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Melanie Bernier
US Sponsored Athlete
Originally from Quebec City, Melanie grew up skiing and competing moguls on hard pack snow. When she finally realized the there was more to skiing then icy moguls, she moved the BC.
She spent five wonderful years skiing in Whistler where she first got introduced to backcountry skiing and completely felt in love with it. Her competitive spirit also brought her to enter her first Ski Mountaineering race in 2006.
Since then, she has been close if not at the top of the Canadian Ranking, travelled to Switzerland, Argentina, Patagonia and Chile to explore and race and moved to Revelstoke, BC to get access to great terrain and amazing snow.
Melanie recently found time to chat to us about what it's like being a sponsored athlete:-
'My name is Melanie Bernier and I am a passionate skier originally from the East Coast of Canada. I have been living and loving the West Coast for almost 8 years and have been calling Revelstoke home for the last 2 years after spending 6 wonderful years in Whistler. What brought me here in the first place was the snow! The mountain culture is what has kept me from leaving. When I look back, skiing and competing in moguls in Quebec City was great but I was definitely looking for more.
Living in the mountains has given me the opportunity to get familiar with amazing terrain and I have been compelled to seek adventure. By combining my love of backcountry skiing with my disciplined competitive spirit, it made sense to me to start entering Ski Mountaineering races. It is really easy to fall in love with such a great sport and gaining the fitness through racing helps me accomplish mountaineering goals and vice versa. Being part of a small community where many strong skiers live helps me to be motivated to keep on pushing my own limits whether it is an extra lap at the end of a long day or reaching a peak in a newly explored zone.
In the off season, I still live in the mountains. Mountain bike racing is my second love when there is no white stuff to be found. I am the owner of a small Residential Design Business, as well as a part-time ski patroller at the ski hill in Revelstoke, because of this I have the flexibility to play outside a lot over the seasons. I love what I do and love to share my passion with others.
Little known facts:
What must I carry: Besides from a large bar of Hazelnut Chocolate and some warm herbal tea, my puffy jacket is my favorite thing in my bag
Music on Ipod? Anything groovy, actually everything but COUNTRY MUSIC!
Favorite Food? Home made Roast or Fondue
Favorite Color? Blue
Favorite Salsa? Mango /Tomato
Dog or Cat? Dog for their companionship
Biggest Accomplishments to date:
3 times Woman Canadian National Champion for Ski Mountaineer Racing
16th at the last Worlds Championships in Andorra 2010
66th Co-ed team at the classic 4 days stage race the Pierra Manta in France 2010
Project for now & goals?
Top 12 at the Claut Italy 2011 World Championships
Top 5 at the Marmotta Trophy World Cup 2011
A 14 day ski traverse of the Freshfield and Columbia Icefields, with intentions to summit Mt Forbes and
Keep on racing hard, having fun and ski around the globe!
'When I was competing in moguls, I was really looking up to my idol Jean-Luc Brassard. He was my motivation to get more into skiing. One day he came to compete at my small town hill and I got to meet him, and I was able to full fill my dream of asking for his autograph. I was stoked for months after! Recently while in Austria, a couple of the national ski mountaineering team members and myself were asked to be part of an interview for the local TV in Landeck. We climbed the ski hill with the local Search and Rescue (SAR) team and then shared a great lunch. As we were packing up to leave, one of the SAR crew members came out with a felt pen in hand asking us to sign his ski! Coming from a country where the sport is slowly growing and barely recognized, we took it as quite the honor. I never would have thought in a million years that the roles would ever be reversed!!!!'
