In only a few seasons, Mathieu Schaer has climbed up the shred ladder to become one of the main riders in the Absinthe crew. In fact, you only have to watch this overtalented Swiss ripper to realise how good he is, and how naturally he evolves in the backcountry. This, plus the fact that he also goes to university at the same time leaves us speechless. Like with Jari Sorasalmi, we met Mat in Meribel during the DC Shred Days and asked him about this mystery…

This season is now nearly over for most, how did it go for you?

This season wasn’t as good as the last one for me. I’ve been injured quite a bit and this knee injury bugged me for longer than expected this winter. I guess I got back too soon, and in the end it wasn’t a great idea. It’s kind of hard in the head when you know it’s going to hurt if you don’t land correctly… I also had less time to ride because of university. It was hard to get back into it as well since I had stopped my studies last year to concentrate fully on snowboarding. But next winter I will be more free again and will have more time to shred.

We always wonder how you manage to combine snowboarding and studies. How do you find the time to succeed in both?

Good question, ahah! I don’t really know. I do work a lot, I’m very motivated and I always try to organise my stuff in advance. It’s not always easy, for sure, like trying to study after a day out riding. But the good thing is, I love to switch from one to the other. Studying offers me more perspective than just snowboarding, and shredding help me stay focussed on what I want to achieve. Plus I get to meet all kinds of different people, and I sometimes have the impression to live 2 different lives! So I take it as a privilege, even though it’s demanding sometimes.

What was your best snowboard trip this winter?

We went twice in the Dolomites in Italy, it was cool. We had a crazy amount of snow there, and the mountains are beautiful and fun to ride. The good pizzas at cheap price don’t hurt either! They also put signs everywhere to stop people riding off piste, so most people stay on the piste and the backcountry stays spotless for days! That’s the best thing about it when you compare with how it is at home!

With Standard not making a video this winter, Absinthe got a few more riders on its rooster. Who are the ones that really impressed you?

Yes, we were stoked to get to ride with those guys. For example Mathieu Crepel, Nils Arvidsson and Victor Delerue are really sick riders and I was stoked to rider with them. They are not new in the game, but just shredding the backcountry with them is so amazing!

How was it to end your season in Meribel for the Shred Days? Generally park isn’t your thing?

The Shred Days were cool, it’s nice to be there and see all this people and feel the brilliant atmosphere. For sure park isn’t really what I’m used to, so I don’t go crazy. But it was really fun to ride there with the whole team, and watch the rail machines destroy the park. But it seems the season isn’t over for me yet! At this moment, it’s snowing in Saas Fee, so I’m off there now! After a good season like this, I wonuldn’t be surprised if there’s stuff to do until like end of May, for those who don’t mind walking a bit!

I know Alaska is one of your favorite place to ride. What’s your best story from this place?

Alaska is amazing, it’s like time stops when you’re there. This one time this fisherman brought us a King Crab, alive and enormous, saying that this was the best ever and that it’s really rare to find one, especially that big. Then he explained us how to prepare it. First you go by the ocean, put your hands in the animal’s mouth and pull his head back and crack it open. The you empty it, alive… You throw all the organs into the ocean and just keep the eatable part. Then you simply boil it into sea water. The best taste ever, but it was very disgusting to do all this to this poor animal. Especially the ‘head breaking technique’ didn’t go as well as expected… It was a bit of a carnage. But the taste was amazing, best thing I ever tasted!

Read all about Mathieu in the Profile we published a while back. Also check this short edit of Mat in his hood.

To read about the previous Miniviews, click this tag.

The DC Area 43 Mottaret park in Meribel saw 3 days of fun and shred from an all-star cast, despite the changing weather.

The DC Chalet has been busy all season long but last week was kind of the apotheose of a full, fun and productive season for the DC crew. For this final gathering, some of the team’s superstars showed up, as well as most of the Euro, French, GB and Spanish teams. Check it: Lauri Heskari, Mat Schaer, Piotr Janosz, Jani Sorasalmi, Elias Veijola, Rachida Aoulad, Dimitri Biau, Petr Horak, Mons Roisland, amazing 8 year old Benni Fridbjornsson, Lucas Benacchio, Franck Moissonnier… The list was long, and the show at the bottom of the piste on Wednesday was epic. The minishred course built after a first day on the park was taken by force by thousand of tourists and seasonnaires at the Rond Point, and 8 year old Benni pretty much killed it and got the respect of the crowd with pretty nice airs on the corner and frontflips on the volcano.

Lauri also brought his friends Eero Ettala and Heikki Sorsa along to film some ore for the fifth episode of Cooking with Gas season 2. They also represented proudly on that minishred session by throwing some of the biggest airs of the day, way above an half drunk half ecstatic crowd.

The park was where the stuff happened all season but for the Shred Days it all started on a street rail the night before: Jani and Elias pretty much destroyed a super long rail in Mottaret village – didn’t count the stairs but it was freaking long before the things even started. At least Elias will go back home with a banger, because injury didn’t leave him alone for very long: the gap flat down on the park punished a front board with a bad slam on the shoulder. And on the same day, Basa Stevulova, who was around with the rest of the Roxy crew, took also a super hard slam on the rail into town (the one from the first night), and had to go to hospital for a head check – she’s now fine. In the park earlier that day, Elias and Jani managed to transfer the massive hip in the middle of the park – that’s just before Elias got hurt… While Lucas and the Frenchies were concentrating on 7s from the two mid down kickers.

The second day on the park was pretty foggy and white, but that didn’t stop neither the little boardercross style course, country by country – I think the Frenchies won this – nor the BBQ up the hill. But you know, the Shred Days are also about the parties, and every night was a great night, filled with surprises, like this amazing magician playing tricks to Lauri and his friends.

The final day was more mellow, and the visit to the park got shortened by a pretty wintery weather. But the mission was easily accomplished, and that’s not even talking about the final night with concert on the ice ring, lead by Ministry of Sound / London.

Thanks again DC for the great times, we always love to come to Meribel, and we’ll be back!

More photos here: www.facebook.com/DC.Area43

The Finnish DC dudes are back with another rad, inspiring edit shot entirely on their GoPros at Talma. Dang, that little box can do some wicked shit.

DC Shoes Finland Snowboard team’s new video project “DC x GoPro”. Episode no.3 is filmed at resort called “Talma Ski ” with Jani Sorasalmi, Joel Ahola, Michael Ståhlberg and Elias Veijola

Make sure you check the earlier episodes of their DC Finland x GoPro project.

The Finnish DC snowboard team teamed up with GoPro for some sick park edits. Featured Finns: Jani Sorasalmi, Joel Ahola, Samuli Pere. Go check this park trick slo-mo black-and-white fest from Serena!

DC have just unleashed the teaser for their first team movie since the Mtn Lab days. Must Be Nice is the name, and as you’d expect with dudes like Devun Walsh, Torstein Horgmo, Lauri Heiskari and Iikka Backstrom on the roster the riding looks like it’ll be off the chain. Have a sneak peek…

The full flick is set to drop on the DC Snowboarding Facebook page on October 1st, so head over, get your Like on keep in the loop.