How old were you when you started riding?

One and a half years old. Fun fact: the first place I ever skied was in Australia.

Who are your mentors/influencers?

My older brother Teal has had the most influence on my skiing, but my skiing is also largely influenced by ‘CLAIM the greatest movie ever’ and all the good people I grew up ski racing with on Vancouver Island.

Any Nicknames?

Spicoli (see Fast times at Ridgemont high)

What’s your favourite thing about RED?

It’s impossible to narrow it down to one thing, I just love the atmosphere. I have so many fun and cherished memories of ski racing at red and its where I did my first freeride competition. Its also a big bonus to ski untracked powder a couple of days after it snows.

What movie/video gets you most amped for the winter?

As mentioned earlier I love CLAIM. My race club used to have a TV in the racer area with many ‘Winning Runs’ DVDs and CLAIM. Needless to say, we skipped the ski racing videos and instead watched CLAIM 30+ times a year.

What’s your favorite run at RED?

I am a bit of a showoff so ‘Links line’ is by far my favorite. Cheer loud for me!

Do you listen to music when you shred? (what’s your go-to?)

Yes! I love to listen to rap music and dance around the mountain with my skiing. Check out my ski playlists on Spotify ‘Kole’s Extreme Vol. 1’ and ‘Kole’s Extreme Mix Vol 2’

When not skiing/riding, what else do you like to do?

Surfing, biking, and hiking but on the less mainstream side I always have some sort of project on the go. For instance, I have an old rusty bike that I’m fixing up and last summer I rebuilt my car’s engine.

What’s the best trick name?

The Stalefish. There are so many hilarious names for tricks but Stalefish is just so weird plus it looks awesome! A Stalefish is a type of grab and the name (like many other skiing tricks) is derived from skateboarding. To do a Stalefish you have to reach back and grab the tail of your opposite ski (if you’re grabbing with your right hand your grab your left tail). Try it on the chair sometime and before you think its easy just remember that some skiers hold that position through multiple spins and flips.

Do you have any preseason rituals leading up to the winter?

I always go and support the ski community by watching the newest ski films to get me excited then I spend way more time than necessary tuning and waxing my skis.

If you could be any animal, what would it be?

For sure a shark. I don’t really have any reason for why I just think they’re badass.

What’s your favorite saying?

“Safety third” This doesn’t mean that safety is completely overlooked it just means that if safety were first then none of us would be risking our safety and having fun skiing. To clarify; having fun is first, improving your skills is second and then safety is third.

Describe your perfect apres.

Walking into rafters with snow still stuck in my beard and glowing with stoke. My friends and I sit at one of the quieter tables so we can excitedly discuss who did the sickest air that day and review our footage. We order beers and our own small appetizers to limit the spread of any sicknesses, then play cards around the table until our feet are begging to be finally released from our ski boots. Then, since it’s the perfect apres, I find $100 in my pocket, and as I leave, I get a call from Tom Wallisch and he invites me to go to Alaska with him and that a helicopter is waiting for me outside.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

10 years is a long way away for someone who plans only 10 days in advance but ideally, I will be working as an airplane pilot and using my days off to ski. Hopefully I’ll still be making ski movies and shooting photos for what ever the next version of a magazine is.

Gallery of shred!