If you would like to know a bit more about Anthony, we asked him few questions :
What has been your best ever feedback?
I guess it’s not technically feedback but it was pretty cool so I’m going to count it: I was 19, and it was my first ever week teaching, so I had first timers. They all progressed really well so we were skiing all over the mountain by the end of the week, and this one kid came up to me to tell me he had had the best week ever and I had made him completely fall in love with skiing and he wanted to know how to keep doing it. I gave him a bit of advice and didn’t really think much more about it – until a few months ago when I somehow stumbled across his Instagram and saw that he had just finished his first set of instructor exams. And I know that wasn’t all me but I’d like to think that I at least lit the match.
How did it make you feel?
It made me feel really proud both of myself – and him. It also got me super excited for teaching more because it showed me how big an impact you really can have.
Why do you love teaching?
I love teaching so much as it allows me to share the thing I love to do the most with so many other people. And when you see the look on the face of someone who’s just nailed their goal – whether it’s landing the trick they have been trying to learn for ages, smashing through the bumps properly or even just linking together two snowplough turns on Les Esserets, it’s a pretty good feeling.
What’s your highlight of the summer?
The highlight of my summer is getting to ride my bike all the time. Mountain biking is my second great love, so it’s awesome getting to do that almost every day. Mind you, by May, I am already missing the snow.
What is your top technical tip?
My top technical tip would be to always look up and ahead. It’s going to be really hard to build speed and confidence or even maintain control if you’re staring at the tip of your skis. You need to be looking ahead down the mountain, looking for the next couple of turns. If an obstacle is already at the tips of your skis, it’s too late to do anything about it.
What is your favourite run in Verbier?
My favourite run is a tough one. There are so many incredible places in Verbier, we’re spoilt. Mont Gele is obviously hard to beat on a good day and the La Chaux snowpark has been getting better and better over the past couple of seasons. But I think I’m going to have to say Lac du Vaux area. I know that it’s pretty short, but that means the lift is also short. There is also so much different terrain around: it’s got flat sections, steep sections, bumpy sections and rollers everywhere. This means that you can do pretty much everything from teaching beginners to doing some pretty big freeride, it’s hard to top that.
Why are you returning to Altitude?
I’m returning to Altitude – again – because I love the team, and the really relaxed and friendly atmosphere. We have a lot of fun, but it’s also a really great team of instructors.
What is the highlight of your skiing career?
One of the highlights would have to be when I was about 15 and went to visit a friend (from mountain bike racing) who was doing a season in St Anton. We were up in the park and for some reason there was a pretty big crowd. I somehow managed to land a 720 at my first ever attempt and the whole crowd went absolutly nuts. It was definitely a bit of an overreaction, but nevertheless it got me totally pumped and motivated to progress and I think that it’s a big part of why I still love it so much. That or seeing one of my students land their first ever backflip, that’s pretty cool too.