At three years of age and with the aid of her ski-instructor father, Lorraine Huber was introduced to skiing. This was the beginning of a ski career for the Austrian born star that would lead to elite ski training camps and not for the first time, the vice world champion, would be participating in the Freeride World Tour. Shortly before the start of the Freeride World tour 2014, Corrine Terkelsen had the opportunity to interview the ski talent from Voralberg and ask how a classic, Alberg styled, short-turned skier became one of the few professional freeride skiers at world-class level.

Corrine: Lorraine, what motivated you to become a  freeskier?

Lorraine Huber: Back in the days as a ski instructor at the Arlberg, my snowboard colleagues, all guys (with the exception of two), and I would spend a lot of time tearing it up in the backcountry. A role model of mine, Martin “McFly” Winkler was the one I tagged behind the most. Up until this stage, I was a traditional Arlberg-style skier, all about short turns straight down the fall line. This “other” form of skiing appealed to me and challenged me to jump and “try out new things”. My snowboard mates taught me to read the terrain and play with it.

Has there been a pivotal moment that has stayed with you?

Lorraine Huber: There have been so many, it’s hard to recall any specific moment! That crazy feeling of sailing through the air and being stable – there’s a sense of elation in that. When there are no hard surfaces felt, just buttersoft powder. Without a doubt many particular lines get stuck in my head, as they are always a challenge, it takes a long time to prepare for them and often, beforehand you are nervous and tense. Very high jumps stick with me as well.

Onto the next Freeride World Tour: Lorraine’s Goals for 2015

At last year’s Freeride World Tour (FWT) you were able to celebrate the sensational title of Vice World Champion – what are your goals for the upcoming season?

Lorraine Huber: The past season has shown me that I have what it takes to win the overall title – and that it’s certainly realistic. Five years ago that wasn’t the case. From a technical ski aspect, I am in top form and if the mental and the emotional state are with me, then I know being at the top of my game is achievable.

How do the conditions on the FWT change from year to year and what role do the competition slopes and the equipment play? 

Lorraine Huber: Compared to alpine skiing, equipment plays a minor role in freeriding. Alpine racing is based on hundredths of a second, the jury scores us, however, in a very different and complex way. We have many other factors that influence the results other than the equipment – for example the difficulty in finding a line or to ride it from a completely different perspective without having ridden it before. With a trained eye, you can sum up the competition slope during the tour, just by looking at it. However, the uncertainty still remains very high, as there is no communication at the start about what is currently going on on the slope. You have no idea how the competitor before you performed or if you are going to find several bomb holes (holes in the snow, where the landing was on hard snow or several other skiers have landed before you) when you land. When scoping your line, your start number plays a big role: A later start gives you the choice of a more original line. If you have an earlier start number you can choose a more obvious line. There’s a lot of creativity and intelligence involved. Of course you can prepare several lines but this just means significantly more mental pressure. Only the very experienced competitors can achieve this.

At this level, are there even differences in riding techniques or is the podium decided largely on steep slopes, lots of courage and the right mindset – along the lines of who dares wins?

Lorraine Huber: There are definitely differences in technique and in skiers riding styles. I really don’t believe that these are however, any more important than the mental state of the skier on the day. It is definetly possible for someone with a weaker technique but a stronger mindset to beat someone with a stronger riding technique but somewhat weaker mental state on the day of competition.

Do you ever have any concerns about the safety of the slopes when you’re skiing the FWT? Or is it simply about placing trust in the decisions made locally?

Lorraine Huber: The Freeride World Tour has its own security team that really does its job very well. These are local mountain guides and other experts who watch the local conditions the entire winter. I have never had a bad feeling on a slope. It’s not as though I am shutting my mind off, but you are simply dealing with a safe slope. The situation is different while filming – there you need to put a lot more effort into ensuring that the snowpack is stable. Within the realms of the FWT it’s more a matter of relying to some degree on the local professionals.

Lorraine Huber on camera:  Film projects and collaborations

Your first film “Lorraine” suggests that when filming, aesthetics and “slowing down” were in the foreground for you. This seems to fit in with the history of Arlberg skiing. What initiated the film?

