Soaring above Mount Assiniboine for an exclusive Travel Alberta summer photo shoot with Meru director Jimmy Chin and several elite backcountry superstars, Tatum Monod’s life was pure alpenglow.
Editing was under way on her second Level One video segment, including an Alaskan heli-ski tour where she danced on spines of snow. Red Bull had invited her to their secret athlete combine in October, and now she had the chance to show off her backyard on to the world. Of course, sunny days in the mountains don’t last, and soon six inches of snow fell.
“It was basically about a bunch of friends getting together, camping, fishing and hiking. Alpine Helicopters dropped us off by Marvel Pass. It was meant to be one night, but the weather was coming in and the chopper couldn’t get back. We were all in our summer attire, but we got through with a little bottle of tequila.”
Cloudy days have been sparse of late for Monod, who last week, for the second year in a row, won the award for Best Female Short video at the International Freeski Film Festival in Montreal. She’s the only female backcountry skier to earn a feature spot in a Level l ski film, one of five Canadian female athletes sponsored by Red Bull, and will only see her profile grow with the release (Oct. 6) of her newest Level One film.
“Most of the footage is from Alaska. It was my last trip of the season and last major push to get shots because it was a brutal winter. I got the call, jumped on it straight away and knew it was the last opportunity to get footage. I ended up having the most successful experience of my life. It was insane to be there with the experienced crew I was with,” Monod said.
The shoot was a risk, as it was a massive change for the 24 year old. Growing up in Banff as a gymnast before switching to the Banff Alpine Racers when she was 12, Monod didn’t have much experience in such massive terrain, but once immersed in steep and deep lines, she nailed them with expert precision.
“It was a lot bigger than anything I’ve ever skied. It was a whole new scale for me,” Monod said. “It was a whole new game and you can only get good by being there. I hope to go back every year of my life.”
In Canada, there are few athletes with as large a social media presence, which appears to be the future of her sport. Even though she doesn’t do competitions, Monod has nearly 40,000 followers on her Instagram account and almost 5,000 followers on Facebook. That’s a large audience to feed with incredible pics and video clips of backcountry bliss, and also allows her to attract big name sponsors.
“Signing with Red Bull was a goal and dream of mine since the day I started skiing. It was a high goal to reach, to be part of a team like that, but it came through with opportunities for skiing and life,” Monod said.
Pushing her limits in the backcountry is what skiing is all about, Monod says, and she has no plans to trade it for traditional sport glory. She was involved in several sports growing up, but isn’t interested in chasing medals.
“To me, skiing isn’t about results. It’s about adventure along the way. I have zero interest in competing in the X Games or the Olympics. It’s not what skiing is about. It’s about living that type of lifestyle and working on creating more unique, authentic footage.”
To do so, she changed up her cross training regime, which will allow her to push her skills farther this year. She’s relied on the landscapes for training opportunities, but will hit the trampoline to push her aerial skills.
“I like to do as much as I can outside for cross training, instead of the old routine of beating myself up. Hiking is the best cross training I can do. I’ve been biking, surfing, playing tennis – lots of sports that are challenging me in different ways. It’s about having fun and keeping the adventure going,” Monod said.
“When I did the double backflip (Monod was the first woman to land the trick in the backcountry), I just kind of winged that. Most athletes do it through water jumps and tramp work. I need to get on the trampoline to increase my air awareness.”
Featuring her hometown in footage is something Monod truly desires. Between the Travel Alberta shoot and her plans for this season, Bow Valley residents might see a lot more of Monod this year.
“I definitely like to be in Alberta and B.C. as much as possible. I’ve got some plans for the park at Sunshine, and some lines at Lake Louise. I’ll follow where the snow is going to be. I have high hopes for the Rockies. There is stuff on the radar there,” Monod said.
“In the backcountry, off the road on the way to Jasper, there are some classic couloirs I’d love to hit. Mount Assiniboine has some potential as well. To me, the goal is to work out there as much as I possibly can.”
She said there are plenty of talented local free skiers she’d love to watch advance, including the Capel brothers, and her cousin, Matt Monod.
“There is so much emerging talent in the Rockies right now.”
Monod wants to keep developing as a skier, but wants to see more of her ideas on screen.
“I’m not interested in getting behind the camera, but one day I’d like to have more creative influence on my segments and edits, and tell a story of who I am and who is the skier under the helmet,” Monod said.
