Bend, Oregon, native Tim Durtschi has been around long enough that you can hardly call last year a breakout year for him. Nevertheless, his footage in Poor Boyz Productions' 2009 film "Every Day Is A Saturday" was good enough to win Powder Awards for both "Best Jib," and "Best Manmade Air." Durtschi carried that momentum into 2010 to overcome frustrating injuries and bag another winter full of unbelievable shots, including a double cork 1080 over Utah's infamous Chad's Gap, for "Revolver," the upcoming release from Poor Boyz Productions.
I had a really good season in Whistler, France, Utah, and Haines, AK. The most fun I had this season was heli skiing with Pep Fujas and Julien Regnier in AK, building jumps in France with Bene and JP, and of course shoveling Chad's Gap for six days straight!
Last year you double flipped Utah's famous Pyramid Gap. This year, you hit Utah's legendarily burly Chad's Gap. Did you double that too?
I did a double cork 1080 over Chad's, the sequence is floating around the internet somewhere but the footage in "Revolver" will be proof that Brent Benson didn't Photoshop it.
Sammy Carlson and Bobby Brown have been in the news lately for stomping triples in the park. But earlier this winter, rumors were spreading about some possible backcountry triples. Care to comment on that?
I was really motivated at the beginning of this season to keep learning new tricks in the backcountry like I did last year filming for "Everyday is a Saturday." Unfortunately I had some crappy injuries like from the tree I crashed into at the beginning of the season (the shot is in the "Revolver" trailer). Then I got a sprained ankle in Whistler, a frostbitten toe in France and a concussion on Chad's Gap. It felt like as soon as I was getting back at it I got knocked down again. I am going into next season with a healthy body and even more fire to learn some new tricks so we will see what happens.
Photo: Erik SeoTim Durtschi can ski a terrain park too. Testing the Sammy Carlson Invitational jump this summer in Mt. Hood.I get the usual butterflies at the top of jumps. But nothing tops the fear I felt at the top of a pillow line I skied this year in Haines (when you see my segment this year you will know what I am talking about). I remember getting a look at it from the heli but once I was standing at the top my memory lapsed completely. It was like my mind didn't want to believe what was below me. So I talked on my radio for at least 20 minutes with the filmers below, who were nice enough to tell me how to locate the entry to my line and then roughly what direction to take from there. I could have easily traversed away from it and chalked it off as a loss, but I charged it and now it is one of my favorite shots in my segment this year. Oh and watching Mike Wilson is frightening, like a NC-17 movie.
When you double flipped Pyramid, over a year ago now, I thought that you had reached the limit. Then you go out this year and double flip Chad's Gap. Can it possibly get any gnarlier? What IS the limit?
I haven't even seen the top yet. There is so much more I want to do. I feel like Chad's and Pyramid are just the beginning. I hit them because they were easy to get to and the best place to really challenge my skills at the time. With these two gaps in the bag, I feel like some more gnar is possible. As for the limit? I don't even think Chuck Norris knows the limit, man.
When I hit the Max Gnarly Level, I will let you know, and I will call Chuck Norris. As for my focus, it's really all about AK for me. This didn't dawn on me until I was in the editing room this summer. None of the footage on my timeline was that interesting (excluding Chad's Gap) until it hit March 27, 2010. I am hoping that the interesting part of my timeline starts in February next year.
What are you doing this summer and fall to prepare for the upcoming season? How much does park in the summer help when you're primarily landing in pow all winter?
I gave up my coaching job at Windell's this summer to my sister Erica Durtschi, so I would have to time to heal up. I am going to South America this September with Sage and Dana Flahr so I am really excited for that. I have never been in the Southern Hemisphere and it will be nice to have a jumpstart on pow skiing.
You took a nasty spill on Sammy's massive jump in Hood this summer. What happened? And are you all right now?
I was really comfortable with the jump but for some reason toward the end of the session I took it with a little too much speed. I am fine, but since my back hurt, they took me down on a sled. That started rumors among campers at Windell's that I was paralyzed, had a broken back—who knows what else.
Pep Fujas has long been the biggest name in backcountry jumping. Then last year in voiceover for "Every Day Is a Saturday," he calls you out as the future, which makes you the present now. Now that you're the present, who is the future?
Bene Mahr. I hit a backcountry jump with him and it was the first time I had someone else throwing doubles back to back with me. It was one of the top five most fun jumps I have ever hit. I am also trying to talk Bene into coming to Haines with PBP next year, and it's looking promising.
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