INTERVIEW OF OUR AMBASSADOR AURELIEN DUCROZ
Our ambassador Aurelien Ducroz, came to visit us at our Manufacture in Plan-les-ouates last week. He had the chance to discover the First Horological Smartwatch. It was also the occasion for us to interview him..
First of all, congratulations for you victory at the 2015 Xtreme Verbier. How does it feel to win again this contest?
It has been very good for sure, because when I was a kid I dreamt about winning this contest one day and now it is already the fourth time. And this win was particularly special as I stopped competing four years ago and it was kind of my comeback there. Of course this was a good comeback because I am still not that old and I still know how to ski. This year was also the 20th anniversary of this event so it was even more special.
Well, we all saw the video…
Yes, it was a great line and I knew that this line could be a winning one, so I only had to realize it. But it was one of those days where everything goes well. Every turn was where I planned and everything went super well. It was just an amazing day and an amazing line. Very technical on the top and then very fluid with two smaller jumps at the bottom, so it went very well for me.
When you arrived at the bottom you cheered. How did you know?
I didn’t know at all because you still have to wait for everybody to go down and I was the first one. But the competition was between me and the mountain. I wanted to ski this line in that way and I managed to do so, that’s why I was happy in the first place. But of course you never know where the other guys will go and what they will do. Anyways when I crossed the gates I was happy because I won my own completion already. And then I had to wait until the end to cheer for another win.
How did you prepare for this contest? In your opinion what is the key to your success?
A lot of people ask me if I really prepare myself for that contest and of course I did, because Xtreme Verbier is very steep faced, extremely dangerous and full of rocks, so of course I had to be well prepared. I have been skiing a lot in steep skiing this winter in Germany, which helped me a lot, and of course jumping. The biggest problem for me was to feel comfortable in steep and that was what I have been working on.
What do you think is the key to your success?
Well, I don’t know really. Verbier is a place where I fell really good and I love that mountain. As soon as I get there the lines just pop out for me very fast and I feel comfortable immediately. It is sort of a very technical base and I have always been a rather technical skier and I know that I feel good on steep bases. So Verbier is a face that corresponds very well to my type of skiing.
How do you actually choose the line? Is it something you do at the moment or do you actually plan it in advance?
No we plan that before. Actually we competed on Saturday and I arrived two days earlier to be able to look at the face before. It is something that takes a little bit of time. Of course the line could come very fast but then all the little details are very important. The first jump was very difficult and technical as I had to go in one and a half meters between two big rocks. Of course, to really find the right angle and speed to manage that jump took me a little bit of time.
To read the second part of the interview, stay tunned !
First of all, congratulations for you victory at the 2015 Xtreme Verbier. How does it feel to win again this contest?
It has been very good for sure, because when I was a kid I dreamt about winning this contest one day and now it is already the fourth time. And this win was particularly special as I stopped competing four years ago and it was kind of my comeback there. Of course this was a good comeback because I am still not that old and I still know how to ski. This year was also the 20th anniversary of this event so it was even more special.
Well, we all saw the video…
Yes, it was a great line and I knew that this line could be a winning one, so I only had to realize it. But it was one of those days where everything goes well. Every turn was where I planned and everything went super well. It was just an amazing day and an amazing line. Very technical on the top and then very fluid with two smaller jumps at the bottom, so it went very well for me.
When you arrived at the bottom you cheered. How did you know?
I didn’t know at all because you still have to wait for everybody to go down and I was the first one. But the competition was between me and the mountain. I wanted to ski this line in that way and I managed to do so, that’s why I was happy in the first place. But of course you never know where the other guys will go and what they will do. Anyways when I crossed the gates I was happy because I won my own completion already. And then I had to wait until the end to cheer for another win.
How did you prepare for this contest? In your opinion what is the key to your success?
A lot of people ask me if I really prepare myself for that contest and of course I did, because Xtreme Verbier is very steep faced, extremely dangerous and full of rocks, so of course I had to be well prepared. I have been skiing a lot in steep skiing this winter in Germany, which helped me a lot, and of course jumping. The biggest problem for me was to feel comfortable in steep and that was what I have been working on.
What do you think is the key to your success?
Well, I don’t know really. Verbier is a place where I fell really good and I love that mountain. As soon as I get there the lines just pop out for me very fast and I feel comfortable immediately. It is sort of a very technical base and I have always been a rather technical skier and I know that I feel good on steep bases. So Verbier is a face that corresponds very well to my type of skiing.
How do you actually choose the line? Is it something you do at the moment or do you actually plan it in advance?
No we plan that before. Actually we competed on Saturday and I arrived two days earlier to be able to look at the face before. It is something that takes a little bit of time. Of course the line could come very fast but then all the little details are very important. The first jump was very difficult and technical as I had to go in one and a half meters between two big rocks. Of course, to really find the right angle and speed to manage that jump took me a little bit of time.
To read the second part of the interview, stay tunned !
