Tim Durtschi: Slaying Big Lines in the Tetons

Tim Durtschi has been exploring the Tetons with TGR for years, but this year was a little different. Instead of flying around the globe in search of powder, Tim spent the majority of the season skiing and filming around Jackson. Luckily for him, this was a record-breaking season—the perfect year to hang around Wyoming. He’s also embraced his role as Kai Jones’ mentor, passing on knowledge just as it was passed to him when he was a young up-and-comer.

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That's a very wintery look, Tim. Nic Alegre photo.

TGR: Tell us about where you went skiing this year while filming for Winterland.

Tim: Living in Jackson Hole, the plan was to film a lot here, and that started out at the resort, then the backcountry around the resort, and then we got the Polaris snowmobiles rolling. We had a good snowmobile crew, and got to film in some of the zones around Jackson and the Teton Range. I also ended up going to Alaska for one week at the end of the season—that was kind of a last-minute trip; Kai had the opportunity to go to Alaska with Chugach Powder Guides and I tagged along. For Kai’s first trip it was just a really comfortable way to experience Alaska for the first time. We had super knowledgeable guides, and myself, as someone who’s skied in AK and has some experience up there to be along with him was great. I got to show him the ins and outs of skiing in AK: scoping the lines, the whole process.

Tim catches some air around Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Nic Alegre photo.

TGR: Yeah, you skied with Kai quite a bit this year. How did it affect your season?

Tim: Kai has school and his freeride contests, and he tries to balance all that with filming a part for TGR. Whenever we get the chance to film or ski together it’s super fun because he has a lot of energy—just one of the most stoked kids to ski. He’s also focused on getting good shots, and challenging himself in bigger terrain, and this year we started to step into some of that bigger terrain. Kai skied some gnarly lines in the Jackson Hole backcountry, and also did his first snowmobile day, so we were just stepping onto bigger stuff. He was feeling confident to step on some big lines in Alaska, and his season kinda progressed that way, and since we have so much experience skiing together, he was really stoked to have me along with him.

TGR: That comes across, you and Kai get along super well. Seeing you ski definitely pushes him, but what’s the impact on you?

Tim: I’ve just always had fun skiing with the younger generation. There’s just so much energy and curiosity, and the level of stoke is always so high. I remember that when I was younger I really looked up different skiers—Pep Fujas is one person who really stands out to me, and it’s always left a really good impression on me that when I was younger these older, more experienced athletes were so friendly and willing to share their knowledge. For me to pass that on is super important. And it just feels natural to ski with the younger generation, who just have so much energy— they want to learn everything and progress the sport.

Tim leans in while sledding in the WY backcountry. Nic Alegre photo.

TGR: Kai progressed a lot this year, didn’t he?

Tim: Yeah, me and Kai went to Windell’s camp this summer, and he learned a cork seven, that was kind of his goal for the camp. It’s a really fun experience to be able to share your skills and knowledge with people, and that’s kind of the joy of skiing, especially when you see someone land a trick for the first time—that stokes you out too. I love helping Kai figure out new tricks and features. Sometimes all he needs to hear is “You got this, you got the speed,” or sometimes he needs a little more encouragement, especially when we’re stepping into bigger stuff, but it’s mostly just sharing that good, positive energy in the mountains with people who are learning and are stoked. That’s what I love about skiing with Kai: he just embodies the curiosity and wants to know how to be the best skier in the world, and he’s going to figure it out.

TGR: Word on the street is that you had a good season. One of your best in a few years, not that you’ve been having bad seasons, but this one stood apart. What’s the story there?

Tim: I think just staying in one spot made a difference. We just need to spend more time in the same spot, wait for good storms, be set to go with a good film crew at the right time. Our photographer Nic Alegre made up this saying: ‘Right place, right crew, right time.’ When you end up in the right location with the right snow conditions and get some of the best shots ever, it feels unreal. That’s what we were going for, being at the right place at the right time, because you look at some trips that you plan forever, you can show up and waste weeks skiing in bad conditions.

TGR: So you’re not bummed about staying mostly around Wyoming this season?

Tim: Not at all! I’ve filmed here for many years, and this year I had a season pass at JHMR so my plan was to get to know the mountain super well. I wanted to ski a lot of the lines that I haven’t skied yet in Granite and some of the backcountry. Honestly, there’s more than enough to film in this state for a lifetime, so the goal is just to keep exploring and keep it up. I think that this film showcases WY in a really cool way, and definitely talks about our record-setting February, and then our March, when we were able to explore a lot of new zones.

Tim and company discuss some beta atop a line. Nic Alegre photo.