2008-06-25 00:00:00, Leah Poulton
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At 21 years old, Chris Benchetler is hardly a new name on the freeskiing scene. The Mammoth Lakes, California native has already made his mark on the big mountain skiing world with huge parts with Poorboyz Productions and Nimbus Independent’s “Hunting Yeti” project, a pro model from Atomic, and a ton of media coverage (including the epic Powder Mag cover shot). I managed to catch Chris during a free moment just after the release of webisode three of Hunting Yeti.
Age: 21
Hometown: Mammoth Lakes, Ca
Sponsors: Atomic, Sessions, Dragon, DaKine, ClifBar, Cti2, Joystick, Adio, and Mammoth Mountain
So the season is coming to a close… what were the highlights of 2007-2008 for you?
Japan would definitely be one. JP Auclair and I went in January and skied tits deep powder almost every day. Another I would say, getting a pro model ski with Atomic. I am still in the process of fine tuning everything, but it should be ready to go this fall, and seeing the process build step by step has been a very cool experience.
You were pretty busy this year, traveling and filming with Nimbus Independent. How has working on Hunting Yeti impacted you as a skier?
It has really made me appreciate where I’m at in skiing. Being able to travel with great friends who have the same mindset, goals, and ideas with skiing is a dream come true.
You spend a lot of time with the other guys on the Yeti crew, packed into cars, hotel rooms, etc… How often do you start pissing each other off?
We are actually all pretty calm and collected. And since we have the same mindset and goals, we tend not to get too pissy.
Is there someone in the Yeti crew who you know you could never live with?
All of them. I love living in California, and they love their homes. Bunch a weirdos!
What do you do after the snow melts in the summer?
Surf as much as possible. I suck, but I love challenging myself in different aspects of life.
You’ve said that Pep Fujas was the one who helped push you in the right direction for getting your contract with K2 in 2004. How did you guys first end up skiing together?
Pep and I met while he was living up in mammoth. I use to follow him around the park, and I’m sure he got sick of me, so he gave me some skis to shut me up.
A couple seasons ago, you decided to focus more on backcountry and filming and move away from the contest scene. Do you see yourself continuing in this style? Is not doing a lot of contests ever a problem for sponsors?
Yeah. Contest began to make me a little lopsided. I lost sight of why I loved skiing. When I would choke it started putting stress on my skiing. And for me, skiing has always been my release from life’s stresses and a good escape from reality. I was fortunate with the people I met and the sponsors I had. They all allowed me to film and progress my skiing in the BC, which is the plan for many years to come.
Did you ever have a problem with conflicting schedules with filming for Hunting Yeti and Poor Boyz this season?
Not really. It got a little hectic with my 2 injuries, but for the most part I had it fairly planned out.
Hometown: Mammoth Lakes, Ca
Sponsors: Atomic, Sessions, Dragon, DaKine, ClifBar, Cti2, Joystick, Adio, and Mammoth Mountain
So the season is coming to a close… what were the highlights of 2007-2008 for you?
Japan would definitely be one. JP Auclair and I went in January and skied tits deep powder almost every day. Another I would say, getting a pro model ski with Atomic. I am still in the process of fine tuning everything, but it should be ready to go this fall, and seeing the process build step by step has been a very cool experience.
You were pretty busy this year, traveling and filming with Nimbus Independent. How has working on Hunting Yeti impacted you as a skier?
It has really made me appreciate where I’m at in skiing. Being able to travel with great friends who have the same mindset, goals, and ideas with skiing is a dream come true.
You spend a lot of time with the other guys on the Yeti crew, packed into cars, hotel rooms, etc… How often do you start pissing each other off?
We are actually all pretty calm and collected. And since we have the same mindset and goals, we tend not to get too pissy.
Is there someone in the Yeti crew who you know you could never live with?
All of them. I love living in California, and they love their homes. Bunch a weirdos!
What do you do after the snow melts in the summer?
Surf as much as possible. I suck, but I love challenging myself in different aspects of life.
You’ve said that Pep Fujas was the one who helped push you in the right direction for getting your contract with K2 in 2004. How did you guys first end up skiing together?
Pep and I met while he was living up in mammoth. I use to follow him around the park, and I’m sure he got sick of me, so he gave me some skis to shut me up.
A couple seasons ago, you decided to focus more on backcountry and filming and move away from the contest scene. Do you see yourself continuing in this style? Is not doing a lot of contests ever a problem for sponsors?
Yeah. Contest began to make me a little lopsided. I lost sight of why I loved skiing. When I would choke it started putting stress on my skiing. And for me, skiing has always been my release from life’s stresses and a good escape from reality. I was fortunate with the people I met and the sponsors I had. They all allowed me to film and progress my skiing in the BC, which is the plan for many years to come.
Did you ever have a problem with conflicting schedules with filming for Hunting Yeti and Poor Boyz this season?
Not really. It got a little hectic with my 2 injuries, but for the most part I had it fairly planned out.
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