Lorraine Huber: The idea of Lorraine came from Hanno Mackowitz, a gifted filmmaker and photographer. Hanno wanted the project to show what freeriding really is – aside from extreme descents that are difficult to understand for normal skiers. Hanno wanted to emphasize the aesthetics of snow and landscape. He wanted me to be involved due to my good ski technique – one of the most important prerequisites for the film. During the shoots, not always having to ski risky lines was easy for me to handle. It was exciting, so last winter Hanno and I filmed again. The follow-up project, also a slow-paced short film called KONNEX, is in my opinion, even more innovative and experimental with many new shots and camera angles.

Are there aspects that you would like to see more of or topics that haven’t yet been taken up?

Lorraine Huber: I believe that storytelling in ski movies hasn’t yet exhausted itself. Particularly when it comes to climbing and mountain films, there is always an exciting story relating to new goals, challenges and hurdles that need to be conquered. One either achieves it or not. The storytelling and the people behind the athletes is what really interests me. This way, topics that everyone can relate to can be addressed through the eyes of a professional athlete.

Do you have any concrete ideas on that?

Lorraine Huber: Myself and two other skiers have a topic in mind that hasn’t been addressed so far. I can’t yet reveal anything more accurate, but it is in the planning stages and I hope that the filming will take place in the near future.

What fascinates you in ski movies?

Lorraine Huber: On the whole, I am fascinated by aesthetics and storytelling. To produce a film based purely on action is associated with extremely high costs. The standard is now so high that one has to wonder whether what people are wanting can even be provided by the film industry. I recently watched a really good movie, Khunyang Chhish East – First Ascent by the Auer-brothers and Simon Anthamatten. The movie was filmed almost exclusively with Go-Pro cameras. It’s extremely funny and authentic and you get a glimpse into the lives of the climbers. I just find mutual movie-making looks more natural and produces spontaneous and exciting situations.

What are your favorite ski movies?

Lorraine Huber: Candide Kamera, Episodes I and II. Candide Thovex for me is perhaps the best freeskier in the world. He published two movies online a few years ago. I have watched them so often and I love them!

Films like “Pure” or “Pretty Faces” feature only women skiers. Is there an international circle of freeriders who support each other and push such a movement, and, in your opinion, what should the message of these films be for the viewers?

Lorraine Huber: Pure was produced by Shades of Winter. I myself was there in the first Shades of Winter movie and I believe in our Alaska segment it’s obvious to see that we understand each other very well. We support each other in order to make the most of what we are when we are on the mountain. The female community and the energy that arises from this is very important. Freeriding is heavily dominated by men and I can totally imagine that such films inspire many young women to go freeriding. It’s not about making a film with the motto “We are women and we know how to ski”. Women no longer have to prove that point.

How has it been with the influx? Has there been a growing number of female freeriders in recent years?

Lorraine Huber: Today as before, there are few female freeriders. During the training for the National Ski Instructors of 2001, about ten percent were women, nothing has changed in the last 13 years. The same goes for mountain guide training – only very few women are involved, even in the Arlberg region. There remains a lot to be done, and obviously role models are lacking. Therefore, such films are also very important.

Ladies on skis: Freeride Camps at the Arlberg

You have organized the “Women’s Progression Days” for several years at the Arlberg. These are freeride camps for women. What is the basic idea behind it?

Lorraine Huber: I’ve been offering the camps since 2007 at Arlberg. I’ve noticed time and time again that women tend to not go into the backcountry, because they don’t want to hold up the men in the group. So I thought that it would be very cool to bring an all-female group together and try to get around these inhibitions and bring other aspects to the foreground. Women skiing together are much more understanding, they like to wait for the slower ones, because it is absolutely not about who is the fastest. It creates a special atmosphere that is extremely supportive and inspiring. For me it’s a great addition to offer these camps, it’s mind-boggling how much I get in return! It’s important to take the opportunity to pass on knowledge and skills that I have gained over many years to enthusiastic freeriders.

Where do the participants come from?

Lorraine Huber: Currently, there is so much enquiry that I can’t take it all. The participants come mainly from Austria, Switzerland and Germany. I also have requests from other countries such as Sweden and Canada, but it is much easier to conduct the camps in German.

From Arlberg to Alaska: The soul of freeriding

How does freeriding at Arlberg compare to other areas and what advantages does it enjoy?

Lorraine Huber: Off-piste skiing and playing with natural terrain has always stood in the foreground at Arlberg. Skiing became existent in that area around 1900 and all those that skied were really only freeriders. Everyone had to climb up on their own and then depended on the scope of the terrain for their descents. I think that nowadays the full circle has come around again and that we’ve found our way back to original skiing. Of course, on a much higher level and with completely different equipment, but the feeling is the same. Freeriding and off-piste skiing today still has an incredibly high value at Arlberg, much more than on-piste skiing. Freeriding is the soul of skiing in the Arlberg region.

