US Freeskier Maggie Voisin finds inspiration in the mountains

US Freeskier, three-time Olympian and X Games medalist, Maggie Voisin. | Photo: Nic Alegre

Skiing at three, dirt biking at six. Whitefish Montana native Maggie Voisin was destined for a life of skiing from a very early age. After moving to Park City at the age of fourteen, Voisin found her flow in the park and worked her way to the multiple X Games, World Cups, and three Olympics. This winter, through a fortuitous call with TGR athlete Parkin Costain, Maggie found there was more in store for her than fat rails and podium finishes.

So what happens when you put a slopestyle medalist in the backcountry? From navigation nerves, to big air and stuck snowmobiles, Maggie’s story takes us from Wyoming’s backcountry terrain to Alaska spines. Watch Maggie's episode of Legends In The Making.

When did you know you’d be a professional skier?

Growing up in Whitefish, Montana, skiing’s been my passion since I was ten years old. By age 12, I knew deep inside that I was going to the X-Games. I just love it. I was 15 years old when I made the U.S. Ski Team. I won a silver medal in Slopestyle at my first X Games in 2014. It's been my whole life. I’ve had such a successful career on the contest side of things. And I’ve always known that I wanted to step out into the mountains. Maybe because I grew up in Montana, the pursuit of the backcountry is real.

So your dad is your OG legend?

He really influenced me and helped grow my love and passion for the mountains. I remember my dad always telling me it's such a gift that at such a young age, I found my passion and my love. He’s a big backcountry skier. He’d rather be where others aren’t. He got me into touring early on. Honestly, my dad is so proud of my competitive freestyle career. And when I told him I was heading to AK, I could tell this was the most proud he was of me.

Alright, let’s start from the beginning of the winter. It started with a call to Parkin?

I've been trying to ski a bit more out of the park this season. So I’ve been talking to Parkin more, picking his brain. I gave him a call the other day. I was at the grocery store, it was like 6 pm. He sent me some pictures from the zone they were scoping out. The crew was about to ski the next day and I literally just was like: I'M SO JEALOUS. Parkin says: You should come. It's three and a half hours away.

My inner monologue was like: “I can't not take this opportunity. I don't have anything going on this weekend. I want to be filming, I want to be out.” At the same time, my brain is going: “How insane is it gonna be?” I went home, packed my bags, grabbed my sled, and got my butt to Wyoming by midnight and was up early the next day ready to go.

Maggie brings her park style to the Wyoming backcountry. | Photo: Nic Alegre

I don’t think you really had a choice.

Not at all. I knew I had to take it, and I had no idea what to expect. This is my first time really in the backcountry with Parkin. To be out there with someone that I trust, I know he knows my skiing. It was the perfect combination and such an epic day in the mountains. It was my first time meeting Jake and he's such a rad guy. Plus, he dug my sled out a bunch, so thanks, Jake, for that.

Talk to us about sled access in Wyoming.

It’s crazy to think. For me, the skiing is the easy part. When you go out in the backcountry on a snowmobile, you're relying on this machine to get you crazy deep into the mountains. There's a risk factor to it, when you’re so far away from civilization. If things go wrong, it gets bad fast. You gotta trust your crew and really know what you're doing when you get out there. It pays off when it works out. So worth it.

Any objectives on this trip?

I went in with no expectations, no goals. I wanted to just ski some new, more technical lines. Really excited to step it up. It’s such a fun crew and I'm really, really grateful to be here pushing my skiing in a new direction. Going into this season, especially post-Olympics, I just wanted to focus on what fired me up most. The contests from last year were super heavy and it really drains you, mentally, physically, emotionally. This winter season, it’s a bit more of what I want to do, get me recharged and really stoked up.

And then ALASKA? What?!

So very grateful. This is my first time to Alaska. I've always known that I wanted to come. And the stars finally aligned. I got to dip my toes into backcountry stuff with TGR in Wyoming. I think the crew was super stoked on what they saw and invited me to AK with an all time crew. I couldn’t have dreamt this up in a million years. Being in Alaska with Ian McIntosh, Sage Cattabriga-Alosa and my best friend, Parkin. I mean, there's no way I wasn’t going. I grew up watching these people rip big lines in AK.

