Cloé, passionate freerider

Meeting with Cloé, Decathlon team member and passionate freerider. From the Vosges, where she grew up, to the Alps, where she skis now, we will focus on her skiing career and her test season on new freeride skis by Wedze, the SLASH 100

Hello cloé, can you introduce yourself?

I'm Cloé, 32 years old and I am manager of the skiing department in the Saint-Etienne Decathlon store. I live with Pierre, a passionate skier and ski patrol member, with whom I share this love of the mountains and outdoor/board sports. I enjoy skiing, kayaking, snowboarding, trail running and MTB... but I am not great at the latter! I didn't do particularly well at school, and like everyone who loves sport, I was advised to study sport science, but soon realised that I didn't want to be a sports teacher. I passed my medium-mountain guide certificate and later my ski-patrol diploma. I never worked much in the ski patrol, but it was definitely that course that really developed my passion for skiing. Currently, I am responsible for the skiing department and instructor for Decathlon and at the weekend I enjoy my passion to the full.

What is your experience as a skier, and especially as a freerider?

I was lucky to have parents who loved skiing and I have always been skiing, I learned with my uncle who is an instructor. We went on at least a one week skiing holiday in the winter and also skied at home, in the Vosges, particularly in middle and high school, when I was at ski camp. I always skied without pressure, without any competition, and I only passed a certificate (Flèche Vermeil) when I did my patrol diploma and improved my skiing skills. Then I was lucky to meet Pierre, who is really passionate and skis at a very high level. Even though I skied off-piste a bit when I was younger, with family, or when I went snowboarding, Pierre really was instrumental in encouraging me to go freeriding. He taught me to enjoy all the possible types of snow!It is rather useful when you don't live near ski resorts, because conditions aren't always perfect when you go there and you have to adapt.

"The SLASH is made for fun female skiers who only want one pair of skis for the season!"

Cloé, passionate freerider

How do you prepare for your freeride sessions?

With Pierre, during the week we study where snow is/will fall and the weather forecast for the weekend or that day. From Saint-Etienne, we can easily go to different resorts, particularly resorts around Grenoble, which are the closest.
Generally, I prefer small resorts, for their natural environment, and I feel each time I am having a new adventure and rediscover small off-piste routes each year.I especially love sharing with locals to discover routes that I probably would not have looked at, and it is an opportunity to leave tracks far from other skiers. I have already had a perfect day like that in La Grave, the temple of Freeriding, with a ski patrol friend who took us out on the glacier. It was simple perfection, we had great descents and enjoyed the glorious view, exploring the outer boundaries of the resort. I get out the SLASH 100 for these kinds of days, they are perfect to explore in all conditions and I know that they will not rip my thighs to shreds!I would say they are perfect skis for freeriders with good technique because they have some punch and a good wood core, who only want one pair for the entire season. Basically, it is designed for fun skiers who don't want to overthink things!

Can you tell us about your job as an ambassador for our freeride brand?

Each freerider will have their own feel with their skiing style and commit on the slope, generally speaking, I prefer skis with 100 at the waist. The SLASH 100 is therefore a ski that suits me, with a double rocker at the tip and a high heel. These are great backcountry skis on piste, with which you can carve and will take you off piste very easily on all types of snow (deep snow, bumps, crusted snow, etc.) They are easy to pivot, very well balanced, they are precise, and I don't have to force too much so I avoid burning thighs after each descent!
Even when I push them in unfavourable conditions, I haven't yet found the limits of the skis or ways in which they can really be improved, they are pleasant and well balanced even in deep snow. Of all the Decathlon skis that I have tested so far, they are the first I have appreciated that much, they are also my favourite skis of all the ones I tested last year, all brands included.

Thank you for that cloé, you get the final words!

This was a great adventure for me this year, and I hope it will continue with more developments. It was a pleasure to take part in this freeride project and in the development and testing in the prototyping stage.I was incredibly lucky and I would like to thank the entire Wedze team for their trust and guidance throughout this adventure.

Cedric piatek

Digital leader

#powderday