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Nicolas Laframboise surprised more than one by finishing second in the Big Air World Cup standings last season. At only 20 years old, the future looks bright for the Quebecer who has only one idea in mind, to reach the world elite of his sport. First step: a preparatory camp in Switzerland.
Despite two podiums collected in Big Air during the last campaign, Nicolas Laframboise does not take anything for granted. On the contrary, he intends to take advantage of his stay in Europe to consolidate his maneuvers in this specialty, but above all, to polish his slopestyle descents.
“For me, it stays the same. My goal is to get better results in slopestyle. I missed some maneuvers last year and I want to practice them as much as possible to succeed in competition and have better rankings, ”explains Laframboise, who says he has a penchant for slopestyle.
“My preference is slopestyle, but I’m better in Big Air. Both have their own particularities, but in slopestyle it’s a real downhill. There are more obstacles and I can be more creative. I love that.”
One thing is certain, he will be able to count on the help of his teammates Laurie Blouin and Francis Jobin, both present at this preparatory camp.
“I ride with them all the time and we get along really well. They help me a lot, without even having to ask them. They have more experience than me and they don’t hesitate to share that with me. ”
Like his compatriot Elizabeth Hosking, the young snowboarder will be able to enjoy the facilities located in Saas Fee until Saturday. A unique opportunity that allows him to reconnect with his passion and a feeling of freedom that he had not experienced for a long time.
“I’m really glad I got to start over and I feel lucky to be here. It’s going really well, we had beautiful days to go on the snow and practice. It feels good!”
No guarantee for the coming season
Nicolas Laframboise is eager to demonstrate his know-how, but for the time being, it is impossible to know when he will set off again in an international competition. “We really don’t know much at the moment! Several things are canceled and if I look in other sports, it could be fine in January 2021. All that remains to be seen. “
This break does not prevent him from thinking big for the next season, especially with the possible Olympic qualifications. A surplus of talent on the national team, however, could complicate plans for Laframboise, who is still part of Snowboard Canada’s NextGen program.
“Qualifying for the Olympics is the ultimate goal, but it could be complicated,” he concedes. As I am not officially in the national team, I do not have priority in the qualifying competitions. ”
He will therefore have to fight against Maxence Parrot, Sébastien Toutant, Tyler Nicholson, Mark McMorris, Spencer O’Brien, Darcy Sharpe and Mikey Ciccarelli to make his way to Beijing. “I will have to do my best to find a hole in these competitions and be able to go there. Then I will have to show what I am capable of, ”says Laframboise, motivated by the challenge that stands before him.
In the meantime, he intends to savor every moment spent in the Swiss Alps. He will then return home, where he will have to undergo a period of quarantine, after which he will return to his board as quickly as possible.
“As soon as I can, I’ll go to Maximize to practice. Whistler and Calgary are also options for the next few months, but nothing has been decided. No matter where I am, I am 100% focused on snowboarding and I will work to improve myself, ”he concluded.
