If you have been following the blog you probably noticed we did a bit of traveling, a bit of skiing at Hood, and alot of working mixed with relaxation in the sun. We have met up with Durtschi a few times, and now that things have settled down and winter is around the corner we decided to sit down and see how his season went, and what his plans are for next year. We are so used to talking to Tim, via Iphone, Twitter and human interaction, that we often pass many good opportunities to write down what he has to say for the blog here at sagaouterwear.com. Well we are finally going to have a real talk, here are some words on the computer passed on to us from of Tim Durtschi. He has done a host of online interviews that you can check out at Powder, ESPNSki, so thank you Tim for taking the Time to do one more.
This season we got to hang out with you in Vegas while you were injured, and then we helped you build Chad’s Gap in early March. People are probably wondering why you did a Durtschi Diaries of Vegas, while the rest of the ski world was hard at work at the dew tour and building there footy cache. This is a good time to set the record straight on that.
I had an ankle injury that I skied on in France and on my return Stateside, I tried to ski on it at Mt. Baker. I was just pushing it to soon, my ankle needed time to heal and being the heart of the season, It was hard for me to really take a break and let my ankle get the rest it needed. So getting a call from Saga with an invite to Vegas was the perfect opportunity to get away from the snow and really let things heal. I kept the level of partying low, and spent alot of the daytime in the Hotel gym. The crazy thing about Vegas hotels is that they all have overly nice gyms and they are empty for the most part. Who wants to excercise in Vegas?
You are heading to South America in a few days. As far as we can remember you have always talked about doing a trip there, but it has never panned out, what made it happen for you this year?
I have always tried to make my way south for some off-season skiing. I never really had the budget to do that, or a real reason to go. This year I was invited by Atomic, to be a part of the catalog shoot they do there every year. I was not really expecting to be a part of the shoot, but I have to thank Atomic for giving me the chance to go down there. It will be relaxed for the most part, explore the terrain there, and Adam Clark will be getting the photos along the way for Atomic.
That reminds me, your pro model jacket, it came just in time for you to try it out in Bariloche, what do you think about that?
I tried on the sample earlier this summer but I didn’t ride in it at Mt. Hood since I was trying out the Vest. So getting to try it out in snowy conditions before the season here starts is really going to be fun. I tried out the black suit at Alyeska Summer camp and was really happy with the water proofing and the upgrade to 3 layer. Alot of people were dissapointed that I did not release the jacket I wore in Everyday is a Saturday. The reason for that was waiting a year to have time to make it the way I really wanted it, and not rush it just to have it out there.
So not rushing your jacket gave you time to add alot of detail, tell everyone about this detail!
well the 3 layer is universal on the whole line, as well as the new shiny logos instead of sewn logos. There is going to be some really cool art on the inside mesh. I can’t wait to see the final product.
Your Girlfriend wore the GF-Combo last year, (the varcity pants and white Jacket). Has she picked out a suit combo for this year?
She is still deciding, but last I heard she wanted the king cobra and grey pants!
We can tell you are a fan of the Online Store Live chat window, because your always writing us on there. It seems like even you have questions about our company, or you just like to annoy us, is it nice being able to get a hold of Saga 24/7?
Haha, the first time I used the chat I didn’t really know it was a real person or an automated answering thing. So I asked some funny test questions like, “how much is a patch Kit?” and somehow they could tell it was me. It has been useful, because if I text or call you guys and get no response, I will go on there and you pretty much have to answer my question when it has gone to that level.
To this date your still the only person to ask the price of a patch kit.
it is 8 US dollars right?
Yes, now please don’t go on their asking what that is in Yen or pesos. So we added the online chat to help decrease the amount of questions you get asked on Facebook about the outerwear, has there been a decrease?
There has not! But I am totally cool with people talking to me on facebook. Saga customers chat to me on there alot and I try and respond to as many messages with questions as I can. If a kid walked into a shop he would ask alot of questions to the shop guys about the stuff they are buying. Since Saga only sells online I feel it is important that we answer those questions.
