Max Durtschi

Athlete Details:

Age:  19
Division: FWQ Men's Ski
Home Town:  Girdwood, Alaska
Home Mountain:  Alyeska
Team:  Western Freeride Team

Freeriding Titles

• 2015 FWQ Men's SKi Champion

Describe a highlight moment from your 2015 IFSA season.

Pretty much all of my trip to Taos, NM was one of those moments for me. It was my first 4-star and my first time skiing at Taos. Then it snowed and snowed and snowed and I skied some of the deepest snow of my life with my teammates and friends. It doesn’t really get much better than that.

Where can you be found when you are not freeriding?

I spend my summers in Alaska working on my families commercial fishing boat in the beautiful Prince William Sound. Once the season ends I still like to be in mountains mostly riding mountain bikes.

What can't you stop talking about?

Ha, right now it’s fishing. I am currently in the car, driving to Whittier to make some final preparations on the boat. The refrigeration system needs to be primed, we have a new hydraulic hose to replace a leaky old one, some new lights need to be installed and of course oil changes for all the engines. But, I’m always thinking about skiing and doing everything I can to prepare for next season.

What would you like to see change in the world and how can you make it happen?

I would like see more people take notice of the effect people are having on our world. This past winter, Alaska had one of the warmest and wettest winters on record which for for myself and many others who like our winters cold and powder-filled was very alarming. Awareness is the first step towards a remedy and alerting people to the signs of climate change around us today is how I try to make a difference.

Tell us something about yourself that is unusual or little known.

I know a guy who makes a very fine soft-serve ice cream cone.

Freestyle Q!

I’m just stoked to be part of such an awesome group of people and next winter can’t come soon enough!

Shout Outs

I’d like to thank my parents first and foremost, for always supporting my skiing endeavors, my brother Reiker for pushing me harder than anyone else, Chanc Deschamps-Prescott for introducing me to Big Mountain competitions in addition to being a great friend along the way and the Western Freeride Team for being the best teammates and coaches to ride with all winter.