Tim McChesney Speaks on Joining Blizzard Tecnica Team

Featured Image: AJ Dakoulas | Skier: Tim McChesney

If there were a big book of freeskiing history, a solid chapter would have to be devoted to the tale of Tim McChesney. Few skiers have had a career as diverse and historic as his. From slopestyle competitions to a historic run with Level 1 Productions, street skiing glory to backcountry sensei, McChesney has seen it all. But he's not even close to calling it quits, and his latest move to join the beaming Blizzard Tecnica freeride crew is a testament to exactly that.

At six years old, he found himself moving to Montana as his family settled in the Southwest corner of the Treasure State. On the legendary steeps of Bridger Bowl, he honed technical skills by staking his claim on the same tight chutes and puckering cliffs as Scot Schmidt. But more importantly, he was instilled with an undying love for freeskiing that has only grown since.

He's crafted memorable segments, traveled the world with Faction Skis, and even stepped back into the competition sphere with a win at Kings and Queens of Corbets last winter. But this next chapter is on course to be his best yet. FREESKIER sat down with the one and only McChesney to get the inside scoop on his new deal with Blizzard, his thoughts on the new Canvas line, what he's most excited about in today's world of skiing and more.

FS: Thanks for taking the time, Tim. Congrats on joining the Blizzard Tecnica team. They're one of the more storied brands in skiing, but what specifically drew you to them? 

TM: I’d been looking around for a new ski sponsor for about a year now, and honestly, Blizzard wasn’t a consideration for me. That was until I saw one of the new Canvas skis this fall. I always knew they made great skis, but they didn’t have a model that fit my style. After I took a lap on [Canvas] for the first time, I was so impressed. I knew I made the right call. 

I was also really attracted by how the story behind the project was conceived, tested and created by the Blizz athletes. It was a huge draw to see a brand listening to what their team wanted, taking feedback, and developing a whole new line of skis for them. I’ve never had that opportunity in the past, so I hope I can stick around long enough to help develop some more products down the road. 

You knew Blizzard made good skis, but had you ridden any pairs before? 

Not exactly. My first day skiing on a Blizzard ski was this December, right after I signed my new contract. Since I’d been with Faction for so long, I hadn’t tried many other skis. But I definitely had the impression that [Blizzard] made well-respected, hard-charging skis. A company with that much history in building quality products isn’t going to build a bad ski, so once I saw the new design and shape of the Canvas line, I was pretty confident I’d like them. And luckily, I do. It’s really cool to see them move away from what they've done in the past and make something completely different. 

Sounds like you made the right gamble.

I suppose. But as I said, they have such a great reputation in the industry, so I was confident that I’d love what they make if it were a ski that fit my style. It wasn’t much of a gamble, more of a… really promising gamble!

Which athletes on the team inspire you the most? 

There are a lot of awesome riders on the Blizzard team, and I’m stoked to get the opportunity to ski with all of them. I’ve known Piper Kunst for a couple of years. She's so fun to ski with; always very positive and loves to have a good time. But there are plenty of Blizz riders I haven’t met yet. I’m looking forward to skiing more with Kaz Sosnowski and Connery Lundin. I feel like we have similar styles of skiing, so it will be cool to get to know them better. 

A project with you Kaz, Connery and Piper would have to take the win at iF3. Your home mountain right now is Alta, yeah? Which Canvas model, or other Blizzard ski, suits it best?

Yeah, I ski Alta the most. We are pretty lucky in SLC to have so many awesome resorts within an hour drive, so I also pop around a bit depending on storms and the conditions. Powder Mountain is super fun as well, and Woodward [Park City] is always great for some park laps. I’ve mostly been skiing on the Canvas 108 so far this winter. It’s been so fun. The ski is super versatile and a great daily driver. It performs just as well ripping groomer turns as it does in two feet of pow. [Laughs] One of those has been more the case this dry winter. Luckily, I got a couple of really good days earlier in January while we were filming for the Welcome to the Team video. It was nice to test out all the skis in some proper conditions. 

