TEAM FBC ATHLETE INTERVIEWS.
EPISODE 2, KELIAN DUPLAIN
Hey folks and welcome to our second athlete interview, featuring Kelian Duplain.
Kel joined Team FBC in April of this year when we launched our first ever athlete team to coincide with the launch of our first low ABV beer Finish Line Hazy Pale with Lime.
A Quebec native, Kel discovered splitboarding and like many, headed out west..
We touched based with him, to hear more about what’s been going on, and what’s in store – conveniently timed with his episode on Dark Starts Podcast, which went out last week.
If you haven’t heard it, have a listen to episode 44, HERE.
FBC: Three words that best describe you?
Kel: Smiles, high-fives, fish-tacos.
FBC: What pulled you from east to west?
Kel: The idea of a life based around things I enjoy doing, in such a wild spot. I experienced the BC mountains as a teenager on a hiking trip then later on a skate trip, and just knew that I’d be the happiest here.
FBC: How does this season differ from past seasons?
Kel: To be honest not much has changed for me… aside from masks and virus things. But yeah… I’m still teaching avalanche safety courses, walking a lot and boarding a lot so I’m happy!
FBC: Your ideal day….how would you describe it? Coffee – snow – beer?
Kel: Yeah pretty much coffee – snow – beer! If I’m able to wake up earlier than I need to, cook a good breakfast and chill with a coffee for a bit. Then meet up with the shred buddies and either punch a skintrack into a new-to-us zone where we mega-score, or go for some fast top to bottom resort laps when there’s good snow all the way down. And then a tailgate Slingshot, good food and a foam roller session. Always love it when it’s along those lines!
FBC: Winter Camping – your set up looks amazing! Tell us your must haves.
Kel: What’s really key is some sort of tarp to cover the snow fort you can dig and use as a lounge to hang out at night. I always bring an insulating foam pad to use as a seat and to not melt the snow under my mattress into a weird shape. Some hot packs to throw in the slippers when it gets cold is a nice touch too. Good sleep and warmth are everything. Then coffee, tea, lots of chocolate and a few Fernie cans!
FBC: As an experienced guide, what’s your key advice on safety in the backcountry?
Kel: Anywhere you are, just follow the bulletin, not just before heading out but everyday of the week to keep in touch with the snowpack and have a better feel for what’s under your feet. One of the most important sections of the bulletin is the travel advice – which gives pointers on how to work around features of concern, easy to understand and apply. Poking around with a ski pole looking for windslabs when walking, doing a healthy amount of hand shears where you feel one, and getting out of the skintrack to walk on fresh snow every once in a while is also a good way to feel out any red flags if any – paying attention for whumphs, shooting cracks or hollow sounds. Hope my Fernie friends are keeping safe, stoked and warm. Can’t wait to be able to come up for a shred!
FBC: What’s up next?
Kel: Well hopefully a couple of good weather windows for winter camping trips since I haven’t been yet this season. Now the days are getting longer, so it’s a lot more fun. Then I’m starting to plant trees again sometime in April. Until June I’ll be working from home in a local crew, so I’m stoked to be able to go for some Spring turns on my days off!
Thanks Kel, for repping safety in the backcountry, good times, and FBC beer!
Photo credits to: Cédric Landry @cedric.landry
