Five questions to … Marion Haerty

1. When you first started your snowboarding career you were mainly into boardercross. You then participated in the qualifiers for the Olympic Games in Sochi in slopestyle. What pushed you to start doing freeride?

I always liked doing a little bit of everything in snowboard: slopestyle, freeride or street snowboarding. Boardercross helped me build a strong foundation during my early years. Slopestyle then came naturally after spending time in snowparks with friends. I eventually started winning competitions and ended up doing world cup events. When slopestyle became an Olympic discipline, I became very motivated to train in order to qualify but unfortunately I could not reach this goal due to my skills at the time and because of financial issues. When all was said and done, I didn’t enjoy putting on my slopestyle bib anymore.

I broke my ankle a year and a half ago and because of a misdiagnosis, I had to undergo two operations. At that time, I took a moment to reflect on my snowboarding career. I decided to take one season “off” to enjoy riding with my friends and to have fun without taking things so seriously. Towards the end of the season, I ended up doing some FWQ events in Verbier and things just took off from there.

© Dom Daher

2. Besides being a multitalented snowboarder, you also practice other sports such as wakeboarding and skateboarding. Who are the athletes that inspire you?

I really love skateboarding. It’s not just a sport, it’s a lifestyle: a way to assemble people from different backgrounds in the unity of sport. Wakeboarding has also provided me a way to have fun during the summer months when I’m away from the ocean.

The athletes that inspire me are the ones that fully live their passions. There is not one particular athlete I can think of, rather the entire sports community deserves credit.

I really like to follow the accomplishments of female athletes in extreme sports such as surfing, skateboarding, wingsuiting, mountain biking or wakeboarding - especially those who push the limits of their respective sports. I find it interesting to see how girls play their cards right and face their fears.

© Jeremy Bernard

3. Snowboarding has brought you to numerous countries across the world. What are the top-three most beautiful landscapes that you have had the privilege of visiting?

I had an amazing opportunity to go snowboarding in Himalayas, in Kashmir, for a trip with Snowsurf Magazine. It was an incredible cultural and visual experience. Those 15 days provided me with a completely different worldview just by following my passion of riding. It was truly an amazing experience.

After that, I would say California with its ever-changing landscapes. You can travel from the desert to snow-capped mountains with scenery that changes every 100km. I was travelling in an RV on a road trip with the Rip Curl girls’ team. What we experienced during this trip was definitely awesome and it was a big contrast to my trip to India!

Finally, I got to visit Alaska last year. Being able to ride these mountains and experience it first-hand was like being a dream where you don’t wake up. These mountains emit a beauty and an energy that cannot be described.

© Dom Daher

4. You are currently studying at IPAC Annecy. How do you manage time between your snowboarding career and your studies?

You need to be organized and to know how to say “no” to parties ;-). During the off-season, I go to school but the remaining time I follow correspondence courses. I try to go back to school every three weeks to take exams and avoid having to retake anything.

© Dom Daher

5. Last year you earned 3rd place on the FWT overall ranking. What is your goal for this season and who are your main competitors?

My main goal is to know myself and understand my freeride capabilities. I still have many aspects of the sport to assimilate and understand. Concerning my competitors: it is just me and the mountain. Nothing else. I am not here to confront other riders but to learn from them. I think that it’s important in the sport for girls to push and support each other instead of seeing each other as competitors.

© Mia Maria Knoll