Letting Your Riding Do The Talking With Claudia Avon

Top photo Cam Hunter

Coming in hot and under the radar, Claudia Avon is quietly pushing the boundaries of what women can do in the backcountry.

In the late 90s and 2000s, female riders like Victria Jealouse and, soon after, Annie Boulanger showed us that they were more than capable of holding their own in the backcountry – and in the process inspired a generation of girls to grow up knowing no boundaries of where their riding could go. Look no further than the careers of other Canadian female shredders like Helen Schettini for proof of that. Coming in hot on the heels of all those ladies is Quebec-born and Whistler-based Claudia Avon. 

Claudia who?

Claudia motherfucking Avon. Learn that name. Cause you're going to be hearing a lot more of it in the future, especially around these parts. And that's cause Claudia is an absolute slayer. 

Having the pleasure to know and shoot with Claudia for several years now, I have gone from being rendered speechless from her daring feats to becoming somewhat laid-back and basically just expecting her to do something crazy every time she straps in. You see, Claudia is not like other girls. Hell, she's not like other boys. When we're out in the backcountry and she spots a cliff, pillow line or popper that she can envision herself ripping on, she will hit that feature as many times as it takes to ride it absolutely perfectly. No matter if she stomps it the first time or knees herself in the face on a hard landing. She'll be right back up there five minutes later with blood trickling out from under her googles. And that's not to say she fucks up that bad often, it's just that she's the kind of person who won't let something as minor as a small flesh wound keep her from stomping that line. And notice I didn't say "keep her from getting the shot". She does get the shot, be in photo or film, but what seems most important to Claudia is stomping the line not for the cameras, but for herself. The mark of a true snowboarder. 

Driving heavy-machinery in the summer keeps Claudia in the Whistler Backcountry all winter and that's where she is most in her element. Quietly observing everything going on around her – the mountains and the riders she is with for the day – Claudia progresses her riding every single day she is out there, leaning on all her collective experiences to make the most out of every time she straps in. 

Cladia has just launched a new website, thejoyriderz.com, where you'll be able to follow all her adventures throughout the season. And to kick it all off she's just released a sweet video where you can see just how badass a rider she is.

Check it out at the bottom of the page here, and get to know Claudia a bit on your way down there as we sat down and got some more info on just what she's all about.

Hock: You've been killing it for years but seem to fly under the radar of the snowboard industry. Why do you think that is?

Claudia: Thanks Brian! I truly love what I do, and there is not a day that I am not grateful for what I do out there. To be honest, I have always had the mentality that my riding should speak for itself. I want to be respected for what I do on my snowboard, and that is why I never really talk about it much. I think actions should speak louder than words. 

Right now, it is very hard for athletes trying to make it in the industry. The economy is not at it's best, and the snowboard industry is going through a lot of changes right now.  On a certain level, It is not just all about snowboarding anymore. Athletes need to market themselves and they have to push really hard for what they want, especially, if they want to get somewhere. When you want things to happen, you have to go after it. Having realized that, I feel it is only a matter of time. 

Is it frustrating?

It can be, especially when money becomes an object to accomplish certain projects, and you can’t afford to participate sometimes. It definitely sucks, when you really want to be part of it. It can be frustrating, when it is a nice powder/bluebird day, and all the crews are full, and you don’t have anyone to go out with. It can be hard, when you can't ride with some of your very good friends, because they are working on projects, that you are not part of. From my perspective, I am happy to go out with anyone, and I find it amazing to be able to share my passion and love of this sport with other people, who have the same interest. Though, I totally understand the situation, and in the end, the good days always make it up for the bad ones. 

Industry wise, It’s hard when you want to do so much, you have all these goals and ideas, you want to contribute to the industry and it seems like no company will open the door for you. They tell you that you are doing a great job, but they won’t take you on. It’s unfortunate, but, sometimes I feel like the industry is working the wrong way around. Even though they see that you have a lot of talent, and potential, they won’t invest in you. They wait until you are successful in terms of popularity. If a company can recognize talent, they should invest in the athlete, believe in them, and give them a platform to launch their career, showcasing/marketing their product.  I understand that it can be risky for a company to  do that, but risky investments are sometimes, the one's you can gain the most from. As a passionate person, I think that it would help progress the sport much faster, if they did that.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: You hear that industry peeps? Stop blowing it and get on the Claudia train!]

You just launched a new personalized web site and are working with a manager, is this your big push to "make it big "?

Yes, like I said before, you have to go after the things you want in life. If no-one see what you do, It is impossible to « make it big ». The hard part for a backcountry rider is, you have to be able to film and capture what you do, to be able to share it. My website TheJoyRiderz.com gives me a platform to share pictures, videos and show some of the projects that I have done. I love being able to share with people who love the sport. The main point is to inspire people by showing them what’s out there. 

I am so grateful to be surrounded by such amazing people. All my friends and people I ride with, have been very supportive and are helping me so much. My friend Joy offered to help me with marketing and the business side of snowboarding.

Do you think there is too much attention (and sponsorship dollars) paid to pretty faces with less than amazing skills? Why do you think that is?

Like I said previously, talent is not the only aspect that comes in consideration when you want to become a professional snowboarder. Athletes need to be able to market themselves to make an impact in the industry. A lot of people work really hard to get where they are at and some of them are really good on the business side of it. Just speaking by pure love of the sport, sometimes there are moments where some of the best athletes don’t always get what they deserve. It is sometimes unfair to them, but that's life. The only way to counter that is to keep focusing on what they love and to keep doing it for the right reasons. By doing so, without a doubt, their turn will come, one day. For myself, marketing has never been one of my strong points, but being able to pinpoint that problem is a huge step forward.

Snowboarding is an art and there are different way to express yourself. I find everyone has a talent, there is just different ways to represent it. 

I've seen you, time and time again, step to a feature, eat shit hard (as we all do), and then get right back up there and stomp the shit out of it. Where does the motivation come from? Why put your body through such abuse?

Haha good question! I think it’s in my personality. All my friends will agree with me, I am a very stubborn person. It’s not always good, but, when comes time to accomplishing something, I never lose my focus. I like to push myself to the maximum, all the time. I’m not sure why, but, it just feels good when I do. It’s the mentality that I adopt in every aspect of my life, When I do something, I give it all I got. I love challenges, I love to set goals, and I love to work hard to accomplish them. It feels very satisfying, when you work so hard for something and you actually get it. I also like to prove myself. Ever since I was young, I have always been attracted in doing stuff that, generally, guys would do. I like excavation, carpentry, mechanics, skateboarding, hockey, dirt biking, etc. I have always surrounded myself with guys and from a young age, I have always been told: « this is not for girls » ,  "Girls can’t do that » , « Sorry we don’t hire girls ». So far, I have always been able to prove those people wrong and I love it! haha 

What are your goals and hopes for this winter? What's the plan?

Goals, there are so many! I want to keep doing what I do, and push it to the next level. Big mountain lines, mountaineering, exploring new areas, going on adventures, learning more about riding natural terrain, I hope to inspire people. These are all goals for me. This winter my hopes would be to be part of a project and a team, with people with the same mind set as me. To be able to do all this, you need a very solid crew with you, who know what they are doing. I would also like to be able to capture some of those images and inspire people with them. I would love to have my own video part. I am working really hard to try to line something up for this upcoming winter, so far there is no set plan or project. Regardless I’ll be out there, riding as much as I can, with amazing people.

Impressed yet? Now check out Claudia ride!