whenever and whatever he wanted.
No competitions just doing for it the love.
Youve were at Zermatt for what… 8 years on and off?
How did you persuade them to put some budget into a crazy summer park?
The same way I learned the rail tricks I guess, a lot of effort and.
I had a vision in my mind.Ive never given so much energy to anything.
That place was my wife, my kid, my everything.
But again, it wouldnt have been possible without some very important people.
Charles Beckinsale has always motivated me.
Especially for letting us create all the media content and events, things like Glacier Days.
And for sure Sami Ortlieb.
Without him, Zermatt would not be what it is today.
And for sure everybody who was worked on the parks.
The shapers, the Bunch, the Inspired crew and all the homies!
Thank you so much for all your love and passion!
Youve always wanted media to play a big role in your parks.
And like I said before, Sandra gave us the chance to prove it could work.
So many riders came through, posting up a few Instagram clips that we just needed to repost.
Once again, huge thanks to David Ortlieb, Sandra and of course, Sami.
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The Zermatt Glacier Days Movie.
I guess Sami and Bmack are both creative minds with super crazy ideas… sometimes too crazy haha.
But I would give the win to Sami for most creative.
The worst shaper does not exist…but I did sometimes wish LDM would do more hahaha.
Now youve moved on to Adelboden as your winter home, tell me about Grand Masta Park.
GMP has a long history of parks, it was really sick 10-15 years ago.
Danu Kaufmann, the old head shaper, did everything by himself.
Every feature he built himself, and what was there, was there because of him.
It has to be the best park in Switzerland, after Laax which has a pretty different vibe.
We want to create something that people who come for a visit will remember as unique.
Last season, you guys made a short movie.
Was that to raise awareness of what youve done at GMP?
I see it as the beginning of a new era.
We want to create something like Kimbosessions but for the public.
GRANMASTASESSIONS / GMP will hopefully become a part of everybodys Europe Trip for the upcoming season.
Everybody is welcome, no matter who you are.
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The Grand Masta Movie
You also took over Saas-Fees summer park this year.
Next summer we plan to create the best summer training area for athletes in the world.
Its gonna be crazy.
Im already looking forward to creating something unlike anything done in the summer before.
We have big plans and I hope it all comes together like the vision we have in mind.
What makes building parks so important to you?
I think the most important thing is to make people happy, snowboarders and skiers like me.
When you see all the homies mad stoked about the park, and having fun, thats my paycheck.
Its also a big motivation to build stuff that means as few injuries as possible.
That means hard work and perfect shaping.
And the better we build the parks, the more fun we have shredding them.