That is really nice of you to respond, I just hope Facebook doesn’t cut into your ski time.
It doesn’t I promise! So during the winter I might have less time to answer the questions, so that is where the online chat window will be key.
Perfect. On the subject of ski time, we were pretty busy in Salt lake this winter, moving into our new office and filming our team at Park City. When you started building Chads gap, we dropped what we were doing and made sure to be there to help you out with that project. I can’t remember how many people were involved can you?
Over the course of the week, I would say at least 25 individuals put shovel to the jump. Johnny Decesare even flew up from LA to put in some work, and film (he had to be back the next day and the weather didnt work out while he was there). I loved having you guys there to help out. Jordan was sitting at the top of the in-run…. thank goodness becasue I do not think I could have stood up there with just a radio and felt as calm as I was before dropping. Also I am not embarrassed to say that I really am thankful to the both of you guys for shuffling my skis up the in run so I didn’t have to hit the jump with a sore shoulder! The little things are what you I always look back at in the future, and it was great to have my close friends there for Chad’s.
Thanks Tim, we try to be there for as many shoots as possible, Wiley films around Utah alot and we helped him out with Rocker gap. It would be sick to see you and Wiley team up on a gap, or a backcountry game of HORSE perhaps?
Yes hopefully we can do a Saga shoot next year, so we can do something big together that is we could do together that didnt conflict with our other film plans. Wiley is pretty busy all season filming with Level 1 and TGR, and I am always busy with PBP and what not, sometimes I want to just ski with you guys. I used to think it was crazy when athletes would take time off from the season to take Avalanche courses and just ride for them selves, but it is starting to make sense to me now because filming takes alot of effort and can turn a powder day where you would get 10 sick runs in, into 3 or 4 drawn out runs.
You and Wiley are the oldest members of the Saga team. You have had some time to hang out with the younger guys on our team, you ran into Andy Partridge in Whistler for a second, and you helped sell boardshorts with Scott Damon at Windells, and skied with Nick Keefer during the Sammy Carlson Invite.
The team has changed alot over the past few years, and Saga has done a good job of picking up some younger athletes who are on fire. Nicky Keefer showed me some footage for 4bi9 movie and it looks real sick. These kids are learning new stuff everytime they get on the hill, and it makes it really exciting to see how much they progress each year.
We also saw from the blog that you skied with your cousin Max at the Alyeska Summer camp, whats up with Max?
Yea Max Durtschi is 14, he grew up so fast! He grew up skiing at Alyeska and has done some big mountain contests up there, and he learned switch 5’s first try at camp. It made me really excited because I learned switch 540s at the Alyeska Summer camp when I was his age. I had alot of fun skiing with Max, and its cool seeing more Durtschi talent, its in the fam.
You blogged alot about that camp in AK, is it going on next year? Obviously you were drawn there because its your home mountain, and you wanted to give back to the camp that got you started
I am really excited to be more involved with the camp next year. Its such a good opportunity for of the kids in Alaska who can’t make it down south to a summer camp at Hood/Whistler. In my opinion, the no crowds, full mountain and full length lift accessed park in June is not matched anywhere in the Northern hemisphere. I am trying to get some more pro’s to come next year, and hopefully get more of the Saga team up there.
We would all love to come up to Alaska, the ski scene is mostly in the lower 48, but Alaska is where the great skiing is. Well if we ask too many questions this interview might not fit on the front page, so maybe we will leave you with a chance to say some final thoughts and call it a day on this interview.
I would like to thank my sponsors, Atomic, Smith, Mt. Bachelor as well as a new sponsor of Poor Boyz and myself, Pull-in Underwear. I wish I was in Utah right now enjoying the fruits of the Saga Office, the heat is finally subsiding in Salt lake is it not? Well Either way, I miss in-n-out burger. I would like to say hi to Julie baby, who I have not seen in a month(sad face). Also want to say hi to Erica, who got to ski a ton at Windell’s this Summer and if she was your coach, then you were a lucky camper.
This interview was conducted by Austin Stevens, Jordan Harper, and Andy Mallet from Saga Outerwear.
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