Also, making the switch to Tecnica boots has been amazing. Everyone knows they’re the best boots around. It’s so nice to be able to pick through their extensive lineup and find the perfect boot for how I like to ski. The new Zero G Decoy Pro has been incredible. It’s already one of my favorite boots I have ever skied in. If you’re looking for a new touring boot that rips, keep an eye out for that one this fall.

You’ve had a legendary career, and you don’t seem to be slowing down at all. Did taking the win at Kings and Queens last year spark something fresh, or has your love for skiing stayed consistent through the years?

My love for skiing has stayed consistent since the day I learned. When I’m done skiing professionally, I’ll still ski whenever I can. That being said, the K&Q win was definitely a nice boost. It definitely opened up a couple of opportunities for me. I got the invite about a week before the event and saw the forecast called for a good run of storms for the Jackson Hole area. I didn’t have much going on, so I figured I’d give it a go. Turned out to be one of my favorite weeks of the year, and I enjoyed doing a comp again after so many years of just focusing on filming. I’d love to have the opportunity to get in on a Natural Selection event at some point. I see those as the pinnacle of competitive backcountry skiing. So NST, if you’re reading this… 

Speaking of filming, what’s your personal favorite Level 1 segment you filmed? 

Hmmm, that's a tough one. Either “Sunny” or “Less.” I’ll never forget showing up to Schweitzer for “Less” and they had built the most insane jump over a chairlift. [Laughs] None of us wanted to hit it, and finally LJ [Strenio] gave it a go. It was so sketchy, but we all ended up doing a couple tricks over it. The shots looked so crazy, we were stoked.

A crispy turn, cliff huck and a floaty safety 3 - the classic McChesney trio

Photo: Jack Francis | Skier: Tim McChesney

You had a terrific run with Faction Skis. Some of the films made during your time will live in freeski fame without a doubt. Which project sticks out the most from a skiing and overall adventure standpoint?

Yeah, my time with Faction was great. We did a lot of cool videos and traveled the world, getting to ski in some crazy places. One that comes to mind is when we went to Argentina and traveled around in a full-size bus that had been turned into a camper. We ended up going to this super remote yurt in the middle of nowhere for a few days. It was such a cool experience. That was definitely a highlight for me, along with many other trips all over Europe. The early days getting to film with Etienne [Mérel], Duncan [Adams], [Adam] Delorme, and then once Blake Wilson signed on were some of my all-time favorite days on skis. 

It was a tough decision to leave a brand I had so much history with, but I really felt like it was time to switch things up. I’ve got nothing but love for Faction. That said, I’m already happy with how things are at Blizzard. Getting to have a hand in developing skis is something I’ve always wanted to do, but never had many opportunities. I’ve been with them for less than a month and just mounted up some new prototypes to test out tomorrow, so we are off to a good start there. 

You're obviously someone very motivated by the overall craft, whether that's building skis or heading into new terrain. How would you summarize your passion for skiing?

At the end of the day, what gets me excited to keep riding is the fact that you really can’t master it. There is always something new to learn or experience. Looking back on my career, I have bounced around from park skiing to slopestyle competitions, to filming in the streets, and now [I'm] focused solely on skiing in the backcountry. I like to think there’s always something new if you have a good work ethic and are motivated to get out and accomplish your goals in the mountains. 

It’s not all glamorous by any means. Skiing in the backcountry is incredibly frustrating; there are very few days in a winter when everything lines up perfectly, especially when you're trying to film. But when it does all come together, there is no place I’d rather be. I've never experienced anything like it. I just try and do everything I can to maximize my chance of experiencing those special days with good friends in the mountains. That hunt is very motivating for me.

Take us out with some inspiration. Who’s one rider you think everyone should be watching right now to get fired up for a day on the hill?

There are way too many good skiers nowadays. It's so crazy. For me right now, I think I gotta go with Mac Forehand. He’s so damn good. He’s probably the best slopestyle skier in the world, one of the best I’ve ever seen, and he also puts out crazy video parts. It’s mindblowing. I have also really enjoyed watching Toby Rafford on the Freeride World Tour. He’s got great style and goes huge. If you don’t like that combination, I’m not sure what to tell you!