Inside IPRW 2023 – What did the Athletes Say?

Teton Gravity Research's annual International Pro Rider Workshop - a meeting of the minds of some of the world's best athletes, production crew, and mountain safety instructors - has always been a hallmark of our annual program. This season, we had nearly 30 athletes and crew in attendance, and we caught up with a few of them afterwards to hear what lessons stuck around and their take on the whole thing.

Chris Rubens:

I have always been impressed with the TGR crew for their commitment to safety. It is super apparent working with the program's veterans, and they are dialed. It is so cool how you go to that and can instantly trust the people you are going out with. I guess I didn't have any big takeaways. I'm a huge proponent of that style of event and everything about it is awesome. Practicing with your peers is essential and makes everyone safer and better. I think every film crew and ski company should be doing this with their athletes. As budgets get smaller, people are out there more and more on their own, deeper and deeper, and they should know what they are really getting into.

Janelle Yip:

At IPRW I learned to trust myself most of all. I was appointed the team leader of our group. I have never been put into a leadership role and tend to shy away from it but I took charge, and was really happy when I was able to react well under pressure. I've never tested myself in that way, and I learned that a rescue scenario takes a long time. It's nice to know I can trust myself and my team to respond well.

Tim Durtschi:

This year was an Inferno year so I knew that we were going to be thrown into an intense rescue scenario. I decided to be the team leader of our inferno group. I had the most experience of all our team members so it made sense and I was happy to step out of my comfort zone and challenge myself in a leadership role. I have been attending IPRW since 2012 and have found it to be a necessary part of my pre-season preparation. I've found that building these skills helps me manage fear and uncertainty in the backcountry and also builds trust between athletes, production, filmers and our guides. I know that I will be thinking back to what I have learned many times during our filming trips this upcoming season.

Amie Engerbretson:

IPRW has become a staple of my season. It is so valuable to start the winter off not only refreshing my knowledge and skills, but also adding more and testing them to the max. This year I really learned the importance of communication, leadership and delegating. Our Inferno team had incredible leadership with Ben Dan and he did a great job of delegating jobs to everyone on our team that suited their strengths. We may not have been the fastest team but we took great care of our patient and each other throughout the scenario. IPRW always gives me the chance to make sure all my gear is dialed and this year I am stepping up not only my in the field rescue kit but also my secondary kit that will live at the trailhead or at basecamp!