Freeriding conquers the media in the winter. When all slopes have been skied out in just a few minutes, at some point, the original sense of freeriding vanishes. How do you maintain the essential soul of freeriding nowadays?

Lorraine Huber: As professional freeride athletes, we don’t often take the classic untracked slopes that are shown in the media. Instead, we are always looking for new challenges – the jumps, the steepness, or different types of terrain you can play with. Long open slopes are super nice, but  don’t lure us out of our comfort zone. If you look closely, then they are to be found in abundance in the Arlberg region – you just have to have a good knowledge of where and also be ready to ascend. The original sense of freeriding is to be found everywhere. With freeriding, it’s important that you can ski in all snow conditions, not only in deep snow. The importance of freeriding is so different from person to person and I am very conscious that an athlete’s conception is at a much higher level and is reduced to a very limited freeriding area. In any case: You can live your whole life at the Arlberg without having skied all possible lines.

What’s required for the dream job of a pro freerider?

Bergans, Scott, Kästle, Pieps, to name a few : How does it work with your various sponsors? Do you stand for a specific brand message?

Lorraine Huber: I studied marketing and it has come in handy for me. As a pure ski bum, it is very difficult to be a professional skier. You have to understand certain things if you want to build a long-term and good partnership with your ponsors. I’ve thought very long and hard about what I stand for, what my sponsors stand for and I’ve always tried to find a good fit. If you are a full-time freerider, it’s often the case that you have not just one, but four to five major sponsors at any given time. If this all fits together, then it’s much easier because everyone gets to benefit from a healthy partnership.

What do your sponsors appreciate most about you?

Lorraine Huber: My professionalism for example. I look after my website intensively and try as much as possible to blog when I want to get some depth on a specific topic. Obviously I use Facebook as well, but only to spread short, superficial information to the people. I am proud that I have had my sponsors for such a long time. The whole thing is a process where you have to find out what value you can offer to sponsors and the synergies that might arise. Over the years, you build up a name and it begins to stand for something. You gather more options and a larger network but it takes an insane amount of time and work to build it up to that point. Many freeriders underestimate this and only think of what the sponsors could or should be doing for them. Many athletes often only care about what equipment or other things they can get rather than also putting themselves in the shoes of the sponsoring company. This, in my opinion, is the wrong approach.

What does it take to make a living as a professional freeride?

Lorraine Huber: If you want to live today from freeriding, you have to be incredibly versatile and trained. My professional background and my ski- instructors licenses have helped me come a long way. However such criterias are neither necessary nor representative to becoming a good freerider.

To be physically and mentally top fit at the start of the Freeride World Tour, how should we picture Lorraine Huber’s training program?

Lorraine Huber: My training path may be a bit unusual. I have a personal trainer, Phil Anker, who I committed to four years ago. We usually begin in late June or early July, because I have the need for a workout break after winter – preferably while surfing or rock climbing. I usually just want to have fun without looking at training results. The training phase that I get from Phil is a weekly based program about 18 to 20 hours spread over six days. The core area is the total body strength training. The torso is extremely important and certainly the leg workout. Our goal is to ideally stabilize my whole body. In addition to strength training, coordination, flexibility and endurance, I also take part in mental training. I see an awful lot of potential in this area and it constantly fascinates me what you can do simply by visualising thoughts and images. By and large, the physical training is the base for my mental strength. Via that I can safely say to myself “Lorraine, you have prepared yourself as best as you could and are physically in top form”. The physical strength goes hand in hand with the mental strength.

Do you have a motto you live by that you can pass on to ambitious skiers?

Lorraine Huber: Yes, I live by the motto “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” We must not think only about the financial side of things. Rather, more important is to know what you want to achieve and who you want to be and not how you want to achieve it. When I look back – for example, the people I’ve met – something like this can’t be planned. The how often just occurs. If I had thought too much in the beginning, I would not be where I am today. Sometimes you have to try things and take risks. This is true for me in all areas of life, not only in sports. Try something new in life often and new experiences often pay off in the end.

Last question: Arlberg or Alaska? Telemark or snowboard? Cliff-drop or free slope?

Lorraine Huber: Arlberg. Snowboard. Cliff-drop.

Thank you for the interview and all the best for the upcoming season!

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