We went out with Crown Mountain Guides and stayed at the Alaska Glacier Lodge, just a heli bump away from the beautiful Knik Glacier. Alaska is truly beautiful. I mean, everyone knows that. In a helicopter over this terrain, you really get to see it in full force, flying over the glacier is magical. It’s just these crazy blue ice walls.

Maggie finds her groove in Alaska. | Photo: Nic Alegre

Sage advice?

For my first, truly steeper line in AK, I was so grateful to have Sage out there with me. He was talking me through my line. I knew where I needed to go, but it was so good to have Sage up there, giving me the confidence and instilling in me that this was a process - look at my lines, watch for exposure, and look for my exits. A really big thing in AK is your line selection and sluff management which are totally new to me. I come from a slopestyle background. Sure there’s creativity, but there aren’t all these other natural and variable factors to consider.

What stood out for you on the Alaska trip?

I had a couple of moments of feeling really present. Instead of thinking about skiing this line or that line, just taking a moment to look where I am. I'm on top of this snowy mountain peak in Alaska. Looking out at these beautiful glaciers with this beautiful blue is unlike anything I've ever experienced, you know? I realized not a lot of humans get to experience this. And there's something to be said about that. A lot of beauty in that and feeling a lot of gratitude. Gratitude in the moments along with fear and excitement. I mean, the first line I skied was this ramp that was beautiful, untouched snow.

Maggie thinking about her next trip to Alaska. | Photo: Nic Alegre

Tell us about your injury.

It was my first day back after two weeks of window shopping. We had just gotten a reset. Things were looking good and I really just wanted to step it up. The first line I skied, there were some mishaps with sluff and I didn't get my exit right. Such a learning experience.

Unfortunately in that process, I had a fluke gear mishap and my boot totally broke, which left my heel hanging like a telemark skier and tweaked my ankle pretty good. I knew I’d have to go find new boots and had a moment where I thought I was going to leave early. Just super grateful that I was able to get back out and finish the trip with the crew. There was definitely a realization of being grateful for this trip as a whole and not getting so focused on what did I ski, what did I not ski? I've been on the contest scene for nine years now and that's been the bulk of my ski career. Yet, there's something so different about being in the mountains and being in AK. I can feel it, this is a start to a whole new world, a whole new chapter for myself.

Who are your legends?

On the backcountry side of things, It's tough to like pick just one skier. I've always really looked up to Tatum Monod. I had an opportunity to shoot with her in 2018 which was such a dream come true. It was my first backcountry trip, snowmobiling, all the things. She basically took me under her wing for that week, it was incredible. Michelle Parker, Angel Collinson, the girls who were out pushing skiing in so many different directions, it’s so inspiring to me.

On the contest side, it was the OG girls who really inspired me. It's hard to name them all: Sarah Burke, number one, of course, Ashley Battersby, Dania Assaly, Keri Herman, and Devin Logan. The list goes on and on and on. I looked up to them. I watched their edits. I watched their comp runs nonstop. It Inspired me and the progression that I wanted to bring into my own skiing. It was cool at a young age to compete against some of those girls.

Maggie competes in the 2022 Swatch Nines comp in Switzerland. | Photo courtesy of Swatch Nines

Now it’s the girls I’m competing against who inspire me the most. They're pushing this sport of women's freeski, slopestyle, big air to insane levels that I never could have even imagined. The girls are all so genuine, so kind, and they love the sport more than anything.

You’re a legend in the making for all the girls out there. So what’s next?

I really want to bring the backcountry into the rest of my ski career. And showcase my park tricks in the backcountry. Get out of my comfort zone and ski bigger lines, and film a bit more. Be a bit more creative. I'm really excited for the future.

Honestly, I feel like I've unlocked this whole new door to a whole side of skiing, of my career. I’m so inspired and I'm so, so in love. I don't think I've been this in love with skiing in some time. It's so exciting and I'm so hungry. I look forward to AK next year, not to get too far ahead of myself. I'm just so excited for what the future holds for me.

I’m thinking big things. I'm feeling really inspired.